Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1871-01-21

% "r gist.r," md his name itself was
lnkn)Wn Whence lie came-whith.
er he Wa goin - ere as much mys-
terie as ur Say Or afTlrms were the
CON ag. Jfthe Y ID which "blowcth
W re ,j iisteth and these good
mpathotlC Samaritans Of Clinton
gere a great deal mole exercised
bout them than they could have
leen about any atmospheric pncno-
inens whatever. Public opinion in
this private little village was fast
settling down into the belief that the
mysterious was insane, though the
wisest man of the village, with N the
dictstorial and overwhelming 1Aelo.
quence OF Crabbe's Justice Bolf'
stoutly Maintained the theory that
he was an escaped convict.
The sell Of death was speedily put
upon all this mystery-t0 be broken
only lfter the great trump shall have
been sounded, and the secrets Of all
hears shall be made known. One
moral & he was found in the street,
t son distance from the hotel, stark
lead in his cOngealed blood, with
race, OF desperate conflict with some
unknown adversary on the frozen
g'Dud about him. The mystery
" Itch then hung, and yet hangs over
The affair, threw deep and uncoln-
mon feeling Of horr0r over the whole
community. The weather was in
,nSely cold, and for the purpose Of
iolding an inquest over the body, it
vas removed, after the arrival Of the
co?norer, TO the Court House, a few
yards distant, | there beheld the
fearful sight. The frozen fingers
we're Clenched, the arms contracted,
and the cye-balls glarcd beneath the
shaggy and scowling brows with
demoniac hate that death himself had
failed completely to quench. | can
not describe the oyerpowering horror
which seized me at beholding the
spectacle, and it haunted me day and
night for weeks afterwarl.
d Time passed on, however. The
Iubject was talked Of less and less,
and at last was scarcely ever mention
ed. The horrible picture gradually
faded from my youthful mind or III
occasionally brought W by some
passing circumstance, it was but in-
distinctly, and was quickly banishcd
for something more agreeable.
On New Years day 1872, | took
up my abode III the village Of Clinton,
for the purpose of attending a Latin
school which had just been establish
ed there. The gentleman of whose
family | became for time mem
Nber was sending his son to the same
school. Being clerk Of one Of the
courts, ho had under his control a
very comfortable little room ada
cent 10 his Office, OH the upper story
Of the quaint old stone Court House,
which hc assigned to us as study
room and sleeping apartment
! found the situation very pleas
ant one. OurrlassiCsl instructor was
not very exacting. Ny chum ANA
hourly companion was thoroughly
congenial. lie was onlys few months
my senior, and wcwore hoth
Just st that age 'iTiKt boy and youthF
when every thought wears they tinse
OF fancy, and every feeling is "a ro-
msnce-an age in which Imagination
luxuriatcs in her power, and over
shadows in her wide dominion of
the sister faculties Of the mind.
After three weeks of what | imag.
lned was pretty severe application to
nv studies, was dreaming away
one bright and sunny Saturday after
noon By q cheerful fire in our little
apartment. My feet, as | sat, had
climbed TO the mantelpicce, my flute
was coquctting with the musical pro-
pensities of mouth which was out
of its sphere when not smoking a.
cigar, aud books and papers lay scat |
tered around in truly literary contu-
sion. was floating delightfully."- |
along in revery which had just ele' |
waited me to the Presidency of the
| United States, when loud sounds of
footsteps Oh the stairway, and q heavy
rap at my door, put an end at once to
my melodious exercises and political
glory. On opening my door, two
servants entered, bearing between
them a large tub of water, brooms,
&C., the unmistakable implements OF
thst highly interesting operation
technically styled by the very know
ing in housewifery, securing" II
/ took my hat and walked to the
family residence, where found my
chum apparently making somo prac.
tical application of the verb "Amo' |,
with an extremely dark-eyed little
visitor OF his handsome sister. From
the charms of the latter had not
passed entirely unscathed himself
but had begun to experience divers
indubitablc smartings from the I
wounds invisible
Which loves keen arrows make
Feeling no particular aversion, |
Joined this "tripartitc alliance on !
the first invitation.
The situation proved emlnently
agreeable. Supper came and passed.
the bright new "warranted' Yankee {
clock unheedcd struck nine, ten clev- !
en- and laugh and anocdote, jest and
song, still held us together. AT
length my chum and | concerted a
plan, when the attention of the young I
ladies was diverted for moment to
else, from the execution |
of which We promised ourselves 4
much amusement, Our plan, was to /
relate as many horrible ghost stories I
as we could think OF, or invent for h
The purpose of marking and enjoying v
their effect OIL our fair hearers. II
We began in fine style, but the re- s
suit was very far from answering my "a
expectation. The young ladies hap "
Dencd to have as many to tell as we,
ind in the course Of the amusement, Y
20 far from sporting with their super h
,titious terrors, or eliciting from them =
Inc slightest symptoms Of agitation e
was fairly beaten with my own a
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