Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1895-09-20
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CHAPTER I.


CHAPTER 1.
INTRODUCTORY.
believe that / am not what couiu
actually be called superstltols,, yee
since nv earliest recollection L nave
had opinions that differ from the ac-
teptvd religious doctrines 8; ana sucI
opinions Tor boliefs) are often looKeo
upon as superstitious, If not VINO ~
ridiculous and not to be C0hsldereu'
But no one deliberately manufactures
his own belief-that Is something over
which he ordinarily has little more con
troll than he has over the original form
of his body or the co or OF MS compleX-
ion. for, like these, it is part OF ms
corporate self Ho can distort his oody
or paint his face, but left alcn1, they
will resume their normal share ana
color-the same with his belief. How
ever. ones sett ed opinions are some
times completely changed ty some I'M
pressive accident, circumstance OF
teaching; but this change, you VIII s,c'
IS not wrought by his own VIII Oue oy
Influences that are brought 10 pear
upon him The influences by whl we
Rre surrounded in tho main form our
opinion,. a d our character ana reig'
ion are mapped out In our lnteilecVS aS
by the hand Of an unseen, lhconnpIe
hensible destiny, a we nave Tue
thoupht but to fol ow the drec ions or
promptings thereof AS t~e poet says
G'Tis education forms the common nina;
Just as the twig is bent the trees III
clined"
In other wor Is, the impress o1s OF
childhood bear upon ones whole life. l
know that with ma-Hal Mala-.he I'M
pressions of CHILDHOOD have hung IKE a
nreya ling vapor over tie whole perlod
of nv exis' ence; ;nd in every Tragedy,
comedy or romance, in which l EaVe
heen for ,una'e or unfortunate enough
10 particil ate, | have been rel rled
hack to the dawnng of my Felsonal
hiStorT.
Orphaned n infancy, and left hume
loss. nv ch ldhood was spent among
strange faces, and amid perpetual
shifting scenes.
As there was no one to worry over my
whereabouts, went forth when llSteo
and came back when wil'ed.
much fre uented wild and out OF
tho way pIaces, and was often lnfat
ated by gloomy objects that would have
been far from fascinating to other chll
dren. The roar of the cataract as !
tumbled and plunged throuTh !agge'
porges and the howIing Cf the wind a
It swept among the cliffs and cragS
were my music.
loved to wander amid the hush an
tho loneliness of wood and scenes In
signing of the trees, the r,ppli e or tn
| brooks. the Quaint sounds artculate
bv the small wild animals, by th
beasts of the field and the bird
of the air, were to me w
known and welcome sounds. Th
wilderness was my kindergarten, all
the oh 'ect- lessons it presented wei
earnestly studied
had no steady lace Of habitatioi
Init was taken in and taken care o
after manner, by this perscn ana
that. TO, awhile for | was continual
estrav. and no one took the pains
hunt me up.
Thus INV infancy and childhood passC
into youth, when childhood's dream
life ended, and then my living came
an arduous strife with adversely
What information possess w
nicked ND of my own accord, reSardle
Of schools or the pcda gogue'S art.
had an early liking for letters al
exnlored cnterprisingly the realm
knowledge, athough nothing like sy
tenn or order ever accompanied II
efforts
was drilled to 10 particular trade,
nv occupation was necessarily variou
and, as de from the fact that it mai
tanned me reasonably VIC ], was of so
that bore as its fruit more cXperien
than wealth.
The coarse of my career finally scttl
in the channel of itincrant JCurna IS
and later into that Of literature, as bt
becoming a person of hapha ard acco
uljshments and rovirg disposition.
All these cir um stances being OF
exceedingly miscellaneous and unco
mon character, may have combined
divert my thoughts out OF any OF I
annroyed groves of religious theory, a
~ cause the opinions now DONNA
within nv mind to faSten themselN
unon me: but credit my belief to otf
causes
When | was little child / held co
lnunion with shadowy forms that u
me by myriad 81 ms thai they were 7
atiyes OF minc; souls OF my op
had shaken OH III : GOIio VI loi
and assumed immortal existence in
sniritual word. Long before l kn
that they were ghosts followed th'
about in the gloom OF night and felt p
fectlv at HON. in their company
often followed these specterS to
praveyards to witness hosts of dim for
march and stalk about among the VIII
tombs; this, too, at times when otl
cbi dren were coddled up in their trun
tcds at home, dreaming things not h
ca wild as | was looking at with oI
ewes and the full possession OF
waking senScS
Tesides the aforesaid, oten IN
later life has it been Iully proven 10
tbat there is but the vail Of breath
tween the mater ard tho spiritual J
that some of us are granted the prlvil
of communing with the people OF
phantaSmal world
I mention these few details CT my
lfe not for the purpose OF expoundln
theory, nor of proseytng Tor !
faith. but because | wish to in'rod
myself. nv views and the circumstan
nv which | have been surroundcd'
such a manner as to prepare you 10
derstand the full meaning and purI
of the story am about to relate
story is the veritable history OF Ger
experience in my lie-no dEeam'
bollucin tion.