Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1872-04-18

visible from the road, came forth L
prayer, they found q man kneeling be
fore the altar-a young man, finel
dressed. booted aud spurred. Askin
his name, he replied:
II am but poor penitent. who for
his sins, has seen Death even in life
Have mercy upon me =
And SO. since he had vast boar,
OF iilgotten wealth to place at thei
disposal. Captain Jack Blythe, tn
noted highwayman became a bro,he
OF st. Simon. and the legend of hi
meeting with Death upon the road anc
SO being turned toward heaven, becam,
the property of the monastery.
FIVE years passcd-ten-tifte
still he was brother Johu-still he wa,
humbly penitent-still in his little eel
he Kept skull and cross bones. il
memory Of his awful warning. As hs
had been the first among the sinners
ne became first among the saints zeal
Gus in good works; fond of foggina
himself, and walking about with peas
IN his shoes. and fasting and praying
doing much real gooi among the poor
who grew to love him. and to whom,
lie often gave money which he begged
from the wealthy.
/ Good Brother J hn-was known
near and afar for all excellent things
lie was no longer young-he was near.
I ~ five and forty but he was still the
handsoncst man in the monastery for
all that
II was in midwinter, bitter night
The blast swept wildly over the moors
tue ram beat against the panys of the
convent windows. But above it all
were heard cries OF distress. .Hclp.
help. help" The crv rose on the blast /;
Help, help, help" 1t faded away in
an awful moan.
The brothers crossed themselves.
And Brother John and one other went
out to see what had bcfallcn.
They found an oil man upon the
road. His horse had stumbled and
fallen upon him. aud he hal sustained
wocful injuries. Bearing him in. they
mlnstercd unto him; and in the dead
oil the night Brother John sat beside
his bed telling hi beads. one pale
candle alone burnt beside the bed, but
II fell upon the brothers face.
'Eh,' cried the old man, suddenly
lifting up his head, how like
Like what, my SOM asked brother
John.
i fear shall offend you, said the
old man tut YOU are like highway
man who tlourishcd some fifteen wears
ago-like a. two peas. You have
heard OF him perhaps, his name was
BLY, the-Gaptain Jack Blythe.
Ina monastery We hear little Of
such things said brother John. am
not offended. All men are made in
the IMAGE OF their Maker, though some
ogend him soreiv.
Il saw him but once, said the old
'"''" r""ning on, as people in n slight
fever often 10 only once II, 49, :.
handsome man, 80 no offence 90 that
score, brother. | played him trick,
God wot, that frightened him. brave
as he was-hc highwayman, but a
poor strolIing player. All, il was a
jest indeed. Shall telllt:
'l"s. said the brother. leaning for
ward eagerly. Yes; 90 on.
The company were travelling. and
what little they had they needed, said
the man. They were going bv the
mail coach; and halt way on, We were
warned Of Captain Blythe. Some
were for turning back. but had an
idea. knew | could frighten him.
l had played death on the stage often.
and had mask that WAS skull. and
a black dress tight as my skin marked
OF IN white FOX ribs and bones. SO |
b.ackened up horse-the spots on
him that were highland with . hood
,d cloak on, rode before the coach, |
met the hlghwaynan indeed, and he
demanded my purse. But | showed
mm what was under my cloak. was
a perfect skeleton, brother, with that
black background, and he sped away
in fear. SO the mail coach got safely
10 London that night. and many Il
time have laughed about it
He babbled ON. talking Of this thing
and that, growing more ftvcri-h and
more delirious every hour; but he
pfattled to empty walls. Brother
John had glided from the room.
He had gone TO his cell, and there,
standing before the grinning skull that
adorned it, clcnched his hand in fury.
Idiot that | was, to be fooled 10y a
s,rollng player" he cried, and dashed
! the awful emblem of mortality to the
ground and stamped upon it.
| The monks found him not III the
morning, and those white fragments
on the stone floor puzzled them. As
ior the poor stroliing player, he was
III the delirium OF fever pv that time,
and shortly died. So he told them
nothing.
But for some little time the country
round about was in terror of man
who called himself Captain Death-a
man who in some mysterious way, APP
peare' as a skeleton to those he rob
bed, and frightened them out of all
power Of resistance. At last. however
one braver than tine rest took aim witt
his pistol at that spot under the empt,
ribs of the figure where the heart o
living man should be. and fired A
solid body dropped with groan. Cap
tain Jack Blythe had met Death fac,
to face at last.
Barnums cannibal from FIJI says ''B,
iabers, hell not stand being stared al
for tin dollars wake; dye Eoint
now?"