Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1889-04-05

painted neighborhood church. Ordinarily
nothing could have overcome his supelstitious
fears sufficiently to induce him to enter
church at midnight, but in his present plight
he welcomed any shelter and pushing open
the door he CROPPED his way up the narrow
aisle and crouched down beside the altar
Juba lay at his feet and licked in mute
sympathy the hand that caressed his shaggy
head. Through the unshuttered windows
every fash of lightning showed the cleaning
white stones of the grave yard that almost
surrounded the little church. Uncle Nose
shuddered. There was the tall marble shaft
that marked the grave of negro trader.
Every night, it was said his spirit walked
the earth, tortured by the tears and groans
and broken hearts of the mothers from
whom he had torn babies, by the curses of
the wives he had torn from their husbands;
arms Even hell would not hold so vile
soul. There was the tiny grave Of an unbap-
tized infant who cried because it could not
enter heaven. There, horribly distinct in the
flash of binding light, was the unmarked
grave of man who murdered his brother
There was-God in heaven. what was that
wild white face at the window? The old man
staggered to his feet, but the apparition was
gone. He would go out again into the night
Better the widest storm than this ghost
haunted place.
He turned toward the door, but there,
standing in the gallery that ran across the
back of the church, over the very door
through which he must pass, was the white,
ghostly thing.
Uncle Noses heart stood still with fear his
trembling limbs would no longer support him
and he fell on his knees
"Oh Lawd God Almighty" he prayed, cole
Nose amt never been lax desc year common
niggers dats always pesterin' you for some
thin or n'er. Ole Nose amt never boddered
you much in all desc years, but Lawd he got
to the eend of his row now, and dey amt nc
turn to hit. De fros done cotch de ole man
LAX stalk of hacker standing out in de patch,
en- Wen you come to stem him an strip him
for prizin up dar he won't be nothin' but Tugs
The old mans voice died out in a sob. and
he bowed his head, waiting for the awful
something to come. But suddenly across his
fears broke familiar sound-Juba's deep, de-
termined unimaginative bark when he had
freed something. Uncle Nose opened his
eyes again on the world he had never ex-
pected to behold more, and there, plainly re-
vealeti In flash of lightning, was Juba with
his ''chawed' ears boldly erect, deliberately
freeing the ghost in the church.
In all the years he had known Juba EUncle
Moses confidence had never once wavered in
the sagacity and ability of his dog, and this
was no time for half measures now. With
cry of relief he scrambled to his feet and
with bound cleared the church door, leav-
ing the awful presence in full possession.
What was its
Tho next morning crazy woman who had
escaped from a neighboring asylum was
found dead near the church, with her long
white garments soaked with rain, and there
were those who suggested she must have
been the apparition Nose saw in the church.
But he rightly refused to accept any such
fimsy theory.
II tell you," he always maintained, shit
would a been all up wild de ole man eff Juba
hadn't freed dat ghos'.n
There is little faith, however, that is proof
against ridicule, and by and by it came tc
pass that the old man was shy Of telling his
ghost story to unbelievers, and it was rarely
he could be won to speak of it at all after
Juba died. When some irreverent STRIPPING
would ask, with a suppressed laugh, "Unc
Nose, whut wuz dat tale you used to tell bout
Juba en- de ghos?' the old man would answer
testify:
''Tail, taila Dey want no tail bout Juba:
he WIZ de bob taildest dog yo' ever see in yo'
bawn days. Elizabeth NJ. Gilmer in New
Orleans Picayune