The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1890-05-22
THE NIcHrMARE


By the house 10 which spent my child
hood years was . large. Wild gsrdef
stretching as fsrss the crnpblins ivy co,
erred city ~sli. and was called the couver
garden. Probably the piece Of srouu,
bsd 90 o~esr. but did not know him
considered the garden my bunting erons,
gsyly chased The rose huge, which swarm
ed sbout the eldsrbury bushes. and wit
. net captured swsllow tail Butterflies
which summed themselves on the blossom
log onion sislks
Bat there Was something mere tha
dre~ me TO the convent garden. LeaniD,
against the city ssli. sud glued 10 i lik'
chimney swallows nest was little IA
lspidsted honse. The mof'r bad fallel
ssa, from the walls here aud ihera show
/ ing ihe iiAmework House leeks grew OF
the roof. and on the walls hung wire cage,
IN which fiocbes sang their plaintise wood
songs and bis cross bills climbed restless
ly up and do1D. 10 front OF The hon-- =
msgpie. which bad lost its tail feathers
was usually hopping sbon'.
In this little house lived the Old I,pf.
aud the old Z,pf aud | had struck up y
friendship.
Who sss old Iipip
Properly speaking be was shoemaker,
but he bad not worked at his trade for a
long time.
Having become poor aud needy, he
trained bullflinches, linnets and other
birds, made wire cages and prepared bird
lime. Bot that brought bin only = sorry
profit. aud III, had not been for his wife
be would have been obliged to go hungry
ofterner than he really did Mrs Zipf
was 10 erest demand Nobody 10 the city
could do tine washing as well ss she. Be
sides she cleaned gloves aud removed
grease spots from wearing apparel with a
fluid OF her own invention. She was
strong woman. with broad bipc. very
ugly face, aud she would scod like Turk.
Bot one did not notice that, for, as has al
ready been said, she was clever woman.
She work ed early aud late. but still there
was often enough very scauty supply OF
food in The house and the poor old Z.pf
he'd few happy days.
My mother occasionally would send
him something from the pantry, and at
such times WAS the bearer. Thenl would
sit down in rickety wooden chair, and
the old man would bring cut one OF bis
trained birds. and tell me ghost story,
which liked still better. What lent to
these ghost stories peculiar charm was
The fact that the narrator had eIperienc
cd them all himself But il l should write
down the tenth part OF them, it would
make . book larger than the Bible.
One day. 10 the late autumn, old Zspf
looked out Of the window, beckoned to me
and said: you did but know it. neigh
Dor, today is my seventeen birthday; but
don't tell q human being = hereupon |
ran straigbt to my mother to tell her the
news. My good mother smiled, and q lit
lie later l was hurryipg through the con.
rent garden toward the old mans house,
aden with loaf OF bread, little bottle
II cherry brandy. y package OF Tobacco
md little sum of money.
The old man scolded me smilingly on
'ccount OF my tstline. tested the drink,
nodded his gray head with satisfaction
md turned to his work again. That con
listed 10 pluckiug some gold hammers
shose necks be had wrung. Really, be
aid. 1t is sin TO take singing Birds life,
,ut this one is very common nuisance,
o there is no harm in it. When he no
onger finds anything to eat in the fields,
e hies to the barns screaming: Hire me!
ire mel Aud after be has spent the whole
'inter long fAttening with the farmers,
nd spring comes, then be flies away, ciy
ng. Farmer, keep your wages. So
ave no scruples about wringing the meau
title creatures neck. and besides the fel
DIV tastes very good. But / need little
utter or iat tor broiling them. How
'ouId it do, neigbbor, il you we're to go
0 your mother and ask her Tor . little
utter; she would not deny you9
! brought what Was required; the birds
ere Lroiled aud = half hour later we sat
pposite one another At the festival meal
nd we're 10 high spirits
DON I eat too much brown bread sd
Ionisheu the old man. II 10 too heavy
" your delicate stomach. sud II you
Verload 1t the nightmare would come
ID oppose you. DO you know ~
or course do. When you are lying 10
ID asleep, 1t crouches on your breast, so
'at you can, get your breath, and it
oks like black cat With fiery eyes. =
Il th.t o.? said old Zipi. Does IL
'mr to you like black cats When ii '
'me to me, 1t looks quite d,fi reIt las y
ire you. :
Tell me about 1t, neigbbor, begged, "
"a Mr.. Zipi. sitera SIP OF the brandy.
gan.
l was working for = master shoeuaker u
this place aud WAS = healthy young "
How. Que night the nightmare came to il
e, snd when told the master snd ap "a
entices sbont 4 The next moruiug. the
aster said Don't eat 80 many potatoes b
! supper, I'D drink . little less beer. h'
d the nightmare viii let you alone The N
befs laughed. aud | was silent, for "a %
prentice must not contradict the master. 10
~ among the iourDe, men ~ss . very
man. Who seldom stayed long with h'
y one master. aud bad spent bali bs DC
; on the road from one place 10 smother
had travelled about the world good
al aud bad advice toeive Tor ever, thing. bi
e evening he said TO me: ~
Il Jon Ss0i to be free from The pish,- ~