The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1879-09-09

into the faces Of the awe-strlcken ne
groes who held the bier.''
Here the old man paused and looked
thoughtfully into the fire, till some one
asked him to go on.
The news spread like wild-fire that
Otway had been thrown from his horse
while coming down the DEVILS Path on
his way home from Mr.. Hensley's. and
the place was filled with the widest
lamentations. cannot assert that l
ever witnessed what appeared to me
more genuine grief than the negroes
evinced on hearing of the death of their
young master.
"The coffin was borne into the house.
but remained unopened, young Hensley
and Herndorn agreeing that the mutia-
ted remains should not be exposed. AL
though the house and grounds were
crowded with negroes, they were not
allowed to enter the room more than
two or three at q time. In some in
stances the scene was very affecting
When his old nanny came in and
dropped down by the side of the coffin
II knew she really had been faithful,
and the boy loved her: his mother had
been dead many and many day,) she
didn't cry: it was only feeble, pitiful
kind of whine. IL felt sorry.
" After while old Jake came in and
asked that they might drench the
Christmas-log and end the holiday re-
joicing. Herndon gave permission, and
the scene that took place that night was
really pathetic. There were certainly
not fewer than five hundred negroes
present, men, women and children and
there were, it seemed to me, hundreds
of pine torches swaying about in the
crowd. Under Jake's supervision they
had selected an open space in the forest,
and dragged into it the halfconsumed
log, that looked like one, solid, living
coal, and placed near it huge vessel of
water surrounded by moss and stones,
which gave it the appearance of natu-
raj spring. Here a number of them
gathered and commenced series of wild
but apparently concerted movements of
the most grotesque nature conceivable,
throwing themselves into uncouth att-
tudes, their arms in the air and heads
back or resting almost on their shoul-
ders; using frantic gestures = bowling
their foreheads to the earth, joining
hands and dragging each other round in
circles, to part suddenly, precipitating
themselves almost into the flames-even
their lips and eyes partaking of the
strange contortions. L was amazed to
find such scene enacted in the nine
teenth century.
"TheD they began a low murmuring
chant, exceedingly sweet and plaintive,
and sung hardly above breath, yet so
numerous were the voices that it must
have been heard at a great distance :;
and as the sound was taken up, spread
ing like wave, they began to file slow
| ly before the Christmas-log, each one
as he passed throwing on it handful
of water from the spring. Jack and
Lucinda went forward hand in hand
and helped to quench the now dying
embers, but separated there and walked
away by different paths, symbolizing, as
1 afterward learned, the postponement
of their union.
1.-THE death-ra rain had continued a
long time, the glowing Goals of the
Chrlstmas-log were growing black and
lifeless, and the murmured chant was
slowing dying away, growing fainter
every moment, while the torches began
to disappear, here, there, everywhere,
one by one, in every direction, till there
was little light left but that of the moon,
which gave in indistinct outline the
crowd of dark figures extending into
the forest
"'Oh, honey honey!' cried OTIS
nanny as she tottered up and the
water fell in tremulous shower from
her poor old fingers oh, honey! Yo'
ole nanny is done shed tears nuf dis
day ter squinch de log. De def-rain for
her boy is done put out de light in yo'
ole mammy's heart
GO Halo, nanny don't cry. Your
boy has come back said q familiar
voice; and in our midst appeared fine
athletic fellow with blue-black eyes and
a long moustache and a jolly voice, such
as never dead man had; yet so great
was the panic that many of the negroes
tainted; great strapping cornfeld ne
groes, men and women actually tainted