Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-03-18
art of embalming," said he. "What
,uould va, know oh

would you know
/ felt noored and tried hard TO lool
gravS and wise. mean while batterIng my
brains to recollect some fact connected
with ancient embnIming on which "a
hang a question. Up from the deep sea-
OF memory / hauled solitary fact at
last. 1t was a perfect godsend - nothing
less than Cedar Oil Clearing my throat
/ said
81 should like 10 know what amount
OF private commission "A tlourisbing firm
Of Tneban oil merchants, say of the
Seventeenth Dynasty, would be likely to
pay priest surgeon with n good prac-
ticc for using their best quality OF cedar
oil ?"
For some moments the Hermit made
no answer and | began TO wonder if be
was considering the ncatcst way OF muir
dering me. At last, TO my infinite re-
lief, hc looked up from the ground. 81
ike your question, young man, he sad.
at exhibits an active Imagination,
which is very valuable in historical re-
search. Many antiquarians are without
an atom of it. But l cannot answer
yoal"
Then he began long and learned and
most fantastical monologue on the ant OF
mummifcation as practiced among an
cicnt and modern nations. He seemed
10 have the whole thing ut his tongues
end. and rolled it of by the yard in a
sort of chant. / listened as one in n
dream. fascinated yet bewildered, as he
intoned his tale of quaint and curious
learning. lie chautcd Egypt, Greece,
Rome, Dynasties innumerable, Mem
rhls, Thcbes, HerodOtus, Diodorus
Siculus, Porphyry, Tacitus, Status,
Gonnal, Ruysch, ChampoIlion-Figeac,
Hunter. the Pcruvians, the Guanches,
and goodness knows who and what be-
sides.
st length he paused, and / thought
the wonderful Old man had run himself
dry. / was framing in my mind a Cy-
clopcan compliment equal to the occa-
sion. when he broke out again in lower
but more impassioned strain, rs follows /;
There Is no secret of the ancients
that may not he surprised, no invention
that may not be discovered, no lost art
that may not be found. If they with
their rude instruments did fine work, we
with our delicate instruments may do
finer. Shall | haye travelled through
ont the world, seeking everywhere
and among all peoples, savage
and civilized, for one little fact, and not
have found it? Nay, but l found it
waiting my arrival in America. in Africa,
grew black and brittle; the Theban, yell
low aud ghastIy; the Peruvian, brown
and Lidlous. None Of these were OF
perfect ant. With perfect art, the Joints
Shall remain flexible. the flesh firm, the
features as in lite, unchanged, the color
of tine face and body natural, rs OF one
asleep. \ thousand years shall be as
one day TO the sweet fresh mummy Of
perfect art. And of that art there is bat
one master in the whole world, and-I
am be
4 very pretty climax, thought, but |
was uneasy. There was a ring in the
Hcrmit's voice and glare in his eyes
which did not quite relish. They
smachcdof the dclirious Yet he was not
mad, except in 3 monomaniacal sense,
but in that sense wrote him down mad
as a March hare.
lost no time in winding MP the con
versttion and bringing the interview to
an end and when q little later took
my leave it was with the determination
never AGAIN to intrnde upon the Her
mit's privacy.
I remembered Lennier's injunction,
and SAID nothing about my visit 20 Hol-
low Booth. With something Of disap-
pointmont. not TO say disgust, put the
White Magician ont Of my mind and re-
turned to the more fruitful subject OF
the ghost.
/ hattcred myself that ! was the
victim Of no deluson on the subject, and
could approach it with the method Of
science and in the spirit OF philosophy.
This sense OF dignity and mental cleya-
ton was very sweet t. me- especially on
the first night when | stole ont from the
Grange, after the household had retired
for the night, and took my lonely way to
the churchyard.
! did this on two successive nights
without learning anything, except per-
haps the weakness Of my nerves. Yet
that | continued my vigils, nOtwithstand-
ing some very singular sensations, is q
note Of evidence III favor of nay moral
The third night was frosty and moon
less but the sky was throbbiDg with in
Vulnerable stars the wind came and .
went IN sharp gusts, making the F.
branches creak, and breaking the weird F.
silence with strange meanings and other /.
notes Of dim and unhappy life. ! sat f.
in my fGvorite seat, enveloped in dark /.
ness, and, much more comfortable, my /
fur-lined coat.
.hink ! must have fallen asleep, for /
| suddenly started AMI, looking in .
towards the northern door /
way. / saw something that made my /
heart stand still.
! tall, dark figure, with headgear re-
ounces cap, was distinctly
visible in the starlight close to the door
way. 1t stood for moment. and then
Suddenly disappeared.
sprlng to my feet and rushed across
he intervening space to the doorway.
tried to open the door. but it would
lot yield examined the ground care
u,y, but found no trace of footmarks;
put my ear 10 the door and listened,
lut all was silent as death.
went home and to bed.
The next evening such is the en-
hanting variability of orr climate-was
vet. cloudy, dark as bog; fur-lined
oat gave place to macintosh. NV .
ayorite seat would have been as bad as
shower bath, and the darkness of the
ight would have prevented my seeing so
ar as the doorway, so / chose broad,
lat tombstone resting on four stone
illars that were opposite the doorway,
nd, creeping under, lay at full length
nj waited.
| was anything but comfortable. The
ain came down in torrents, and the
'ater ran in rivulcts under my body, tO
oilect into o small lake Immediately I'M
or my knees. / should have given no
ne thing as a bad job for that night had
not rccollected that wandering spirits
ere not5riousiy partial TO the watcry ele-
lent.
l lay on, while the lake in the region
my knees gradually swelled itself into =
n inland sea. | was heaving the log ]