The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1891-01-02
A DANISH LEGEND.

In The long evenings, when the
days work is done aud the spin.
nlng wheels whirl in the red light
of The moss fires, the Danish peo-
pie are fond of telling stories.
One of them, which makes the
young people draw nearer to the
elders, and cast glances over their
shoulders, is this:
Out yonder where the sands are
heaped high, and where only a
few scattered stones and timbers
remain, was once The village of
Norwig. Yes, this is the tate of
villages and towns, and even cities,
as well as of the people OF the
earlh-to be buried at last.
Once it was happy town, full of
good, pious people, who went to
church regularly, who had enough
and were happy. And there lived
in their midst an old hite-haired
man, very, very old, who was
their pastor. He baptized the
children, married the young folks,
and ministered TO the sick; when
any died he prayed over them. He
had no wife or children of his own,
and lived in a twO-room house, to
which an old servant came every
day 10 cook his meals, wash his
linen, and clean all the house.
One day everybody IN the vii.
lage gathered on the shore to watch
vessel anchored not far away.
Those who knew about such things
said she was a Russian ship. And
the fishermen on the waters came
home at night with tales of strange
sounds that they heard, and how
some women had sobbed and
screamed, and how some one else
"a man-raved wildly in what to
them was an unknown language.
However, at last it was dark, and
nothing could be seen but the
lamps that hung out against the
dark sky like strange planets.
Everyone went to bed all was 81.
lent. The pastor sat in his little
room all alone, writing his next
Sundays sermon. He wrote and
wrote, while his candle burned
away. At last only an inch re-
mained of it, and he had nodded
away al least three times. So he |
also felt that it was time to 90 TO |
bed, and he did so. The door was
shut, but he never thought of bolt
ing it.
He threw a fresh piec. Of peat |
on the fire, put on his warm night
gown, repeated prayer. and tuck |
ed himself under the swan's-down
coverlet. Soon he was asleep, and
dreaming a very curious and per
picking dream. In the dream
some one held him by the shoulder. |
He felt the grip inconvenient and
tried 10 shake it off in vain. Then |
he opened his eyes and was wide |
awake; but still tho clutch con.
tinued. A large man stood beside |
the bed and held him fast. An
other bent over him.
"Arise and dress yourself and
come with u.s." said the man he
had first seen.
II suppose this is continuation
of my Dream" said the pastor.
SHOW curiously real it seems.n
at is no dream" replied the
man, who spoke with strong for
eign accent. "Sir pastor, you are J
awake; do moi keep US any longer |
waiting for you, but come-snd
bring your prayer.book.n
"This is an ofense,' said The
pastor. IL refuse no service | can
render in the name of God 10 any
man; but | insist upon some rev.
erehce for my calling if not 10 my
self"
ave mean no disrespect, pas
tor" said the spokesman, "but !
assure you time Is precious. We |
only want you 10 perform certain |
Offices OF the church for those who |
need them, and we will not harm
yon, unless you refuse 10 do this.
Then indeed