Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1888-04-12
AN OPTICAL ILLUSION.
The Apparition In the Barn on the
Marsh.

It had not always stood on the
marsh. When I was little boy of
seven, it occupied the rear of our neigh
boris yard. not a stones throw from
the rectory gate, on one of the windy,
sunshiny spurs of South Mountain. A
perpetual eyesore to the rector, but l
can not help thinking, as view it now
in the concentrated light of memory,
that it did artistic service in the way
of a foil to the loneliness of the rectory
garden. This garden was the rector S
delight, but to my restless seven years
it was a sort of gay-colored and ever
threatening bugbear
Wedding, and especially such thor
ough. radical wedding as alone would
satisfy the rector's conscience, was my
detestation; and, moreover, just at the
time of being called upon to weed,
tn ere was sure to be something else of
engrossing importance which my MINI
BILE little wits had set themselves upon
doing. But never found courage to
betray my lack of sympathy in all its
iciness. The sight of the Iector's ell
thusiasm filled me ever with a sense of
guilt, and l used to weed quite dill
gently, at times.
One morning the rector had lured
me out early, before breakfast, while
the sun yet hung low above the shining
marshes. We were working cheerful
.ly together at the carrot-beds. The
smell of the moist earth and of the
dewy young carrot-plants. bruised by
my hasty fingers. comes wildly upon
my senses even now.
Suddenly l heard the rector cry:
''Bother"'' in q tone which spoke vol
umes. l saw he had broken his hoe
short off at the handle. l stopped
work with alacrity, and gazed with
commissioning interest, while began
wiping my muddy little fingers on my
knickerbockers in bright anticipation
of some new departure which should
put pause to the wedding.
In moment or two the vexed
wrinkles smoOthed themselves out of
the rector's brow, and he turned to me
with the proposal that we should 60
over to our neighbours and repair the
damage.
One end of the barn, as we knew,
was used for workshop. We crossed
the road, let down the bars. put to
flight a flock of pigeons that were feed
ing among the scattered straw, and
threw open the big barn doors There.
just inside. hung the dead body of our
neighbor, his face distorted and pur-
pie. And. while l stood sobbing with
horror, the rector cut him down with
the draw-knife which he had come to
borrow.
Soon after this tragedy. the barn
was moved down to the marsh. to be
used for storing hay and farm imple-
mcnts. And by. the time the scene had
faded from my mind, the rector gave
up the dear delights of his garden. and
took us off to distant city parish.
Not until had reached eighteen, and
the dignity of college cap and gown.
did revisit the salty breezes of South
Mountain.
Then came to see friends who were
living in the old rectory. About two
miles away, by the main road, dwelt
certain other friends, with whom was
given to spending most of my even
ings, and who possessed some strange
charm which would never permit me
to say goodnight at any thing like a
seasonable hour.
The distance. as l said, to these
friends was about two miles. if you
followed the main road; but there was
short cut, road across the marsh.
used chiefly by the hay-makers apd
the fishermen, not pleasant to travel
in wet weather. but good enough fol
me at all times in the frame Of mind N
which found myself This road on
either hand was bordercd by 3 higt
rail-fence. along which rose, here and
there. the bleak spire of ghostly and
perishiug Lombardy poplar. This il
the tree of all least suited to those
wind-beaten regions. but none othel
will the country people plant Gloss
M to the road. at one point, curved {
& massive sweep Of red dyke. ana further
20 the right stretched the miles o.