Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-05-02
A Christmas NIGHTS Walk !
Or
WAS IT A GHOST?
BY JULIAN LIE WE'RE.

"And when shall you be back again,
BenY' said Kitty. She aud had been for
toe last hall hour standing on the front
door step, saying the last tender good-byes
which tonight seemed harder than ever
20 be uttered.
1t was Christmas night and Kitty had
given a Christmas party, at which the
whole neighbOrhOOd was present. Inside
all was joillty, light and merrment. The
room was ablaze with light, the walls
were decorated with holly and ivy, huge
bunch OF mistletoe hung from the ceiling
IN the centre of the room, and in front Of
a large fire Of oak and pine, stood the
portly form of the old Colonel, Kitty's
father, beamng on the scene with mis-
broad red lace and white whiskers, and
walcning the merry dancers in the Intri-
cacles of the Virginia reel with as mucn
interest as II he himself were one OF them.
Old Daddy Ned, the autOcrat of all our
dances, whom none dared di-obey, and
whose continual plant was that there
were no dancers nowadays like ''dem ia
de good ole tImes," sat with great state in
one corner OF the room, issuing orders In
stentorian tones and swaying his body in
time 10 dis music, while at the open door
a glimmer of white eyeballs aud white
teeth showed that the servants were also
inspecting the scene,
Outside was complete contrast 10
within. TIE sky was dark, except here
and there where a lew stars struggled
10 make their appearances; the wind blew
fitfully in gusts, waving tina loBg gray
moss whicn hung from the oaks IN
front OF the door in ghOstly manner. Va
riOus vehicles of ancient appearance with
steedS TO match. were fastened to trees
and fence-cOrners and my own convey
Rnce, consisting OF a pre-Adamit tic mule
bitched to a ram-shackle cart, aud driven
and owned by an ancient gentleman OF
color, known as "Dr. August J1s-ss-7-a,,-i
stood waiting in front OF tue Door, ready
70 convey me 10 the station where | was
20 take the train for BOwport. ! was as
sistant engineer on the revenue cutter
Curlew, which was lying over Christmas
In BOWpOrt harbor, and l had had three
days leave 10 90 and spend Christmas
with my people over in the country. The
Curlew bad orders to heave anchor at
O'Clock sharp, on Dec. 95, aud the
night-train would land me in BOwport
somewhere about 4 or 8 a. m. And that
was how Kitty and l were bidding each
other adieu at nalf-past 10 this Christmas
night.
sand when will You come back, BENZ,
repeated Kitty. Her voice bad a tremu.
lous tone in it, highly fiatterlng to my
vanity.
Having assured her that wild horses
should not retard my return at the earliest
opportunity, and having repeated good
bye" several more times, finally tore
myself away, gave one lingering look at
the hospitable windows. With the light
streaming from them out on the frosty
ground, at the COl0nePs portly figure In
perspective by the wide chimney, heard
tss rta.sss ia. an.
pa'tncrs; swing cOrners!" shook my DIST
At Bob Mckay, an old rival Of mine, who
now came from the dancing room out on
she piazza, aud hndlng Kitty whom he
had been in search OF, for the last halt
hour. led der on ia triumph. and having
reached my chariot woke up Old August
who was sleeping the sleep OF the lust
and babe nm spur up and away.
Old August mad been my friend and pre-
ceptor Z ON earliest youth. He had in
etructed me Ia all the lore, without which
no south Carolina youth would consider
bis education completed. Many o day
had we spent ia the swamps fishing.
many night had We passed'in the thrill
lng Sport OF "treeing" 'possums. lie had
taught my unskilled fingers the art Of
trapping rabbits, Of shohting squirrels, OF
playing on corRstalk fiddle. and my
whole childish soul had hung enchanted
on the utterances OF his lips as he related
20 me the thrilling adventures OF Boz
Rabbit and Boz Wolf, the first introduce
tion OF South Carolina children into fairy
lore, and. withal. under his tuition had
shot my drst deer, aud thought myself q
very hero 10 80 doing.
Wtnal, Dad August was no common.
place individual. but was reputod 10 mold
ihercourre with the spiritland (rO nun
Intended here). He averred that be mad
So born Win a caui but the canl get
'''k lost In some manner. his visions d