Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1888-10-26
VOL. XVI.


The sun had not long been set when
we started on our journey. The heat
was still intense, while the atmosphere
seemed stagnant with dull, oppressive
closeness that weighed on mind and
body alike.
"We shall have a storm before long, >
quoth Dr. Max, after we had gone few
miles; "there is thunder in the air. But
1t will hardly come up before tomorrow
morning, l think"
Our way at first lay among verdant
pastures and productive fields, which
sklrted either side of the road. Gradu,
ally the road began to ascend, the traces
of cultivation became fewer, and half
cleared patches of land took the place of
well-tilled farms. At last even these
gave way to dense forest of pines which
rose on either side like walls of gloom,
looking dark and dreary in the gather
ing shadows of the twilight. The road,
too, became rough and stony, and our
progress was necessarily slow and i'm
peded. Suddenly heavy roll of tkun-
der was audible in the distance.
The storm soon burst upon us in all
its fury. The rain poured down in tor
rents, wetting us to the skin. The
blazing streams of the lightning, at
tracted by the tall pines that stude the
wood, ran hither and thither like SER
pents of fame on either side of us.
Finally our road emerged upon a clear
ing half way up the side of the noun.
tain. BY the quick flicker of the light
ming we dscerned long, low two-story
frame house, standing back from the
wood, and with more than one light
visible in its windows.
"GoodP' cried DR.. Max, in tone of
relief; 'here is a habitation, aud pre-.
sumablv some human beings to help us
to dry clothes and a shelter for the
night"
We drove up to the door, and after
knocking for some little time, an inner
bar was withdrawn, and woman, with
a lantern in her hand, presented herself.
mo, we could not come in," she said,
in answer to our queries. 'She was ill
she had just sustained a terrible be-
reav vement-she wanted no strangers
peeking about her premises. Not that
there was anything to hide" And she
was going on, maundering in an imbecie
sort of way. when she was suddenly
thrust aside by short, sharp.looking
young fellow, who took upon himself the
Office of spokesman.
"Come in2 Of course the gentleman
should come in. 1t was not night to
keep dog out in. The horse could be
put under the shed, and would do there
very well till morning. And if the gen.
tlemen wanted any supper, they could
have eggs and ham, and some hot
whisky-and-water to keep off the chill.
Don't be fool, mother; stand aside, l
say, and let the folks in, out of the
wet"
We found ourselves, on entering, in a
spacious, low -celinged kitchen, which
somehow looked desolate. instead of
eheery and comfortable. The woman who
had first accosted us retreated to seat
beside the blackened hearth, whereon no
fire had apparently been lighted for
some time and there seated herself,
swaying herself to and fro, with her
hands clasped over her knees and her
eyes fixed on vacancy. She was past
middle age, and was red-haired and
freckled, but with the remains of con-
siderable beauty still apparent in her
regular features, white skin and shapely
form. The man who had insisted upon
our entrance, in spite of his hospitable
action, was anything but genial and
prepossessing-looking parsonage. He
was thin and sickly looking, with shift
ing, uneasy eyes, and sallow, unshaven
face. He seemed uneasily and ostenta-
tiously anxious to welcome us, brought
us chairs, and set about lighting the fire
and getting supper, while the woman sat
rocking herself to and fro and noticed
nothing. Her son introduced himself as
Ludwig Schultz, and also vouchsafed
the information that his mother had
married twice, her second husband being
old Jacob Grubcr. HE died of apoplexy
this morning, gentlemen" he continued
"that's why she's so upset. And you'll
not mind things being bit dull, as the
old man died so suddenly only a few
hours agof"
We assured him that we would not
the idea of the presence of corpse be
meath the roof that sheltered us being
anything but agreeable or enlivening,
whilst the presence of that silent woman,
see saving herself to and fro with
monotonous action, and her eyes fixed
on vacancy, was enough in itself to de
press our spirits. She meal when served
was more appetizing than might have
been expected, and we both did it full
instice. Before we had quite finished, {
/ - 4hn hoH
open, and a half-drunken, heavy-look
ing young fellow staggered into thu
room. He glared at us with a sort o
stupid ferocity mixed with amazement
"Now what the deuce" he was be
ginning, roughly, when his brotheI
seized his arm, and, saying something t.
him in German in an undertone, hal
dragged, half pushed him out of thu
room There was the noise of a sharl
alteration outside for few minutes
and then the man called Ludwig camt
back and offered to show us to our room
We accepted his Offer and he led tho
way to an upper story, around whicl
ran a wide porch, supported on rough
hewn pillars. On this porch the win
dows and door of each room opened
There was no corridor, and the onl
access to this upper floor was by fiigh
of stairs, leading from the kitchen W
had just left. Our guide unlocked tn
door of one of the rooms, and set dow
the candle on the little table.
"Do either of you gentlemen spea
German" he asked.
''Not one word of it," answered Di
Melfort, much to my surprise, for hi
mother had been a German lady, and h
spoke the language like native.
- "All right!' said Schultz, with a pei
ceptible air of relief. "Only, you see
the old woman speaks German bette
than she does English-and thought
so, if you want anything. Well, T.
say good night and good sleep t
you"