The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1890-05-14

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In the summer of 1878 was 80 years
of age-in perfect health and of steady
nerve. was no believer in the uncanny
hardly in the superintendent had
always poohpoohed at tales of ghosts,
phantoms and visions of all SORTS
1t is unnecessary to explain how came
to be travelling in the far west without
companions, except for horse and dog
and gun. Following the general route
of the old overland trail, | camped one
night in the edge of a considerable. forest,
and at II point from which could look
forth over broad, open plain.
1t was already after shutdown. The
good horse was picketed, and having pro.
vided a supper for myself and dog from
a rabbit which my gun had brought
down an hour or two earlier, disposed
things for the night, and MS the stars
came out, lay down to sleep. comfortably
rolled in u blanket.
| 1t was probably in the small hours of
the night that awoke and arose to sit
ting posture. The moon was climbing
the eastern sky, with not feather of
cloud in her course, and every object
stood forth MS clearly us in the day.
But it was not for mo TO contemplate
in quietude the rare beauty of the night.
In almost tho first moment of conscious
ness my eyes fell upon slowly moving
object in the distance 1t was one OF
those canvas covered wagons, the 'prairie
schooners" so familiar in the early days
of overland travel to California
1t was approaching almost directly to-
ward me, and my curiosity was ut once
aroused Why any one should be travel
ing thus, and so late at night, could not
imagine. The movement was heavy, as
if the horses were jaded, and the man
who walked by their side had weary
step.
Twenty minutes passed, the vehicle
approaching nearer and nearer. Still on
it came, until when about thirty yards
from me it suddenly stopped, and the
man, looking about. seemed to be con
sidering the wisdom of making camp.
AT this point suddenly realized that
the approach Of the wagon had been
utterly noiseless What could this meant
Was l dreaming? No, was never more
awake. Was this Authorization? No
for the dog, who had been aroused by
my movement in awakening, now turned
his head in the direction of the new ar.
rival and uttestd low growl. / laid
my hand on him to keep him quiet.
The man now stood by the forward
wheel, looking in ut the opening of the
canvas top, and, though heard no voice
imagined that he was speaking to some
one within. A woman's head appeared
and, after a glance around, gave nod
of assent, and the man proceeded TO un.
harness the horses and turn them loose
to Craze. Then after a moment, in
which he seemed to be anxiously sur
veying the trail over which they had
come, he helped the woman to alight.
And now their movements greatly
puzzled me. Walking to and fro, they
seemed TO be searching for some par
ticular spot of ground. Finally the wo-
man pointed to a space between two
young trees, and the man, after looking
at it for moment, went to the rear end
of the wagon and brought forth spade.
With the edge of this implement he
marked off rectangular space about
five feet by two, and began to dig All
this, let 1t be remembered. was in abso-
| lute silence.
BY this time my curiosity had turned
to marvel Here was contradiction of
common sense! could not believe that
what saw was real; these beings must
be apparitions. And yet here by my side
was tho dog, as alert as /, and trembling
with an impulse to investigate, while
obedient to my hand Of restraint.
The digging proceeded, and, tho soil
being soft, some five feet of depth was
soon reached, and then the man threw
out the spade upon the ground. The
woman, meanwhile, had been plucking
branches of evergreen, bringing them in
arinfuls and throwing them beside-"the
grave" thought, And now, with the
utmost care and patience, the whole cav
ity was lined with these sprigs of ever
! grecn held in place by twigs thrust into
the backs ON either side.
This done, the man sprang out. The
two surveyed their work for moment,
and then, after gazing once more, as If
in anxiety, over the route by which they
had come, they approached the wagon.
Having rolled up the canvas on. one side,
/ they lifted out small mattress, deposit
ing it upon q blanket which they had
spread upon the ground.
This mattress was not without its bur-
den. The beams of the full moon enabled
me to see there slight form-that Of a
little girl who had scarcely lived out
three years. The pretty white hands
were folded over the breast Long golden
curls fell on either side upon the pillow.
The face, which could see withaston-
ishing clearness, was wonderfully beau
tiful in its aspect of innocence and bore
q life1ike smile, as If in answer to the rsl-
diant queen of the sky, who seemed to
| be smiling, too, as she looked steadfastly
down upon the living and the dead.
The mother forthwith proceeded to ar.
range the spreads upon the child, tuckine
them and smoothing them down as if she
We're only putting her little one to bed
although, while heard no sob nor any
expression of grief, could see that hel
breast was heaving with sorrow and hel
face was visited by tears
| The two now lnelt ON either side, kiss
ing their darling many times, and weep
ing over her, though trying apparently
to comfort one another in their wretch
edness, il perchance there might come il
their hearts q calm like that with which
the moon was still sending down he
beams to illumine the fearful scene
Then, laying hold of the blanket, the
carried their darling to the grave, and b.