Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-12-18


FERROUS transformation so preyed upon
him, in both mind and body, that in the
course of few days he became unable to
take his necessary food, and little while
after was compelled TO take his bed.
Soon every one could see he was APP
preaching death. He whose mind is bur-
deued by some great life-enigma acquires
u peculiar manner. through which he HIM
self becomes an enigma to others. Even
from the day Botolf and Aasta first came
to live in that parish, his gloomy tacitur
nifty, her beauty, and the loneliness of the
life of both, had been the subject of fire.
quent gossip among the neighbors; and
now, when Aasta all at once disappeared,
the talk increased until the most incredi-
BILE things said were the best believed.
Nobody could throw any light upon the
matter; for none of all those who lived
upon the mountain-ridge, or the shore be-
meath, or who were accustomed to 90
there, had happened to be looking towards
the steep just when Aasta fang herself
over. Neither did her corpse ever DRIFT
to land, itself to give evidence.
Even while Botolf was yet alive, there
fore. no end of strange spiritualistic stories
were told about him. He became dread
sunken face, red beard and unkempt red
hair, growing tangled together, and large
ewes looking up like some dark tarn in q
deep mountain hollow. He seemed 10
have no wish either to live or to die; and
so the folks said there was a fight for his
soul going on between God and the devil.
Some said they had even seen the evil
one, surrounded by flames, climb up to
4lo til &c q Ix-;n che
to call to him. They had seen the evil
one. too, they said, in the form of a black
dog, go shifting round the house. Others,
who had rowed past. had seen the whole
place on fire; while others, again, had
heard company OF devils, shouting,
barking, laughing, come from the sea-
pass slowly towards the house, enter
through the closed doors, rush turiously
through all the rooms, and then go down
once more beneath the waves, with the
awful row as they made in coming out.
Botolf's servants, men as well rs women,
left Immediately, and told all these tales
to everybody. Hardly any one dared
even go near the place; and if an old
peasant and his wife, to whom the sick
man had shown some kindness, had not
taken care of him, he would have lain ut
terly INTENDED. Even this old woman
herself was in terror when she was with
him; and she used to burn straw under
his bed to keep off the evil one but though
the sick man was nearly scorched up, he
still kept alive.
He lay in terrible suffering and the old
woman thought at last he must be waiting
to see some one. So she asked him wheth-
er she should send for the clergyman. He
shook his head. Was there any one else
he would ike to see TO that he made no
answer. The next day, while he was ~
ing as usual, he distinctly pronounced the
name. agnes" Certainly, this was not
in reply to the old woman's question of
the day before; but she fancied it was,
and she rose gladly, went out TO her hus-
band, babe him harness the horses with
all speed, and drive over to the parsonage
to fetch Agnes.
When he reached there, everybody
thought there must be some mistake, and
that it was the clergyman who was sent
for; but the old man insisted it was the
little girl. She herself was indoors. and
heard the message, which frightened her
greatly; for she among the rest, had heard
the tales about the devil, and the company
fdevils rushing up out OF the sea. Bat
she had also heard that there was some
one whom the sick man was waiting to
see, and must see before he could die;
and she did not think it anywise strange
that that one should turn out to be herself,
whom his wife had SO often fetched over
to the house before. Agnes sisters told
ther, too. hat one must always try 10 do
what dying folks wish; and that if she
prayed nicely to God, nothing could do
her any harm. She believed this, and let
them dress her TO go.
1t was a clear, cold evening. where
in she could see long dark shadows follow
ing, and hear echoes of the herness-bells
sounding far off in the forest: on the
whole, she felt it was rather dreadful, and
she sat saying her prayers, with her hand
folded together inside her muff She did
not see the devil anywhere, neither did
she hear any company of dev.s rushing
up out Of the sea while she rode along the
shore; but she saw many stars above her,
and light shining straight before her upoa
the mountain-peak. Up around .Botoli's
house, all seemed dismally quiet but the
peasant woman came out at once, and
carried Agnes indoors, took off her travel
Ing dress, aud let her warm herself at the
fire. Meanwhile, the old woman told her
she need not be anywise afraid OF the sick
man, but must Just 60 in with good coul
age, and say the Lords Prayer to him
Then when Agnes had got warm. the Old
woman took her hand and lei her into
the sick room, Botolf lay there with long
beard and hollow eyes, and he gazed at
her iniently: but she did pot think he
,oked dreadful aud she was not afraid.
.'Do you forgive me p hr whispered
She supposed she ought to say yes
aud she said eyes accordingly
Then he Smiled and then he tried Io
raise himself in bed bit his strtngtl! failed
and he remained lying.
She began once to say ihsLOrds Prayer
but he made movement as though TO bid
her pause, and pointed to his breast. 50
she laid both her hauds there for this was
what she thought he intended her TO DO;
and he directly laid one of his clammy,
ice-cold, bony hands upon her little warm
ones. and closed his eyes. When she
found he did not say anything after she
finished the prayer. she did not venture to
remove her hands, but just began TO say
it again.
When she said it for the third time, the
a