The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1883-12-01

patent-appned Tor JackDght, consisting
of squash and several other articles,
and throwing himself upon the grass of
the overgrown carry. "And,' he con-
tinued, 81 want to let up right here and
tell ye about the last time 1 trod this
ere old carry, Lord bless It'll he added,
looking around aud nodding at the
limbs OF the trees as If they knew him.
''The old place seems Just like home to
me. Dye know SIR" he continued,
SITS great blessing for a man to be
able to have that quiet feeling of peace
like steal over ye, and have 1T natural
to feel thankful every time ye look at
the trees and hillsP Now I'm a poor
man; might say amt worth a dollar
in the world, but I'm rich IN appreciat-
in that huve got health, easy con-
science, and the privilege of enjoying
life.
"D'ye ever have that kind O. Dustin
feelin' when ye see some wonderful
sight way off in the city, which I've
only heard tell on?-never was there.
Well, l feel sort of 80 when l get out in
the woods. In short, to come to the
pint, I'm one of the thankful kind.
81 had chap, or leastwise he had
me. was guiding for him. He was
what they call an infidel, 1 reckon;
didn't believe nuthing; didn't see any
thing in anything. Well, that poor
cuss-and l am not speaking fggera-
lively when Isay poor, for he lived on
his money-he talked to me all one
night, argying how religion was all
stuff. 'Ye see that Milky Way, says
he. Yes. well, he says, that's
world manufact'ry; there the dust of
future worlds Is floating about. What
brings it together9 Centri-suthin' force,
What keeps 1t therel Gravity. What
makes 1t coolp Time. What peoples
it2 Evolution. Everything is done by
law and proved by philosophy set
hst'ning to him, and when he'd done
provin' everything 1 says, I'm with
ye on the evolution. Why? Cause
it's the smoothest way OF unfoldin'
great works. Sudden magic amt half
SO wonderful as the evolution Of corn
sob in the fall from the spring seed;
but, says 1, where does your dust
come IRON? where's the beginning2
that's right where my religion begins.
1 don't pretend to know much, but
there's Deglnnin' way back some way
that laid the foundation for all these
trees and hills, and it was mind that
started things. Evolution my have
finished them. but that mind, ye kin
call it what ye will, it's the creator of
the Old Tesument, it's the god of the
Injuns. and may have a hundred names
by as many folks, but it's the maker
all the same, aud these trees, and mount
ans, and lakes keep telling ye so and
ye cant hear 'em.' What dye suppose
he saidP" asked the old man.
"Why, says ne, amos, / never
looked on 1t in that light. But" said
the speaker, taking out his pipe, "Ive
kind O. got off the track. AS 1 was say
ing, KEN here two years ago with this
chap, and he had the greatest layout
you ever see. He had gun that didn't
have no hammer, cost $4O0, SO he said,
and his rig was sartn tine-so fine he
was afraid to set anywhere. Well, we
made camp about here, and l had a
rousing fire, and we sat around after
taking a much OF suthing. At last he
gifts up and says he'd take walk about
and look up a panther, 1T being moon
light. So says All right knowing
he was all right, as there wasn't pan
ther within Six miles that l knowed on.
Of he goes, the $400 shooter on his
arp. Well" and here the old guide
laughed loud and heartily, 81 was puff
ing away, thinking of my gal and old
woman up at Saranac, when heard
the awfullest yell ye ever heard, and
suthin come rushing through the brush,
over logs, a-goin' down, then up, and
smoothing III the moss. At tirst
thought buck had gone mad and was
rushIn' down on us, but the next min
ute this ERE sportin chap came in head
OH and fell all OF heap. 5cartl Well,
If he hadn't been a tow-head, dare
say his hair d been white. WHATS
after yep says L. For a minute ne
couldn't say word; then he gasped
out, 'Ghostsp Well, he swore he'd
seen one ten feet high, and when he
saw it first twas waving back and forth,
and it started alter him, and he left,
dropping gun, hat, and one moccasin,
and reached camp as l said. l couldn't
get him to go back, SO l started my
self, and about thousand yards OIL l
KEN to a clearin, and Pm blessed if it
wasn't there, and kind O. skeery for a
green hand. 1t was piiler of light
some six teet high, wavin' about, dane
ing this way anu that, and rising and
falling. But I'D seen 'em before.
Ghosl2 Sartin, the ghost Of a dead
COW that had wandered INTO the woods,
got stuck, and died, and the light was
Tnis ere rlgnus fatus, or whatever they
call 1t. The next day we went over
his trail and picked up his property,
and when showed him the COW he was
that took down you'd a laughed" And
the man slung his canoe on his shoulder
and we pushed on again through the
carry to the pond, Just back OF which
we found the rest OF the party in camp,
a rouslng fir, and spread OF spruce
and ire hmbs-a right royal couch.
SCOT that Jack patented, Amos2" asked
u guide, as tnat person was fixing
candle within the squash that, followed
ont showed comlcal eyes, nose, and
mouth.
"You boys make fun o. this jack,
was the reply, "but it's bothered more
deer than any OF your fancy fandangles;
and" he added, as the ludicrous object
Was placed III the canoe on the lake,
Pm ready to test her"
Later the writer and Amos showed on
into the dark water. The silence was
unbroken, the old guides padding be-
ing so perfect that the paddle went INTO
the water and out with hard y a pert.
cephble sound; the gentle ripples as
the canoe cut the water or tue FAINT
splash OF an overturned lilly-pad alone
reached the ear. Slowly the canoe
skirted the dim shore, the iaek-hght
casting its curious glare ahead. SYd
denly came hiss from the paddler,
and ahead, looming out of the d rkness,
appeared the ghostly form OF an animal
seemingly as large as an OK. The
writer, VINO had been initiated, escaped
the fever; a binding flash, followed
L.. Z.