The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1880-12-09

1880 ~.f~ - = AdfAseA NatNthA ~
hiln q ny plan, whieh ve decldad 10 ks,
'9 - ourselves
q Asa result Joha proposed 70 aceompal
y silAs on his errand, aa oder tbs poor b,
= gratefully accepted, aud 70 they set of b
= gether and the nest q our party staris
ios home
made some excuse 10 turn OF before
2. reached my owa home, and ran with i
y speed g the drug store where bought
stick Of phosphorus. then / darted hon,
y snd succeeded in getting possession Of
u small sheet and in slipping of again NJ
? noticed.
Very soon found myself at the bridge
aud there, hidden behind bush, / pru
eeeded 70 trace over ny jacket the outhul
Of skeleton ribs, aud very startling the,
looked the white. glowing lines shiuin,
out clear and distinct through the dark
ness, Tor by this time it was entirely dark
; Then put some Of the phosphorus on my
hands and face and wrapped the sheet
around my waist, and leaving it to trail
behind me-
Thus prepared, | posted myself few
yards beyond the bridge. on the side the
boys would reach first on their return
path. Directly heard silas voice
| O John, I'm afraid, I'm afraid.
Nonsense, answered my brother. The
idea Of ghost. only wish there was
such thing. I'd like TO see one.
Oh, don't, don't say that. Oh, o.hl
Such a cry Of intense, utter horror
hope never to hear again. aud as Silas ut.
tered it he fell all in heap on the ground
John, according to our agreement, shrek.
ed also and started to run, as il terribly
frightened. An instant Silas lay there,
and my heart gave great leap. Was he
dead2 Had ! killed him2 But no, INV
boys, l had done nothing so merciful as
that
Silas sprang to his feet again, and utter.
ing shrek after Shrek, rushed headlone
down the road toward the bridge. BY
this time, seeing how terribly in earnest
he was. began to think my fun had gone
quite far enough, so followed at full
speed, calling out TO him that il was all
Joke and no ghost at all
But he never needed a word uttered.
on and on he ran, shrieking all the way,
until he reached the bridge, and there to
my horror he sprang with one leap over
the wall down into the soft, Shiny mud aud
and water at the margin on the pond.
John had turned back, and tearing loose
the sheet from around my waist | rushed i
With him down the steep bank to. the spot ,
whore Silas was. There was more mud |
han water just there, az we we'll knew, ,
md the force of his descent had sent him
Town into the deep, yielding slime until /
'nly his head aud shoulders we're above !,
he surface, and to our further alarm we :
aw that he was slowly sinking down,
own, down!
Something mnst' he done and that "
peedily, or he would be buried alive be- /,
're our eyes. Some heavy planks were I,
fing on the shore, and seizing these we ;,
ragged them outin the mud until we had W
'rmed a line reaching TO the spot where m
oor Silas was still shricking, The ghostl I,
lie ghost the ghost
How We two boys contrived to drag him a,
1t Of that oozing slime / cannot to this w.
~ understand. But We did il somehow,
ID between us we got him back home, ed
ough he broke from us several times da
th the old cry Of The ghostl ae
He was very Ill for weeks after that, and do
len his body got we'll the doctors said c;,
$ mind would never come back again wa
d from that time to this he las been
It as you see him now.
As long as his unhappy mother lived -
ur Uncle John and helped to take care -
him, and ever since her death, long
srs ago, We have entirely supported the ,'''
SCRABBLE victim OF our cruel .'fun. " :"
ugh it was more my sin than your un- ll'''
s, for was the ring leader. ''a
Ny sons that piece Of jolly fun has sad ~
red my whole life and clouded it's bright ~
ments sou
dy father ended his story and sat look. 10 :
down upon our awe-struck faces as we :
injured in sorrowful tones,
Poor Uncle Silasr ea
Vell my sons, he said after while. / oii
waiting to hear what that plan u that No'
ill be 50 much fun to play off on Sam can
TOW. mar
Fe lung our heads in silence, aud be =
led gently. ereo
h. see You know why l have told you :
sad story to-day. You have read it's 81 y
on. And now, boys, l can trust you, :
low; but lest you might forget, want ''oN
! one Of Jon 70 lay his hand on this sor
y Book, aud, remembering that our ~
er in heaven is listening to yeu. prom. y
lever TO indulge in any sport that may put
re or distress your fellow creatures. neFe
I'd then, standing at our dear fathers Hf
J, We each gave solemn pledge that ~
ave never broken, and our lives have o'sae
the better and happier tOrit, ma u.
: boy reader, and you. also, my girl h'
er ] plead with you 10 90 and do like noLs ll
for - shaIl yon obey the saYiour's
nands TO "Do unto others "a yon 'ne
d that they should do unto you. IN iis 4
tked CLf4sfiu Weelly.
- bnt |
HAT Can is-I never use that word tn