Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1870-11-09
THE MAN IN THE BRAZEN MASK.

| THE MAN IN THE BfkAZEN MASH.
He died but few days ago. His
name was Charles Athenus. We took
it for a Portuguese name; but in This
we might have been mistaken. | am
not familiar with Portuguese. His sig
rature was always heavier than tie teAt
of bis letters; and be wrote it with a
flourish under it, as if he were proud of
the name. He had worn The mask ever
since | first saw him; and he was never
known to take it of. He died with il
on; and. in fact. be was buried in it.
owed my first acquaintance with
him Ia casual introduction which com
mon friend gave US one morning rs we
were waiting at the post office for the
mail 10 be distributed. | observed pc
culisr yeIowish and metallic appear ,nce
about his lace, aud ntibned it to my
friend as we walked away with our let
tiers.
ABR he answered then you did
notice itr After pause, he added
That man, my dear fellow, wears
brass mask--wears il continually
| expressed very decided doubt as to
the truth of the statement.
1T is fact said my friend, solemnly,
Il do assure you. 1t is so nicely fitted
TO his face that you must look very close
to detect The line of joinlure. And it is
so ingeniously constructed with springs
and hinges that il does not give him the
least trouble in eating or talking. Ii is
a great improvement on poor Matthi-
oils
But why does be wear it? SAID |,
still :ncreduious. Are his TEXTURES so
bideous that he dares not show lhem?'
On the cpnirtry, they are surprising
IL beautiful. | suppose we have few
models, even in the Iof.iest conceptions
of art, that can at NIL compare with
| item
Have you ever seen his facet?
No; never have seen it myself
Do YOU know any one who has?'
Nv friend hesiIaled for some time, and
fl ally replied that he could not just
then call TO mind any one who had &C
tually seen it. but be was very sure it
was the general belief that the face be-
hind the mask was wondrously beauti-
ful; and some one must have seen it, or
hcw could such an impression have be-
come so wide spread?
found aiterward that this belief was
indeed very general one; but l never
came across person who had any rea.
son for entertaining Il, except that it
was the general belief
One Sabbath | strayed away from my
own church. and entered one at the other
end of the town. The usher seated me
directly behind gentIen an with yellow
hair, whom soon discovered TO be the
man in the brazeu mask. guessed The
whole plct of the sermon from the first
paragraph, and gave the remaining time
to critical examination TO the mysteri
Gus masker. l had every opportunity
for close inspection; but | failed to dis
cover the faintest trace of any line of
cleaving between the mask and the fesh.
concluded that the false covering ex
tended far enough around for its edges
to lie hidden under his hair. A stout
old lady, who had forgotten her fan.
opened a window near by; and a gust
blew aside his back hair. There was
the same brassy appearance as in front /;
and, by some ingenious device, the fine
halt of the neck bad been made to grow
out of the mask, could not affirm
that l saw any crack or seam, hook,
hinge, hasp, key hole, or anything Of
the kind. When he joined in the hymn,
it sounded as If bis throat and lungs
were of the same material ms his mask.
l began to be interested in this sngu-
lar person, and TO make inquiries con
corning him. No one seemed TO know
exactly what his business was. One an.
swered that he believed he was an
agent of some sort and another thought
he lived on bis money! but most con
fessed total ignorance, and spoke rs if
} they had never thought Of the subject
before. He was always well dressed,
and appeared to have the entree of what
is commonly known as good society,"
But eyeryW 1ere he wore his mask; aud
on every occasion it seemed to cause at
first q slight sensation Of surprise or dis
like, and then be accepted as matter
well understood. and not to be discussed.
One scene. in which the Man in the
Brazen Mask was the principal actor,
comes back 10 me most wildly, after the
lapse of many years. And it is my
knowledge of it which seems to point
me out as tie one who should write his 81 o
~. had gone fishing alone. one beautiful
June day-not that expected to catch
much. or was at any time skilful fish.
erman; but it offered good excuse for
dozing away a summer day on the beau
tifuf sheet Of water which We called . the
bay I anchored my little boat 10 q