The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1888-01-12
Schoppenhaur's Snake.

! Conversins with your correspondent
to-day. says Columbus. S. c., corre-
spondent of the Atlanta Consultation,
MIR. Diedrich Schoppenhaur, worthy
German farmer of Lexington county,
spun the subjoined grotesque snake
yarnlet which is rendered in more
luminous English than the narrator en-
ployed. albeit the qnaintness of speech
il hereby lost.
You remember the musical snske
told you about last year? Well. I have
still more remarkable account TO give
you of another reptile found a few
days ago. am passionately fond Of
music and painting. and devote much
Of my spare time to the cultivation of
these arts. am no mean performer on
the cello. and few artists in South Caro-
lima can WELD brush more deftly than
l can. l am fond of painting land
scapes, and do most of my work out in
the open air. A few afternoons ago
repaired to my favorite haunt-a most
picturesque retreat-a few miles from
my home. carrying my paints, brushes,
palette. easel. and other paraphernalia,
also my canvas upon which a sublime
landscape view was outlined. l had
devoted many days to this picture, and
it is my intention to make it my chef
d'euvre.
Il worked long and earnestly, ex-
hausting my ingenuity and skill in de-
picting upon canvas the brilliant hues
of the scene. I.was anxious to paint
true to nature the gorgeous sursct-to
make faithful miniature Of the exQuis-
lite picture hung in the western heavens.
l had worked diligently for, perhaps.
an hour. when, tired and drowsy, l
abandoned my task and lolled lazily
upon the grecnsward. II was not long
before l fell asleep. How long con-
tinued in somnolcnt state l know not.
When l awoke heard rustling of the
bushes to my left and discerned an
enormous serpent majesticaiiy drawing
himself through The underbrush. He
turned to look at me and halted. A
glance was sufficient to enable me to
discover that the intruder was no other
than the musical snake. The recogni-
tion was mutual. perceived instantly
that the snakeship had been dabbling
his ponderous tail in my paints which
had been mixed on my palette. l had
no time to pursue the Investigation, for
the reptile glided off rapidly, and was
both mad and surprised. | was still |
madder when. going TO my easel, l |
found it overturned and my canvas ly-
ing upon the ground. could instantly |
see that my beautiful picture was daub-
ed all over with paint hastily placed |
it IN position upon the easel Amaze
ment all! What did | see? Why, a
picture the exact counterpart of natures
which l had been laboring
10 hard to initiate. there saw tho gor-
yeous sunset reproduced with Turnerian
brilliancy and fidelity. Every line and
hue was perfect. The lines blended
With exquisite taste. / could scarcely
believe my eyes, but here was the p;ct-
ire before me. The snake had ap-
preached my retreat, and iinding me
asleep conceived the idea of finishing
he picture himself Using fhis tail as a
'rush, he used it with all the skill and
aste of n master artist All who have
cen the painting declared it to be the
.reatest work they have ever beheld.
'ut few OF the spectators can be made
o believe my narrative. which IS as true
8 gospel. There is no mistake about
t can swear to the exact facts have
tated."
Mir. Schoppenhaus's tale does seem a
rifle improbable, but far he it from any
ne to doubt it