The Plymouth Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1869-1941, 1870-04-14
MISCELLANEOUS.
"COMPASSES.o ="

AUNT CLEPSY vas tossing her last flap
I'ck from par to plate, just in time to give
gidhce ID st caromed round the room.
anu n poe citing itself in the open window.
~ ieli u ,oa the four OF us-FOsco. Barkham,
sno Colonel and me-riding toward the
-'ese, our horses tired and detected, and
ourselves fit comrades for them
One would think almost rs soon of
pulling a hotel in cemetery, and wait
ing tor ghsstly visitants, as Of settling
near Mad Springs, in the heart of de
serted country. But there the house
stood-a Struggling, one-stOried inn, half
0,t0be and half rough posts, like a broken
spider the supports of the shed standing
like gaunt legs. One almost expected to
see it moving about the place
y Wild, unccuth placs-a ragged, un-
shorn pit of nature, in her most discordant
mood y narrow valley, fringed as to
IS sides, with gnarled oaks, that crouched
IN silence, and cOttOnwOOds, whose leaves
seemed glad To be hidden by their dusty
cuatlngs. Large bOulders ran slow races
down the hills, or gathered in sober
srOuDs around stony chief; some gray,
nd smirched with brittle moss: others
broken, and trying to glisten in the sun.
Even the birds deserted the canon, ut the
foot Of which stood the house; and though
Sometimes peeplng around the outlet,
aCver venturcd IN. How the winter wind
snarled up the ravine. bufeting every
thing, and drawing a cloud of dust in It's
lerky train How the rains poured
down, as if glad to wash out the land
marks pelting and soaking, running new
channels, and following out the surface
Only me little, thread like brook, that
twisted down from the spring. laughed i'm
the sunlight, flashing back upon the
cllnging weeds that cOUrtesIed to the
bright bubbles on their rapid course At
the fence the brook crept under, and mois-
tened the flowers and vegetables that were
scattered about the gardcn-the pride and
care of Aunt Clepsy, and the solacc of
her heart
Hunting all day among the hills,
wearied with fruitless sport, we came un
cNpectedly upon these signs OF life, and,
urging our horses, pushed on TO the
dwelling.
Can we stay here to-night?" inquired
fSes'o, IS the dame came to the door, and
>'oud, with arms akimbO, scanning our
party with curious eye.
Ye can try" was the sapient rejoindcr
"A somewhat equivOcal one-but be
lated travellers are not wont To be over
nice.
We turned our animals into the yard
and bundled our traps into the front room
that served for sitting, dining and bar
The hostess had preceded us, and gave
rs greeting, leaning on the bar rail. She
coolly examined orr baggage, such as it
WAS, and, with a sigh of relief, remarked :
Ie amt got no yallcg velise, | see, and
yc can stay You may think it Gurus, but
81.
up here. III tell yc why this is There
was peart-Iikc chap Onst came here.
prospecting around, which had sich a
baggage; aad he KEEP on stayin' and stay
m, which we didn't see no money of
hsn' day after day. But as we had found
bis yOlisc hcsvy-which me and Com
passes often heaed-we thought ii was
all right. But, one day, my man diin't
come back any more; aad when we come
70 open the volise, We found it was nailed
- the floor, empty; and no nan with sicli
heavy thing hev We kept sencc"
"You are right in being cautious when
such men are around. But where is your
husband." asked the Colonel
4" Down in the field, yonder They call
him Compasscs, cause one Of his legs is a
little Irregular. But you mustn't keep me
with palayCrin, or you wont git moth
ing for provender," and she hustled into
the kitchen.
y kindly faced old ladyas ever looked
Upon; and She hal safely passed the age
when women are apt To become blottlng
papers, To- absorb all the milk of human
kindness about them f'al and spare
plain print-gOwn neatly put on, she had
al possible dignity Of carriage aad de
meanOr.
sinorrr1a- room, we were occuDvinD
At one end iuttcd out from the wall a
few shelves, on which was arranged row
Of bottles. There were seven cans
Of OYstcrs-always seven-haying the
marks Of u daily polishing. A small jar
was labelled Solace; II you
rang il there came forth
an empty sound. A cigar-box, of some
faded, medieval brand, hung close to this
Tor company An old Dutch pipe, hung
mp By the neck, had been stranglinS slow
ly for years There was a remarkable
print Of the Deluge upon one wall, where
= purple ark navigated among pink
whales, that spouted raspberry soda
water; while Noah, with his select cempa-
uy,clad in naval uniforms, and bearing um-
brellas, seemed To- chaff the struggling
creatures with all the eiIrontery of men
who had paid their fare. Two painting
nWiiuiHtln- pair bt IbdnlS, us iDdTk-
ham ehristcned them -strove to climb the
rudder. bat were pushed off by the gold
laced hireiBgs. How do these scriptural
prints get iato such queer places A half
dozen well whitfield chairs, and two
benches, that SHE'D up against the wall
completed the furniture
We bal hardly completed a survey %
our surroundings, when we heard tn,
blast of horn, and close upon il, voic,
shouting, S-i-l-a-sl S-i1-a-s =
In answer thereto, there soon appeared
~ the door the lord of the manor, sur
named Compasses. lie had an unmistaS
ably stiff leg-nOt loose appendage but
n firm attachment 10 his body, like "A limi
u the trunk of q tTee-and the boot or
his foot had all the close fitting symmetry
Of the skin of baked apple upon the pulp
thereof The man, after gazing at us
somewhat in surprise, pivOted into The
room, entered the bar. and said, " w Ell
come, gentlemen. Take a drink"
Though we were tolerably well ac
qusinted with the spirits Of the frontier
none Of us were fully prepared for tho
pungency of the tipple, and had hardly re
covered our breath when the lady reap
peared, and hastily setting table, laid
thereon our supper, of bacon, eggs. and
ilspaczs, TO which we did summary jus.
tice and, when we had finished, filed olr
mines. and sat under the porch, In the