Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1870-06-09

| Science steps in to our aid. Through, her
| marvellous lens, we see these seemingly
| discovered bones draw together, and,
united with their missing. fellows, grow
into the mighty creature of which they
had once formed part. We gaze with
awe and rapture on those ship-like ribs,
those tree-like legs, that derne-like head!
We look upon each other and redden with
| shame, as the fancy occurs to us, that, had
| one of as to act as dentist to this gigantic
thing, he would have to bear the tooth
away upon his shoulder H's 10.
Dick was silent for q moment, then re-
sumed, more calmly .4Esr. !.
"All this, Harry, confirms. me in the
belief that we all spring from one giant
| stock. 3 If comparison with the remains
of our, massive sires be painful to our
vanity, let us at least exult in the knowl-
edge, thus confirmed, of what we once
we're myself" continued Dick, draw
ing himself up with dignity, "as my
name, Longchild, would seem to imply,
am a scion of race remarkable for
length of limb. If baby could be de-
scribed as colossal, I deserved that appel
lRtion"
"The painful reflection, after all, is
what we shall ultimately descend to-" in
terrupted /. H --r
What, indeed My dear fellow, if we
have already dwindled from three hun
dred feet to six, can you blame me for
dwelling on the glorious records of the
past, rather than on a coming period
when the average height of man will be
-pah eighteen inches, with a tendency
to further diminution? And confess l
derive but little comfort from the refec-
ton that our (by that time) gigantic re-
mains will, when eXhumed centuries
hence, extort the admiration of the tribe
of hop p-o'-my-thumbs calling themselves
men, who will come swarming around to
gaze upon our massive framesP'
Longchild puffed out his chest, and
stretched himself generally, as if in full
enjoyment of the posthumous renown on
which he loved to dwell.
The excitement, however, was but tran
sient Dicks spirits were evidently de-
pressed, and aware that at such times he
preferred to take refuge IN bis own refec-
tions, 1 babe him farewell, reminded, as
did so, of my promise to visit him at
Gaunthope-the-Towers "a place that had
descended to him in CornwaI) the follow
7T6en, nv dear Hal," he concluded,
as, with sigh, he pressed my hand, Syou,
who are already possessed of one sad
grief of my life, shall learn q second fear
full secret, one which, am persuaded,
will, independent of our friendship, have
a certain romantic interest for you, and
on which / earnestly desire your counsel"
have recorded the foregoing conver-
sation in order to exhibit my friend astride
of his favorite hobby,-the. gradual dete-
rioration of our species from the hale
and healthy giant, considered as cut ON
prematurely at seven hundred and fifty
wears, to the puny little contrivance now,
by the combined operation Of luck and
care and skill, kept going for threescore
and ten.
Nor was Dick colossal only in his the
ories. Everything about him had gi-
gantic flavor and twang. He spoke, when
he thought of it, hOarsely and hugely.
He used the most tremendous
words and phrases He surround
ed himself with weighty and ex-
expansive accessories. His bed might
have been the consort of that OF ware.
In the calm waters of his bath the unlVer-
sity match might almost (at plnch)
have been rowed. He wrote the smaiiest
note with quill furnished by the eagle or
the swan. His walking stick might have
been welded by the drum major OF the
Guards His favorite riding hack was over
seventeen hands in height.
Gaunthope-the-Tower hung, hike a
gloomy frown, upon the face OF dense
and lofty wood. 1t might easily have been
the residence, of one of those tremendous
persons who, before the days of their de-
stroyer, Jack, regarded Cornwall with PEI
culiar favor.
There was a smaller mansion, Gaunthope
| Lodge, lurking in the skirts of the wood,
which, when found, proved to be some
what like its gloomy neighbor, minus Mn the
| towers, and reminded you of an ill-favoT-
ed dwarf in attendance on giant. Mr..
Longchild affected to regard this appan7
age as of about the dimensions of hem
| coop, and magni dcently left it to the oc-
cupation of his sub-forester. "a.
a carriage drive about the width of
Regent street, London, gave convenient
| 10 a 1T GREAT
7 tporbafSpf Swhich sWeraN NspNe. hffeeP feet
1 hsh ) fhe hall displ laysd q cpmplete mu-
scum of truculent weaponsf clubs, haces,
tWo-handed swords, and the like, such as
might have been wielded by Titans.
Twas met at the station by Mr.. Long
child's mail-phaeton, a machine, or rather,
moving edi6ce, of alarming size, to which
were yoked two steeds of corresponding
magnitude. The very whip placed IN my
hands was of such preposterous length as
| to assist the Illusion that crept over me,
as we thundered heavily along, of going
| on a visit to some friendly giant, and fish
! ing, as went, in black and heaVlng
| sea.
Dick was waiting on the steps of his
majestic dwelling, and seemed, good fell
low heartily glad to see me.
| Nice little things, thosel" he remarked
nodding towards his phaeton, as it veered
slowly round in the direction of the sta
bles. slight trap, light horsesi But to-
morrow I'll introduce you to something
like bone and substance, worthy of a
brighter age"
There was no-ene but ourselves at din
ner. Longchld, on succeeding to the
property, two years before, had, so far
from cultiVating his neighbors, been at
some pains to makesit well understood
that, as mere bird of passage, he did not
desire to form any local connections what
Ver 80 sf
Nevertheless, the bird of passage must
have found sufficient to interest him, for
he remained glued to his perch in a man
ner that awakened considerable general
interest, and special curiosity as to what
on earth he did with himself Dick ex-
ulted in this. There was something
gloomy, menacious, gigantic $50 to speak
/ in this standing mysteriously aloof. The
domestic habits of the Cornish giant have
never been ascertained with precision,
and Mr.. LongchiId, resolving that no light
should be cast on the matter through de-
generate descendant of that lamented
i race, sternly repelled attempts TO allure
him from his solitude. .
In furtherance OF his general plan, he
m ade it his habit to ride after dark. Many
a belated rustic, though your COrnishman