The Sumter watchman. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1855-1881, 1870-11-02
DEVoED MORALITY an GENERAL

I; His soss, Casts, Risshugh. aud: Rob
ert, and his daug hters,' Mary, Agnes and
Mildred, stslivins m xirgi1i..s -
-. : =. -. -, 80 49, --i1 -.-..- :
HxrHAoRbINAnYANDA AFFECTING
r. NARRATIvR. -, sif -
A few weeks ago; the walters at the
Spotsyood Hotel cama iranning in q
body to Mr.. Luck and told him that. a
ghost was in the dining room eating all
the soup. Mr., Luck FASTENED at once
to the scene, and found the great tureen
which had been full Of turtle soup,
nearly empty, aud while be looked, the
remainder Of tho coup disappeared be-
fore his eyes--a clear loss Of twenty five
gallons of the finest and costliest soup.
Not a human being besides himself was
within ten feet of the tureen, the
servants being afraid to approach nearer.
This was a serious business, und it was
repeated three days in succession.-
There was no ooncealment about it
none whatever-for Mr.. Luck, Mr..
Bishop and Mr.. Sublett, oil saw the
soup vanish while they werc gazing in-
tently at it. The tureen was not crack.
ed, it did not leak the soup could not
have evaporated, the ladle never NOV
ed, and not a living thing was visible
in the room except the proprietors and
the servants. Truly, q most alarming
and apparently supernatural occurrence.
Tho reputation of the hotel was at stake,
the cost alone of the daily disappearing
soup was friyhtful. What was to be
done2
Mr.. Luck is one Of the brav rest of men,
He caused the tureen to be filed and
brought into tho dining room at the
dead Of. night. Lighting coal oil lamp,
he locked tho door of the dining room
and determined to sit up all night, soil
tary and alone, with the soup. Very
soon the soup began to disappear. His
heart beat fast, his eyes started from
their sockets, his hair rose on end, his
flesh orawled, and cold sweat poured
from every pore in his body but, nerv.
ing himself, he drew two Derringcrs
and ten inch Bowie knife, and hitch.
ed his chair still closer to the tureen.
Then it was that his great courage was
rewarded. He heard sound as it were
the sound of dirt daubcr sucking mud
but very, very faint. And the soup
kept disappearing. Mr.. Luck held his
breath aud again listened He heard
another sound, as light and thin as
might be the echo of zephyr, aud it
seemed to says:
"Lortly, Lorely, Louly! SO good /!
EWyint | Oomph!
And the soup went faster than ever.
Mr.. Luck sprang to his feet and cried
in loud voice.
"In the name of Gilbert G. Walk
er, chief Executive officer of this Com
monwealth, 1 charge you to come
forth"
The Voice SO thin and small repli-
ed:
III can't, I'm too weak. Let me cat q
leetle more. Kin you see me 2"
"No," said Mr Luck "who are
you 2"
"sTy name," said the Voice, "is Rcu.
ben Waxlcy. / blong to the 10th Moth
Kaliny reejmeat. / bin in Castle Thun.
der, and have jest dug out-bin long
time ut it, and I'm starved. Has thar
bin ary fight lately z"
Mr. Luck was immediately relieved.
He told Waxlcy to eat on aud never
mind about the fighting. Then he asked
him where he was.
"Here l is," said Waxley. "Fcel fur
me-"
But he could neither be seen nor felt,
so emaciated was he and when he
heard this, Wa"'ey wept.
His kind hosv choercd him up, and
told him to stay just where he was and
keep on eating.
SO he did, and in about four days he
became visible, presenting the appear
ance in favorable light, of tho mega
tive of a photograph. At the end of q
week he resembled large bit of very
thin glue. Two days afterwards ho be-
came palpable, and. when the hand was
placed upon him produced the sensation
of mass Of butter. A little later he
assumed the consistency of a stiffish
dough, and later still Of putty, in which
state he remains, and may be seen any
day at the Spottswood. Most of his time
is spent in eating He weighs now
about rs pounds, and f"ttens daily. Mr..
Luck is very fond of him, aud he is
daily called on by'our principal citizens
Ladies are particularly fond of visiting
him, aud sympathizing with him. Nc
one can sec him without shedding tears
The medica! faculty have ant in consul
tation on him no less than twelve times
aud they consider the case very un usu
al one.-Rich. Why.
THE LAST PRAYER.
DR.. Backus, president of Hamilton