The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1871-04-01
Ddill) p. argus.
saturday Even,ns, April l. 1871.
TIE RED HAND.

the village onurchyAru 10 point out the place
for the grave. While reading the epitaph
on q new tombstone lately put up over the
remains Of & friend, was impressed with a
certainty OF my own approaching end-so
much so that l spoke of it to one of the
attendants of the yard. He laughed, OF
course | insisted, and led the man TO the
place for my grave at the head OF my
fathers.
Here, Hawley--you lay me here" /
said.
"Wheu, sir?" said he, with kind laugh,
"Between this and the LIST of Novem Der. -
1t was the ID of September. was at
hat time a man of eight.and-i thirty years OF
age, with family of several children.
That evening, while seated with ny family
10 the bright moonlight on the balcony OF
our house, from which we had beautiful
view ola wide river running south for eight
miles without bend, the water LAYING the
shore not forty feet from the door, told my
wife Of what had occurred.
"How can you speak in that way" she
said. "st such time as this, throwing a
gloom over the whole house Basides, it
is all nonsense
Nov. the doctor had said that the little
boy bad died ofJaundiee, but there were
some extraordinary symptoms. The next
day we heard that the captain of q schooner
from the West Indies was very i'll with
jauudice ?" No; yelLow tecer!" In two
days one-hAlf of the population had left
home for any place where the yellow fever
was not We determined not to leave. God
had sent thus visitation He would not for
sake us. Those of us who did not run of
formed visiting committees for the sick. By
the 2gJh of October one hundred and forty,
out OF q population of eight hundred, were
in the churchysrds.
"Wel," said |, 1.-TWO days only to the lst
of November, and not gone yet"
Taat night at 10 o'clock | was seized.
sent instantly for my brother and made my
will. On the lhird DAY | was given over y
on the eighth was getting well on diet OF
beafsteaSs aud porters.
Abouttwo years After the yellow fever
visitation, friend OF mine, Alfred Stuart,
paid me VISIT. | was then staying for a
fortnight in the country alone. The "OId
House, as the place was called, had been
burnt by the British in the revolution, al
whish time it was = 0pacious mansion. TIE
present building was erected iu '9S out OF
the bricks of the Old. Il was completely
embo wered among oaks and magnoIias, ana
was old enough, IN the opinion of Ameri-
cans, to content the sntiquary. 1t was, how
ever, by no means wanting In cheertuuess
of aspect. AZ the back was fine garden
aud beautiful aud expansive water view.
The coantry around was celebrated as the
chief hunting grounds of Indian tribes not
long extinct, and was stocked with game.
Many tales of horror mad come down from
father to sou, of deeds enacted around and
~ the old homestead since the date of re-
building
The day of which Am writing was March
-, 1856. For two dsys the rain had fallen
in d steady drip-constant, and without any
apparent hopes of ceasing. We were tired
OF reading, and had discussed all the remiu
lsceuce4 connected with the habitation and
the parish. We had FIRE, but the weather
was not cold and window was open. The
sperm candles 10 large silver eandlesticks
under g,ass shades, stood on the table with
the teA.set The room was large and vain
scottai with oak nov of deep amber
color. The doors we're open. We had I'm,
4hed tea.
Stuart was man of ability and educa-
ton, OF nervous temperament, absent mind
ed, and at one slime of his life had been e
sleep walker. We we're silent, sitting il
easy chairs, and looking into the fire in
deep abstraction.
John, said Stuart, suddenly rousing, sit
is strange what VrOtesque and singular fan
u.es one has 1t times when locking into g
glowing wood-fre like that
What do you mean, Stuart? l cant say
hat / have ever seen, or have ever had any
such tsnc!es.'
well, | suppose it depends upon the or
ranc elements, as the professors ssy-the
peculiar nervous construction of ones think
Ing apparatus. You sse fire. | see gro
te,que faces and parts of faces, ruined cas-
ties of living Goals, the beaks of fendist
birds and hendish eyes, ard now | see q,
plain as ny own hand, red hand in thos'
burning Goals"
"Wny, man, it is an illusion, mere fancy
don't see it,
Come here and look from my standing
point as the phrase is. Look right there
As I live It is growing redder and redder =
Look ~
u don; see it."
"Why, man, taking the poker and point
ing, ''look there, and there, and there, fouI
d1gers, here's the thumb. Don't you see
What's ihat2" dropping the poker with q
startled look Of surprise and foreboding.-
can owl. BY heaveus Is has perched above
the door !" and he sank into his chair with
woebeqone expression, which, had no
known his peculiar temperament, would
have Rwed me. John, drive the goblin on
for mercv's sake"
So seized the fly brush and made 70
the owl which, blinded by the light, swoop
ed for the ERE, knocking over one candle
and smashing q shade, brushed the brow
of Stuart with the tip of his wing, ant
pounced into the red hand of fiery Goals dri
wing dust. ashes and sparks in every direc-
tion-scorched, shriveled, dead.
go Lord what does this meen -
"Whv nothing in the world, Stuart. 1t i
not the frat owl ! have seen in the ole
house. It is q little strange. to be sure, tina
be should knock your hand into ashes
The poor creature is cooked
! blew an alligators tooth whistle for Boil
the waiter Boo, get a box and take ou
that owl''-the uegro's eyes opened rs wide
as saucers-"sWeep out Ihls broken glass
bring the kettle Of hot water, leave III
suRardi,h, get out no, whisky and lemons.
Rot Tor trOHc gentlemen, but by the way
medicinal recipe for Stuart.
Al > O'Clock Tor lack oil something Oet'e
to do, we stroled off to bed.
John, what sn asa | have made of my
self about that red head and that coniounC
ed hooIer Why, man, | am sleepy, but
could now whip forty Indians single handel
gu laugh, feel as If ! could, much NOR
ina ieathered messenger from Hades. Tn
poor devll how 1t sqpirmed, trembled an
sPnttered as the ire seized iS vitals Al
hoo-hoo hooah !-Cutse the red hand Goo
night Jack"
Iu those days the back doors Of houses
towns or country never were locked. III
servants went in and out al all houra. TIL
silver lay safe on the sideboarla or in ope
drawers. The chamber doors we're rare
fastened. There was no want, hence 7
thieves.
About midnight | was awakened how
cannot tell Something was certainly mo