The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-12-30

I down upon the table
/ Something OF buzz Of genial converse
/ ton ensued. But il soon dWindled into
I snatches of broken remarks and rejoind-
/ ers: for a common distracting influence
was subtily weaving its witchy spell upon
and about US.
, While We had last toasted and cheered,
7 there had been cessasion of therneasured
footballs overhead; but only cessation.
II was as though the walkers had been
challenged by our toasts 10 the wraiths OF
our own friendly-told tales; had
listened for moment as with
some keen and intense longing
Of hearing; and then missing the
meditation of kindly tones in our voices,
the ghostly beat. beat. beat. upon the
softly cFeaking deals had been unfiag-
gingly resumed.
Wonder If they are the wraiths others,
Ike us, have unhappily conjured?' sug-
gested the Gypsy Traveller, uneasy in his
I chair as If still longing for the huttering
tents and the huddled humans in rags
beneath the dripping edges of EDping For
est.
Nonsense hazarded the Merry Trav-
eler, but apparently without faith in his
own surnise. There are no they up
there at all. You all know there isn't
six feet between our ceiling and the roof
tiles
Plenty of room. that. for ghosts" qua
vered the Caual Traveller. drawing his
chair a trifie closer TO the table
'Or trouble mumbed the Nagabond
Traveller. with the tremble and humidity
somewhat thickened in his tones
Here a blazing knot in the fireplace
burst with defamation which sent Nero
scurrying from his rug and caused various
movements Of restlessness at our table.
Several of us spoke reassuringly to the
animal, but he would not return 10 his
accustomed place.
NO wonderi" exclaimed the Casual
Traveller, springing from the table and
leaning over an oaken settle in the ingle-
nook Look here at this manifestation.
one OF these panels has jumped wide open.
IL has sunken hinges. too"
He pushed his hand and arm into the
dark orihce, but was rewarded by the dis
covery of nothing but dust and cobwebs
He listened moment attentively
That unaccountable tramping is very
plainly heard here. Strange, too: it
seems to come now from below. now from
some side apartment, and again distinct
" from above us. Listen! Can you hear
St Paurs?'
We listened alertly. The stout walls
deadened the sound. and the night out
side was so tempestuous that we could
scarcely hear its seemingly mufIled
strokes.
The casual traveller saw this in our
faces and cried out:
Come here, quickly
we hurried to his side our attentive
heads punched before the open panel.
Almost thunderous came the closing
strokes of ten from the mammoth clock
of old st. Pauls; and just as this was
done our own clock TREMENDOUSLY struck
the hour.
with a whimful impulse one of our num-
Der flung the panel shut We could not
reopen II. Disseminating our efforts, we
at last returned to the table, unpleasant
~ depressed by the trifling occurrence;
and each one of our number apparently
bent on showing how little he had been
affected by the incident. This brought
on a period of pretentious hilarity, in
which jest and repartee. rollicking song
ana "reminiscences We're invoked to dspeI
the dismal influence upon us.
When this enforced diversion was at its
hight, the landlord appeared with two
servants. one brought a tremendous trav
laden with cold collation. we had ordered
and the other replenished our huge bowl
with what the good little Autocrat Of
America so aptly termed old particular -
The landlord dismissed his helpers and
/ fingered moment to beam on us with a
landlords wise look of liberation and APP
proval, not unmingled with a tinge of
melancholy over the near loss of such gen
/ teel and profitable guests
just as he was backing out Of the room
with uncttous grimaces and bows, the
Gypsy Traveller pumped the inquiry at
him:
See here. splitpenny. have you any
witches or warlocks bundled away in your
musty old rooms?"
Witches an warlocks?"
yes, ghosts. bogles. bugaboos ?" added
the Clerical Traveller with a touch of Sc
verify
old sphtpenny's face heightened as he
4 answered evasively:
low should ave time fur such diver
/ sions? ores we've everything snug an
! tidy. now sirs."
He began again to grimacingly back
/ through the doorway. when the Student
/ Traveller insisted:
But. tell us, now. Splitpenny, is there
anything unusual going on about the inn
any one suffering, or in trouble, here
/ alongside us?'
"Lor'! Ow can any gentlemen. like
/ you, be thinkin o tn like O. that, on sech
a night o. all tn year? If anythink more
needed, jess make II known. sirs. | must
be down at tn tap, sirs. She'll be a Gavin
directly. in front O St. Paurs. sirsw
The landlord here referred to the thou
sands who would soon be gathering before
and about the great cathedral. to add their
annual din to the clamor of the bells,
when the midnight chime was rung; but
his manner and remarks had not lessened
/ the restlessness of our company.
The lunch and the punch happily served
as brief and timely diversion. Toast were
drunk to separate Travellers; to the COM
pany collectively; and at last. with much
feeling and hoarseness of utterance, the
| Nagabond Traveller arose beside his chair
Travellers all, he began husSily, there
is one toast which should not be over
looked upon this strangely sweet and sad
! occasion.
"Hear.-hear!' rose encouragingly from
! around the table.
Il have observed in my rather vagarous
career in all civilized lands" he resumed
with a bow of acknowledgment, that in
every act, fact or condition of life, there
are two essential requisites-an inverse
and a reverse fitness of things If am
TO enjoy food there must be the waiting,
hearty appetite. If my mind longs for his
| toric spectacle, human panorama or
natures transcendent scene, it cannot
| know fruition without these things are in
/ readiness for my enjoyment. If the glow
( of friendship is to i'll my heart a like re-
ciprocal feeling must exist in Others If
/ am to know the thrill of Homecoming
the home and those within it must bide
that coming with the unspeakable out
/ readings of welcome"
a chorus of almost OuzZIed hut