Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1880-08-19

the depths of this pit of Acheron. Yet it is no
so very deep after all, for the fire havin
originated on the second floor the falling roo
, had onty crashed down as yet as far as tn
drawing.room, and there, when my eyes ha'
t become accustomed to the spectacle Of the in
descrbable debris, l plainly beheld, restinI
slantways across stubborn remnant of wall
. what had been the white chest it was nov
split and smashed, and its contents were re
vealed
Good heavens what was it that I looked
down upon? turned my face away for
moment with shudder, for there protrudinl
. through the splintered fragments Of its ono
creamy white wooden case, was huge leader
coffin, which in its turn melting and bursting
t with the heat, displayed within the unmis
; taxable form of a shrouded corpse! l wa
in the act of drawing my companions atten
ton to it in horror, when suddenly there flew
up around it with redoubled fury, such s
mass of fame and smoke, that it was entirely
hidden, and soon the fire had so spread anc
burst out again, that the horrible spectacle O.
this unintentional incrematon was shut from
sight, and the house was burned to the
ground!
pass over what Immediately followed
after had made my way back to the friend
ly abode where the members of my family
were sheltered. In a few days they were
snugly settled again in another house fortu
nately not very much the worse for the ter
rible scare. In due course the time arrived
for looking into my losses, and while l was
doing so received letter from Mr.. Gayling
who had come to town requesting an inter
view. l was glad of this, for l saw it must
lead to some explanation Of the strange cir
cumstances surrounding the agreement had
signed. My curiosity as to the contents Of the
white chest had been rudely satisfied, it was
true, but what had been the reason for placing
such an object in such place? This
was determined to find out. Mr.. Gayling
disclosed it to me Immediately as we met
"I have asked for this interview, sir" he said
abruptly, "because am ruined man."
"But," interposed, 81 am told you were
fully insured
"That has nothing to do with it i" he an
swered "no insurance can restore the three
Thousand year which l lose by what has
happened. | am simply going to tell you
certain facts; BECAUSE when YOU have them,
I shall nut it to you whether you viii not,
out of your ample means, feel that some com
pensation is due to me. The fact is, that it
has been during your tenancy Of my house,
and through accident or negligence, on the
part of some cne for whom you are RESPONSE
BILE, that my ruin has been brought about"
81 don't understand you"
"Listen, sir, he went on, sand you will :
was brought up at sea and followed it till
mid.life, for I was entirely dependent on my
own earnings. My only relative at this time
was an uncle, also a sailor, and most eccen-
trio man, as you will presently see. Fifteen
years ago he suddenly came into possession of
large sum of money. I never knew how,
but he retired and took that house. He had
only been in it three years when a mortal
sickness overlook him, and he sent for me.
"'Tom,' said he, I am dying, and don't
like it; I am terrified, not so much at the
thought of death, as at the thought Of burial ;
sailors grave I would not mind, but to
be boxed up and thrust into the earth, no,
Tom, won't stand it. I look to you to see
that it doesn't happen; and I have taken
measures to make sure that you do see that
it doesn't happen. I've made my will, Tom.
I've left you all possess, but on one condition,
and it is, that you are my heir so long as
I am we'll above ground, and no longer
mark the words, "well above ground" Di.
rectly am buried, or my remains are allow
ed to mingle with mother.earth, as she is
called-she was no mother to me, the sea was
my mother, for l was born at sea-all my
money, mind, goes to the Seaman's Hospital,
every penny of it,
"But what am l to do p I asked of my
uncle; how shall I be able to carry out such
strange condition? Have you so expressed
it in your will ?"
"Yes, indeed have" he answered and
legal and binding you'll find it, as expressed
in the words, $50 long as l am we'll above
ground"
"'But what am I to with your I again
asked.
"'Oh, run me up aloft, masthead me, any
thing you like, but don't bury me-
"Well," went on Mr.. Gayling, "to make
long story short, found that the conditions
of the old mans will were binding and his
executors and myself hit upon the plan of
hoisting the coffin on the roof of his house.
Under certain conditions we found that it
was possible for us legally to do this. So
dismissed my three servants, employed coun.
try undertaken, my old ships carpenter, and
foreign glazier, in order that the matter
should not be talked of in the neighborhood,
and personally saw the arrangements carried
out. You can now understand my reasons
for not having it meddled with yes, sir, and
you can now understand that the condition of
the will must take effect. No sign of the
coffin or the body even was to be discovered
in the ruins of that house. I have had a
rigid search made, to no purpose the old
gentleman's remains have been consumed,
have mingled with mother. earth, and the
money passes as matter Of course to the
Seaman's Hospital. I have not penny in
the world. What can you do for me?"
1t is not necessary for me to say what |
did for Mr.. Gayling, but finding by visit
to Doctors Commons, and by other evidence,
that his story was substantially correct, felt
his case was hard one, certainly a strange
one, and I acted, hope, not ungenerously
toward him.
A WIFE's PowER.-A good wife is to man
wisdom, strength and courage; bad one is
confusion, weakness and despair. No con.
dition is hopeless to man where the wife
possesses frmness, decision and economy
There is no outward propriety which can
coanteract Incidence, extravaganza, and folly
at home. No spirit can long endure bad in,
fuence. Man is strong, but his heart is not
adamant. He needs tranquil mind, and es.