Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1886-04-27
THE MIDNIGHT VISITOR
LuHprRSAN's STORY.

IL
We were sitting around the warm ire
In Lon Dyer's lumber camp IN certain
town In the good old State OF Maine. dis
eu.sing the various topics pertaining TO
NUMBERING, and when weary OF that. the
conversation turned upon hunting and
trapping. and many hair.lifting tales wefe
told Of adventures in the wild' in Pur-
.ui, Of game. when oil save three or
four had ",old their experience the
convera,ion again Jagged The silen,
ones. | presume. did not wish 20 tel!
wha, they knew wi,hou, At leas, being
asked TO do %.
saddenly George Spear turned TO our
.cAler. q quie,.looking man OF about my
year. who had been silently smoking
during the recital Of the blood'eardlins
tales. and a. ,uddsnly asked. "Did you
ever sec or hear anything on, Of the nat
urAl course Of events in any Of yoar
tramp. in the woods
sam El,on. the man just addressed.
had been known in other localities, e'.
peeially. on the ives, branch OF the Pc
nob.eo, river. for q number Of years past.
as a hun,er. ,rapper and scout, and also
a, a guide TO those parties who. during
the summer and fall months, make the
ascen, Of Mi. ka,Ahdln.
An injury. caused BY an encounter
with q bear, had disabled one Of bis arm.
90 ,hs, for the pas, few years he had
laid aside his old pursuits. and had been
employed by some Of the owners OF the
Wild land in the vicinity Of which | write.
TO scale and keep an accurate account OF
the lumter Gu, by the "s,ampAge oPef'
.,on upon these lands each winter.
lie was abou, five fee, Eve inches high
closely built, and although bis hair was
was s,reaksd with gray. hs eye. were as
sharp and clear as ever. as looking bis
in,erlocu,or in the face be answered;
"Ye., | think can safely say ihA. |
have, and that. too, no, hundred miles
away from where we are now. once saw
. ghost
We we've AL elAmorou. for the recital
Of the tale, a. none Of those told had
bordsred upon tie spiri, world. for. wild
and improbable As they hAi. for the most
par, been. they had been confined chiefly
10 thing. connected with this sphere and
it, inhabitants. A story ,ha, brings In
any Of the ghO,,ly elemsn, always pos.
,esse. a certain charm OF power to hold
the attention Of listeners a, any and oil
times.
We sat closer together on the deacon
seat" the cook repleni,hri the fire, and
he and all the res, Of US assumed !i'.
,sning attitude as Sam began.
81 wa. born in Hsveihill. MA.saehu-
.e,t., and was the younges, Of three
children. The nex, two older than me
were girls. My mother died AbOu, 'ix
mon,hs af.er my birth. ard Kind aunt.
|. sister Of my mother took me a, that
tender age TO her home and cared for me.
Three years after my mothers death my
father married again. and when was
eight years Of ase my suat died. ! had
all along refused 10 10 back TO my faith
ers, ls he and all the rest seemed like
strangers to me. and the dear, good aunt
never insisted that should; but At her
death my uncle fatty refused to let me
stay any longer, taking me and my effects
In hi. wagon and leaving US at my faith
er's door.
This was the beginning Of trouble
soon found vas, difference between
my s,ep.mo,her and deceased aunt.
Looks, words and actions plainly showed
,ha, was no, wanted. especially as /
had no, been taught TO do anything like
work. but my s,ep.mo,her seemed to
think ,ha, boy Of my age should do A'
much work as . man. and many were
the quarrels we had OVER the tasks as
signed me and no, performed. AZ my
father took sides with his wife had no
one who sympa,hirsd with me, or took
my part, both OF my sisters having left
home soon after my fathers second mar
rage. | stood this sort Of life two years,
and then one night left, and after wan.
dering awhile turned up at Lincoln in
thi. State, and here fell in with q
friend, = middle.sgsd man. having nc
family sxeep, himself and wife, who
gave me the chance to DO bis chores and
90 to school. His work was light, the
sehoolhouse was near. and ! made thi'
my home till I was about nineteen, whsr
Nat Lewis ehum Of mine. and mysel
want up to Pa,ien in the fall. and from
there We started about the first OF Oeto
Der into the woods north OF there. W.
trapped and hunted that fall and winte
around Rockabema and Umcolcus lakes
going out to Or Bow CT PAtten for wha
supplies we needed. do not remembe
exactly the amount Of my ''caich," bu
| know We sold the fur at Patten, hired
to drive on the east branch OF the Penob
scot, and drove to Bangor the mex
spring.
"This was at the breaking oat Of th'
rebellion. Nat and I 10th enlisted. bu
a. I had hurt my hip CO the drive. va
not accepted.