The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-04-10
BY HUGH WILSON AND W. G. BENET.

tions; and, as you are aware, he turned
out true prophet"
"Did you talk about anything else p
asked Joe.
"Oh, yes. My old friend had as much
curiosity as woman" said Uncle Ben,
who, I need not say, was an inveterate
bachelor. "We had q conversation
about London. It appears that he had
been a great beau in his time. and he
considered himself an enormous favorite
with the ladies. He wished to know
who was the reigning toast, and
was much disgusted when I told him
that toasts had gone out of fashion,"
"Was that all?''
"Oh, no. He told me where the best
civet and pomatum were to be bought,
and who was the best peruke maker;
and was still more surprised when / said
that no one wore wigs now. except law
yers and coachmen. He asked if travel
ing was as dangerous as ever; though
he confessed that he had not been much
troubled lately by the knights of the
road. He said that one rode up to stop
him twenty-five years before, but the
sight of his headless driver had so
frightened him that he put spurs to
his horse and disappeared as if he had
had twenty Bow-street runners at his
heels"
"Did you not ask what became Of
him on the other nights of the year,
when he was not out for his drive?'
"He said that, in company with the
innumerable shades who we're condemned
to occasionally visit the earth for crimes
committed during their past lives, he
passed his time lowering round his old
haunts, longing to become visible to his
descendants, and to assist them in times
of trouble, but unable to do 80. AS we
conversed, the time rapidly slipped
away; and at length the lamps of Lon
don became visible in the distance. After
thanking the ole man for his courtesy,
suggested that might now aGght as I
had a great many friends in town that I
should like to visit; but he shook his
head.
"No, no. said he; Eve are at the
mercy of my coachman; he has the entire
command during our drive, and he will
only stop at the place he picked you up.
See, he is turning the horses round: we
are about to return
elf the journey to town seemed short,
the journey back was still shorter. The
old man told me hundred anecdotes of
the people of his time. He had been a
staunch: Jacobite, and he told me all
about young Cavalier, and painted the
March to Finchley' in words that did
full justice to Hogarth's picture. The
statesmen, wits, and soldiers of the last
century appeared to stand before me in
the flesh, and I never enjoyed drive
betterthan the one I had with my
ghostly ancestor.
"As the clock struck one, we pulled
up at the old moss covered milestone
where first stopped the coach. Once
more thanking me for the inestimable
favor had done him, the old gentleman
signed to the driver to open the carriage
door. I got out, and, as turned round
to bid him good-by, I found that the
whole cavalcade-coach, horses, driver,
and old gentleman-had vanished into
thin air, and I was alone"
"Alone?" exclaimed his hearers.
eyes," said Uncle Ben; "but the
strange thing was that became insensi-
BILE, and knew nothing more until 1 was
found the next morning lying beside the
milestone.
."I thought 80. You fell asleep and
dreamed that you saw the phantom cor
tege," said Joe.
"No, sir, it was no dream. When I
saw that carriage, and when I rode in it,
was as much awake as I am now and
when you are as old as I am, and have
seen as many wonders, you will be sur
prised at nothing, and will own that
there are more things in heaven and
earth than are dreamed of in your phi
losophy." "-Belgravia.