The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1895-03-09

4 stricken with the disease and weakened bv
/ the constant attendance upon her husband.
/ and the great anxiety from which her mind
had just emerged she was unable To battle
with the sickness. 81 that it was not LONG till
Death angel visited the Manor and
carried away her spirit.
! It was pitiful tn witness the >orrow of
I the old man. For time his friends feared
he would lie of grief: hut slowly very
/ slowly. he emerged from the state of
despair into which he had been thrown
Now the mansion had but one tenant.
None, save for the companion>hip Of his
do" and the services Of two faithful ser
wants dwelled the grief stricken Judge
Retirin" from hi- practice he kept himself
secluded from the world aud lived sur
rounded hy the associations of happier times
now passed forever
But the shock had been e severe blow.
and gradually he succumbed under the al-
fiction lie would sit in his library be
fore the tire. while the twilight slowly
gathered. listening 10 the moaning of the
wind and the gentle tapping Of the branches
against the window pane> and watching
the flames from the lug sparkle up the
chimney From the hearth came the uniy
light aud great shadows with long point
ed arms would ait about the heavy furni-
ture and dance upon the whitened walls
Il wa> the belief If many villa.er~ that ,n
such evenings the old man cumuuned with
departed ones ior the lights seen in the
Ia~, Ncrc now no;iced hovcrinu at the
library easements
Cine evening I- few men we're passing
alung the ruld near the mani>on. they
heard the dog whining ou the porch and
iu the pale mu-,u light saw him scratching
at the ianr Attracted by ihs animal
actions they paused when suddenly the
truul d,-r opened aud an Old servant issued
forth aui ha,ten,l down the avenue at
trr,> toward the men Tie va, greatly
alarmed. and meeting the Villagers told
them in an excited tone that hi master
was DYING They al hurried q" th, ho',-e
aud following ,hc io2 which bounded in
before them -s-,u r,a,he,i the library
There, seated IN his ARA chair before ,h.
On. hy whose fading light abjegt- in the
u-pn were harely ji~,synil- his bead
bowed ulau his breast wa the id m5u.
Tie ms,ir %" movement when thry entered
au,l an anc ui them -reak in. e. htm atf.rr,l
pn rrpls Locking into hi, lace the, plain
ly >IU tbc cause oI hi, ung,n,.ialt,u,-~ -
death M the uhjlc the dr. ,,o.-l beside
BIZ uls>tcr gently hckip2 the hand ,ha,
haJ 'y.lyn over lhs arm of the chair and
when she ulyn ljitcA Ih. bs-ly aud ban, it
ta . diyau d, the iitrihe-t end ~ the r,-,m
iaIi"ve,i ahiuipg riteou,l,
tn, few friends 81 the Iuig, informed
af h.- death rrTairri imns,ija'ell So the
n,sul..a He baI no shildrco and the
90, wba u,sild ms-, pr,Iabl, inherit the
estate vas a urphsa his ualy living r.la
1--WE maw Dwelling iu ihr tr Wc,g 10
h,m the ireo,t- trie-raphsj intelligence 81
hs. uusIe death bat il wnuld be- nr.,-
,sr. thar thu funeral take platr irf,f,. b..
.uuiJ rrarh the Manor
Within a. htsle drawer 81 a t4hinrs ~,
f.pui a ,mall envelope 1rre- which urit
tyu 81. hy trembling hsnI were these
word, lnstugsti"n, isT Nl Funeral
suj al-e 4noshgr paper which the Judge
'nsusl- r,--arlc,l a, hi testament The
smaller package they oIened prudeutly
l,aviuz lhr nlnrr important document fpT
Jbs nephew g" brak -ral
The Iirry,ions contained ia ihr h,,lr en-.
grlsI- n~rr - character 10 excite great
,upri~. After stating Ubrrr ,holld be-
ID, tomb Go commanded that the -..rs lc,,-
he .-aiurtcd At evening ia the village
church and at night upon the stroke Hf
tarlyv .h- ,a>kel Wl~ 60 be hWrr,d into
thr grave such wen, the r,nicut.. ,.-vm
u- bus tby rgryutFir whIm> uf lu ryeen
,nr mind There va, n"gblu. 90 binder
the 'uihllurut oJ Ihy Jud=, last requests,
anal as an usenti,n had l,-ru uitie i,-igna,
ius any ,periai night the friend. decided
an Ihs. following
That evening while twilight vas deep
,uiuz sutu Aoam thg~, 10 attendance A.
s,mbl,,i s, the Manor anil carried the
r,maitt, tn the Gtile church u"' far distant
Il ws- crowded a,suy present uut Il r,--
i-yt i,r che desya-el yri the majority
through curiosity ~ the h,s,r~r, walked .
With measured tread ap the uanow li-!e
she aft strain, trum the "rgan d.atri .
thrst-h the Tar,h "Ieurd uindoW-. and .
t4nght hy O. PASSING hu-rsr wrrr waited .
ayp,- ihe hIilr gymrtrry 90 he distant
N,--i- The o.iha va> placed l,.iorc the
altar aherr within the chaurd ~Jus-i the
RECTOR The ,eryi.r> wer. ssh ended aud .
the congregation Dismissed after which the .
friends departed leaving ,hr,r of their
number q" await their return
Night uuw drew cl,-rr around Fast
h,,n- eloud, hid the pale muun bur ever
and anon lg> -i,ery raw would shine
Through rlt between two heavy banks
Dark shadow las ,n,uchrd Al the feet Of
tai tre,~ reaching their hong arm, ont
into the rad and the wind -waying the
naked branches whispered softly among
the hrll> la the "ld bcliry Now and then
tue >,r,.ech of an owl ur the barking of
farmer do. would break the stiffness
hut saw, th,>, sounds silence reieued
At at"ut half-la>, eleven thu~e hay-
ilt- fll.tt ~ ~ tFtt AiNA i-t4tt ~
gan arriyju. When al were present.
and the hand, nf the church clock
drew near to midnight they started for
the little cemetery at the side ot the
church Weird and phantom Ike was the
scene. Fir~t came the old sexton then
followed two men with torches behind
whom were the bearers with the ca>Aet.
while the remaining friends with the rec
tor. five in all closed the procession As
they left the church and followed the +
wall. large shadows appeared. now crouch
ing beneath a giant oak then suddenly
starting mp climbed to the rooi and noun
ted into the beltry No sound was heard
but the slow tread Of the men walking
over fallen leaves and broken lwias, aud an
occasional low rumhlin@ of distant thunder
IN the west
Reaching the grave they deposited their
burden All preparations having been
made 10 fulfill the Judge request the
rector Docking at his watch and finding it
but few minutes Of the hour. said Let
al. ,.,.,,- II,qlI,. h,1 he finished hpiorp