The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-03-28

Journey for them. he hal got back to
NM his nut in ashes He took them
There We're four volumes Of Smiths
Bhl' Dictionary in Turkey morocco; several
iy hound the @'I.tion ~ wri,.t,r's tnahridecd
Dictionary thHt WIS published In monthly NUM-
ters. winch was boun1 IN Tnrk"y moro;
and choice copy Of Burton- Anatomy oi
VI 'ianoholy." Besides there were Greek and
LATIN lcxicons and grammars.
These wcr" the mems brains be went after.
Borrowing a pirk of rMlr.ad employee. the
hermit said that hr would build him a now hut
that could not be burned. Long Neck is
luttinE rock. with some Nerdurc and much
humus upon It. A few tall trees shade it, but II
is nl'nk 10 winter. Hero with his pick he lug
into the 1es ol a rock perhaps ten feet deep,
ami tho same distance from side to side, and
then with th" broken rock thus obtained, lie built
the wal perhaps ten foot hugh. oNt t'nding from
carh sue ot thr opening. lhe front nc con,
struetrt partial OF stone and partly OF old
lhat'hed with branches. cloth. and dried grass.
You can s"c 1t from tn" rail way. and Il suggests
sucn temporary shelter as workmon build for
their tools. The river IA near 10y for water. and
q spring bubbles NJ not many rods away.
IL WAS tho work OF weeks. and II
savsaa-.sr - soon.:. hst aocmy. cnv"rnous-
went. trundling his wheslbarrow. and his liitc
daughter walking hy his side. AMI this time he
brought back another lot ~ books. Hii richly
bound and almost all standard classics. or
authorities On theology metaphysirs or my
ihology These he ranged on shelves that he
built ln his cavern. and BY their sida placed
those he had left with the pousnkeepsie lady
Tor safe Keeping; His books safe. he furnished
his hut. For a bed ne drove n crotcncd stick
in crcyicc and placing one end Of a stout
walnut pole in tho crotch, he drove the other
into the rocky wall and with shorter poles tied
20 the long ono and driven into the wall,
he had a cot which he said was he'd
nt for q prince A similar one was made
Tor the little girl An old stove with a very
rusty pipe, rough box. table. and smaller
boxes tor seats, com pletcd his furniture. Then
with the odd iobs that he did, and the help ot
his daughter be lived. ns he confessed. happily
enough. ior he hal bis little girl. his books. his
Ia tnr evening. and often iar into the night
faint rays Of light tnat struggled through the
crevicrr of tho proceeding wni's have been seen
By passers. The hermit was then sitting at his
box table. with the light OF little Kerosene
lamp falling on a big volume and often he has
been ~ absorbed in his rralin- ~ mot o. notice
III" coming 81 people until he was spoken to.
Inc llttle ,glrl on Su'h occasions would De
found cuddled up On her bed fast asleep.
Horc the hermit has lived while his daughter
has been growing into womanhood. sac j. old
enough now 10 hate her surroundings and TO
long FOR something better. and the hermit
knows that she is right.
went there" No said to-day. because l
would not live IN a cheap tenement in POugh-
keepsie and could motive Ia respectable one.
must associate with worthy peoilc or associate
with no one" This was sAid. however not un-
al long alter the conversation was begun. He
was cold and distant. and seemed anxious to
tory u the Bible was referred TO.
Did you see that; ies When my little girl
1
wouldn't leave NY books there. 50 took them
in tue friend Then he went on 10 speak of Dr.
>nith's work. and Of the eminent scholars who
had assisted him. That led into discus,
sion OF the literature and mythology OF
the HindoOs and the Sanskrit speaking peo-
pie, The, old man talked earnestly, quoted
freely. and in his excitement AMI enthusiasm
seemed TO have forgotten his trouble. His
Information did not seem superb .ial. for he
often disagreed, and explained why he did
so, with the authorities that he quoted. Some
Homer's Tlad. This he charae,crized as
from the original and the translation to
explain why he thought so. He spoke
with the greatest enthusiasm Of the scandina-
was the richest field for the scholar yet to eN-
plore. His recreation was in turning over the
pages that the marveously acute Intellect,
AS he called Burton's produced. and he said
that he would Ms soon die as part with his copy
II he could not get another.
Tier seemed - De no pedantry in all this.
He had the zeal of the real book lover IN regard
10 binding and he spoke with the Joy Of O.
child over a toy about volume that he sent 10
ro'co. HIS D0oNs he sWd; were worth about
5000, and he would not sell them 10 save his own
life
In the course of tnis convcrsation he revealed
glinpses of his past lite. and often checked
himself while doing So Bat he admitted that
he was tha son Of Protestant clergyman in the
north Of ireland. and that M entered Trinity
College. Dublin. which he Quilted to enter tina
army. He has lived near Philadelphia and in
eastern Connecticut.
When asked. at the conclusion Of the conver-
sajion. II there was any private reason for
adopting this mode ot life. he said there wHs.
There had been passage he said. in his do
nestle life with IL the public had nothing TO do.
He lived only for his daughter and IN his books.
Whether his, real name Is the one in the
will not say. hut he admitted that the publiea-
tion OF the recent trouble would bring his pres
ent whereabouts 70 the attention OF people who
knew all about him.