The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1884-03-05
A NroHr OF AGONY.
The Remarkable Experience OF az Ras-
lish Traveller.

The following " true tale y was recently
told by the Mayor of Stratford.on-Avon
when delivering lecture on " Forest and
Historic Trees Some years ago gentle.
man, mounted on horse set out in order
to cross the Dartmoor. Though the thaw
bad commenced, yet it had not melted the
nowheaps, and our traveller got on but
slowly, and toward evening it froze again.
The shades of evening came on with vapor
and mist. To reach Tavistock that night
be knew would be impossible, as fresh
NOV storm had began to fall. To stay out
all night would be certain death. II was,
therefore, with no small satisfaction that he
saw at distance cottage, partially cover
cd with snow, and 1t was not long before he
cached it. He dismounted md the door
vas opened by an old woman He entered
and saw q sturdy peasant the woman's son,
who sat smoking his pipe by blazing peat
ore. The strangers wants were soon made
known, an old shed gave shelter to his horse,
and the son gave up his bed, adding that he
would sleep on the old settle by the chimney
corner. After supper the stranger was shown
to his room, where there was a large oak
chest very old and curious, SO much so as
to cause him to remark upon II 10 the old
woman, who had lighted him upstairs. and
he could not help observing something shy
and odd in her manner. After she had
gone he felt inclined to peep into the chest,
but refrained and went to bed. He felt
cold and miserable and could not sleep.
The old chest haunted him; hollow sound,
as If behind his beds head, suddenly startled
him, and as he raised himself in bed the
hrst thing he saw was the chest. There il
lay in the cold moonlight--his fears gave
action to the inanimate object, and at length
he fancied the lid of the chest moved. Start
ing from his bed, he grasped the lid and
raised it up. Imagine his feeling of horror
when he beheld human corpse, cold and
stiff.
One thought during the rest of tho night
possessed him-that he was in the house of
murderers There was no escape. He
thanked God when morning came. On
coming down stairs he found the old woman
and her son preparing breakfast. They
hoped his honor" had passed good
night, and babe him eat his breakfast, con.
ssting of broiled bacon, the son chipping
in " that mother was reckoned good un at
saltin' un i'm He enjoyed his breakfast,
and recovering from his fright, and Just az
the old woman was broiling him another
rasher he summoned up courage to disclose
the secret of the oak chest, and asked for
an explanation.
Bless your heart, Your Honor, it's moth
ing at all, , said the young man, . it's only
fayther!n
Father Your father ~ cried the tray
sller, :" what do you mean ~
Why, you see, yonr honor, the snow
being SO thick, and the roads being SO
eledgey like, when old fayther died two
weeks agone we couldn't carry un to Tavis.
stock to bury nm, SO mother put un in the
old box, and sailed un down"
The travellers breakfast was spoiled. He
got up from the table, paid for his lodging,
,addled his horse, and has never been known
to touch rasher of bacon since, as il al.
ways recalls the feelings of disgust connect
ID with the adventure of "saltin' un in.n--
4anehester (Etlg.) Times.