The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1888-12-21

HOrth anu SCUM. AL tue tluo
write of it had all the requisites Of
thriving town, including q population
which dripped with self satisfaction.
This very comfortable commodity was
SO dense and universal that it fairly coy-
cred the place like fog.
Hillsford's most remarkable citizen was
hermit, an unkcmpt and eccentric in
dividual, who lived In cabin high up
on the North mountain, and was knows
as "Old Weaver" In winter, when the
foliage was less abundant, his small
dwelling could be seen from the village.
little speck Of crude architecture, tho
smoke from which cuylcd sometimes into
the very sky. 1t was pointed out to yis-
itors, who were told, without loss of
time, Of the hermit, his civilization defy.
ing habits and unspeakable appearance.
But it was difficult TO exhibit the man
himself. He came down to the village
at infrequent intervals and then tarried
only long enough to procure some simple
necessities and departed without holding
speech with any one. Tho townspeople
had tried to break into the privacy of hin
homo without avail. They had been re-
pulsed with looks and gestures which
inspired fear and helped 20 confirm the
opinion that '.Old Weaver was crazy and
had better be let alone"
And surely no man in his right mind
could live the life he lived. His hair and
whiskers showed no respect for tho pre-
vailing fashion In hirsute trimming, md
his clothes were slap ut all decent gar
ments. He rarely spoke at ali, but when
he did his words were briefness itself.
In summer they who went near his
cabin sometimes found him sitting out
side reading the Bible, an occupation
from which they could not easily divert
him. &.E G# ~ f0 .
This caused some to decide that he
was 80 religious crank" and helped TO
fdissipate the theory that he had COM
United some terrible crime. Hillsford
was fun Of wonder about the hermits
past life and antecedents, hut as there
was absolutely no way of finding out It
was obliged to remain in cruel ignorance.
All it knew about him was that several
years before the time speak of he had
arrived In tho village, purchased piece
Of land on the top of the mountain,
reared a cabin and begun lifeof solitude
perfectly incompreheusiblc tothe people
Of tho valley.
At last they mostly settled down to
tue belief that cold Weaver had been
crossed i'm love-" Everybody knew that
love, II it did not run smoothly, could
upset people completely. This gave him
exceptional interest In the eyes Of the
young and sentimental, although the
most imaginative among them could not
picture him as having ever been per-
sonage capable of inspiring the divine
u1n0CV.rr - sa...s 90. -
Never were they fully sensible Of his
value as q romantic figure until after he
had been written up" for a New York
journal. a newspaper correspondent,
on his summer vacation, wandered into
Hillsford, and, OF course, soon heard
about tho hermit, since he was ell there
was outside Of the usual and uninterest-
ing in the place. He at once spun out .
column and o half Of solid fionpareil,
mostly speculation, ,tinged with senti.
rnent, about the curious recluse.
This had good result. II identified
the old man In the minds Of tho Milford
ians. 1t lifted him from tho rank of q
crazy old mountainecr to an eccentric
hermit. with extraordinary sentimental
possibilities behind him.
II was often said that, Weaver would
b found starved or frozen to death sops
time. Soevesy winter thcrc was talk OF
~looIxing after him." by those In autliors
fly, but u ended n ralk, - lle was uut
Gnofiy che kiad 81 nam to dictate to.