Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1895-12-18

Hicks ridin toward de cap'n's hOuse, ~
dar's no tellin whut has happened by
dis time
"Well, you've all had fins time
since left. Hop up there now and
drive us home"
The next day was the day before
Christmas. and how dreamily delight
full did find this old place. I fancied
that in every corner q romance was hid.
ing. The loud creak Of the old windlass
at the we'll was cry from the past.
There had been killing frosts. but now
the dir was softened with Indian sum-
mer's hazy breath. At early morning
the colonel took me to see his mint bed.
The carriage driver hovered near us,
; grim, sly, half laughing. "Look like
somebody dun spit tobacker juice on dat
glass;" he said, and the old colonel
turned upon him. IF you don't go on
away and attend to your own affairs.
I'll take a stick to you. But wait q
minute. You tell the niggers that I'm
going to give them an old fashioned
Christmas Tell them-men, women
and children-to be in front of the big
house early in the morning. Do you
hear?''
docs I yere?" cried the old negro.
bowling almost to the ground. "Does
yere? Did Moses yere it thunder when
he went up inter de mountains, sab =?
Did Aaron yere de bells dat wuz tied tor
his garments? reckon does yere, an
I thanks de Lawd."
Early the next morning. before the
/ winter birds began to twitter, heard
the negroes assembling in front Of the
! house. The invitations had not been
confined to the tenants on the colonel's S
! place, but had included those who lived
, ON some Of the adjoining farms.
The colonel was early astir. lie
brought julep to my room. and hand
ing it to me remarked: "Under amber
glass. Don't let that point get away
from you. Listen ut 'em down there.
Happiest people ON the face Of the earth
tho only real philosophers. Do you
know what I've got for them: Molasses
candy for the children and eggnog for
the men and women. You know that q
negro has always thought that to have
enough eggnog is to catch a glimpse
of heaven. We got up before day and
made o wash kettle full Of it. Drink
that. Amber glass. I'm afraid that you
are about to let that point get away
from you"
assured him that I was not. told
him that it was really better than the
| mint that grew along the branch, and
this pleased him. "Ah," said he, II
see that you have not lived too long in
the north. Well, let US 60 down and
open up"
What day that was With yoke of
steers the negroes drew an enormous
hickory log into the yard, bored anger
holes into it, loaded the holes with
gunpowder and Jared the neighborhcod.
They ran foot races; they danced and
sang strange songs. At noon they were
feasted and at evening they took their
they walked.
And now have come to mystical
part Of this recital I have never be-
| lieved in the mysterious, have mildly
hooted at Impractical owl, striving to
deal alone with plain realities-but
am impelled, even at the risk Of being
charged with untruth, to tell of some
thing that occurred during the night
that followed our noisy merrymaking.
Until late the colonel and sat in the
parlor, q room which once had been
richly adorned, but which was now
dinSy with faded finery. admit that
we had talked a great deal about the
amber glass. confess that the old man,
as he sat in arocking chair opposite me,
became shadowy and uncertain. ac-
knowledge that lay down upon an old
horsehair sofa had nothing to say,
but the colonel continued totalk. He
told me that the north, with all its
wonderful resources, could not set up
that was his term-could not set up
such a Christmas as the one we had Just
seen. OF course mint could be raised
there under amber glass, eggnog could
| be made there, and hickory logs could
be blown asunder with gunpowder, but
no such a spirit Of the past could be in
voked. didn't argue with him.
couldn't.
1t must have been about midnight
when the old fellow, getting up and
feeling about for something which he
did not find, turned to me and said {:
I'm going into the other room and lie
down. An idea for the betterment Of
my country, sir, has just occurred to
me, and I must needs go and work it
out. You may go to your room or lie
there, just rs you please"
He fumbled his way out, and I con-
tinued to lie there. My head was clear,
yet everything looked at appeared to
have an amber cast, the pictures, the
I1x-o old
chord il the corner. 1t was an ancient
instrument, with spindle legs and with
its feet turned under. as II Il would
soften its weight upon the floor. must
have dozed off to sleep. for remember
that for few minutes knew nothing,
and then, opening my eyes, was CON-
scious of light in the room, not tho
lamplight, for that had gone out; not
merely the moonbeams that fell in at
the window, but luminous. haZy fog.
It seemed to float about. Yes; it was
floating, for 1t crossed the room and
hovered near the ha-psichord. I knew
that it had no existence except in my
own fancy, and yet watched it intent
ly. Suddenly saw motion, quick, i'm
pulsive-a low hanging sleeve, white,
lacelike-swept above the keys of the
old instrument And then there came q
soft and thrilling tinkle. Still knew
that it was fancy. but was afraid to
move lest might frighten the vision
away. The tinkling ceased, and then
there came the most marvelously beau
tiful air ever heard, the love song in a
fairy's opera In nearly all tunes there
is a memory of other airs. but this
brought up nothing that I had ever
known. 1t was new in its delicious
sweetness. Over and over again it was
nlayed and I Lay thera with nv eyas