The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1872-12-05
ATPatGgi3Ig SOrrOir.

L was a younger man by five-and-
twenty years when the strange incl
dents occurred that form the subject
OF this story. Twenty-Five years ago
and yet not so far away in the past
to one who has lived bachelors life,
and has few landmarks to look back
UDoF1- EUlassI.s----y r.-,.ts .alSSA =
not. The courting days, if L ever ever
bad rRpyuaaGFJewss that at / Belong to them
I will not trouble now.
Twenty-Five years ago was travel
ing for my health's sake, in the north
of England. 1 had been recommend
ed change; too much study, or too
much trouble, no matter which, had
brought me low, and absence from
my duties was imperative. ThejOurn-
ey was one of the most miserable 1
had ever undertaken; the season was
bad, my spirits were worse, and l was
without a companion in one of the
dreariest parts of England. I had
started on my tour, without giving
notice to the few friends [ possessed
in those times of my intentions. I
felt that should be bad company for
any one whose kindness might have
prompted him to join me, aud L went
on my way alone, walking my thirty
miles day, as dismal a figure in an
autumn landscape as it is possible for
nv listeners to imagine.
The night that begins my story was
a cold and dark night in the middle
of October-a cold, windy night, with
few stars shining out, and no moon
due till the early morning. 1 had
walked five-and-twenty miles that
day, and had three more to accom-
plish before the little village OF Mantle
could be reached. There was an ugly
pass by a dark hillside to travel, and
a ferry over Mantle River to be made,
before the days journey was ended,
and 1 could escape the cutting north
east wind and the showers OF dead
leaves it rained upon me and
whirled before me on my road. When
the Mantle stream was reached at last,
and there was no sign of ferry-boat or
ferry-man, I began to wish that l had
finished my days tramp at the inn /
had left behind two hours ago. They
bad told me there it would be a long
and tedious journey, and I had shrug-
ged my shoulders at the prophecy ,
and marched OFT manfully. I was
seeking ga long and tedious journey"
fatigue and exhaustion were good
friends to me, for they helped Be-to
sIeer and forgetfUlness. Still L thought
regretfully of the homely inn l had
left behind, of the great wood fire
burning on the hearth, and the brOnZ-
ed, gOOd-tempered face of the land
lord as he said, at was over late for
travellers not well up in the roads, +"
when l was standing at the water
edge, shouting, FERRY, hO." and
obtaining no response, save faint
| Ferry, ho!" from the distant hills,
that caught up my words and mock
ed me. Once before in my life L had
travelled the same road and crossed
the Mantle ferry; knew [ was not
mistaken in the place, though my lase
host had assured me that WisfOrd, the
ferryman, was always at his post till
hope of n penny was entirely lost tc
him.
'tHe's as misery as he's cunning
YOU must KNOW was the observation
made to me at an early hour of that
night. awe known him as late a;
midnight at the ferry hankering artel
/ customers that never come. 1t pleas
es the old man to turn penny when
honest folk be sleeping. Some say be
! carries over queer company at time;
I-pOachers, ghosts, bOggles; he's not
particular, if he gets his money. Still
| If he baant handy, sing out Ferry
| no y and he'll turn out of his crazy
old hut on tOther side of the river a:
\ joyfully as if you had brought for
tune to him."
The host had prophesled but i'll
however, for there l was, shouting
at the waters edge, with my hopes o
| the ferry-man's appearance growing
| fainter every instant. I was debat
/ ing how to proceed, after the echoes
reused by my last call had died away
looking with no little dissatisfaction
to the long backward road, and will
less to fOrding or swimming to the op
posite side, and running on cold anC
wet to Mantle, when 3 harsh whispe
in nv ear made me start, and set m!
heart for q moment beating rapidly
"DO you think to wake the dead
lsir?"
1 had always had some pride in N!
| self-possession; but il was shaker
then, I confessed, with some ittl
modification to myself. Still, a mo
ment afterwsrd I was outwardly cain
! and composed, and stood on the rive
bank quietly regarding my question
er. A woman, whose age was dim
cult to determine at that place and a
SO late an hour-a poor woman, prof
ably, with a shawl of slight msteria
drawn tightly round her, shaPeles
bonnet stuck anyways on her head
and one lock Of hair struggling froI
beneath in a maniacal manner ths
suggested the first witch in Mdc6eJ
! A yard or two from her was a gres
fuTze-bush, behind which she ha
probably been sleeping or hidln
when my voice aroused her. 81
could not have been walking latel.
or I should have heard her football o
the loose, stony road I had recenu
traversed; and I had no faith in 81
pernatural appearances.
mo" I said in answer to her II
>quiry; "but hope to wake the ferr!