Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1871-03-30

PIONC lidTuci, or enilNCn bACn.
crept into the outer world, rather glad
to leave my rramped position.
All What vas this y darkness, heavy,
damp, unearthly darkness.
The rascall s'eakiIg away and leaving
the organ open in this way.
The arrant little coward Had he crcpt
off because he was afraid of the s1pernatu.
raj agency which had pushed b.ck the
stops? for Rver guessed that he could
have forgotten; !, who nearly ways h,si
some organ or other upon my mind |
closed II first carefully, then | began to
think about myself, partly because various
bruises forced themselves on my attention.
partly because there seemed to be nothing
else to think about
1t was almost u mile along the gallery
Then the steps; might have been going
down the Monument staircase for the time
ii took me! But at last felt out the door,
with a large blue elevation in the middle
of my forehead, and the dust of ages in
each palm. Locked holtcd ruthlessly
barred between me and my genial fellow
creatures between my dark prison and
the warmth and light of the homes with,
out
kicked and shouted; but there was no
answer except the wind sweeping by,
shaking the glass in the old easements
above me, looked round helplcssly-I
mean 4 turned my head round most holp.
lessly, feeling the darkness like dreadful
tangible thing, Then despH'ringiy | gave
louder shrek than ever. How weirdy
1t echoed up the aises and vibrated in the
organ'pipes like crowd of ghostly, mock.
ing answers But it brought no other
answer, and knew then that 1t was use
less to hope for help from without. What
should do? | felt so sick and giddy that
| sat down upon bench against which |
had stumbled near the door, and tried to
steady my mind TO the inevitable night in
this dreadful cold and darkness ] knew
| was not a coward; | knew there was
little OF the superstitious in my nature; |
could face darkness and lonlness perhaps
better than many a bigger man; but what
a CheerleSs, cOmiortless night this would
be What a beginning of new year
What would they think at my lodgings?
would they send out and seek me? They
might even guess, and send here What
laugh | would have over thsl The little
organ playing rascal would try, pc haps,
to laugh at me for this unexpected SEQUEL
to my plot; but that would not matter
much, | could soon qnench him What
was that? Only the wind again; how it
had risen, and how those blessed windows
crcaked, and shook, and chattered! Why
could not they repair the windows? It
would be good deal more sensible than
spending so much on the organ Espec.
ally since the last organist left (and he
scaS an organist), and left no respectable
player in the parish to take his place.
Where was the pulpit? oh, it must be
over there, straight opposite M, Could
rot make b lieye very much, like the little
Marchioness, and see it lighcd up, and
hear gentle gray haired old man preach
ing to me? Not bit of it, I'll defy a
man, sitting alone in an empty, vault-lke
place at midnight--thc wind swaying and
groaning and shricking all round ito
fancy q pleasant lighted church full of
cheerful listeners, and a genial old man
telling them, in a kindly friendly way,
how to make themselves happy forever
Yes, just as | will defy you, at your warm,
bright firesides, or in your sunny gardens,
to fancy me cropping in this heavy dark
ness-knowmg | was shut out from all my
natural world, until that world should
choose, for its own purpose, to summon
me. They would open the church in the
morning for me to 20 on with the organ
All it would be indeed for me
Was it one o'clock yety | wondered.
Why, all the town would be in bed by this
time; those who had been at church could
almost be snug in bed now. Even that
mean little sneak, who had ruined the
" Carita" and wanted TO ruin th7 ORGAN
even he was probably asleep by mis- time,
and | had never frightened nor fought
him II WAS almost more thon human ma
tience couId stand Did thai ridiculous
wind want to come in too that il rattjed
the windows in that fjeudisb manner
Well it. could not 90 ON long | should
think. at that pace What was ihatg The
whole bujldiag was shaking. No wind
that No, only the rcverberation of the
great clock bell Onci " hat n gloomy
note il wasi how different In the .onp6
twelve hours ago. when / had # nv
work in pleasant anticipation of the dainty
little hot dinner had orleredl II had .
CHEEKY sound then. now il rolled suIlenly
and despondugly through the tower
How MANY ne0nle or rather how f,w
would be awake 10 hear til Ahla sudden
Thought struck me fool never TO have
imaginr d it before. If I rang the bells or
even tolled one bell. il won)d surely sum.
mon somebody who could omen the door
to me could try. nj anv rata il should
not be nv fault If sncuf tbe wre,ched
night thai loomed before me. How long
would il take me 10 reach the belfryy
knew how TO fad II in daylight. but now
Wen, aj,M find it now; would grona
until old, at any rate.
Feeling along the sides of the high old