The Van Buren press., 1896-02-15
UNCLE SIS UMBRELLA.
BY JOHN RIM.

A'Tallin' about paraehutes." said Old
zen Marston. reminds me Of curious
sling a happened up on the mount
ing gsssssser bout ~ s.sars age" ben
flpPed back his chair. put his feet h igh
~ on the stove. and clasped ms hands
comfortably over the region Of MS
stomach.
II yas Ia the village store a Cardiff.
= New Hampshire, the night after the
county fair at Perrtxlile, ten miles
away. where there had been balloon
aseeS sion. A woman had leaped from
faae balloon with d parachute. and had
reached the ground safely. This had
furnished a subject Of conversation %
the usual group Of lcafers in the store.
After Ben has assumed his fayorife
attitude for storytelling he thought Il
necessary TO asseSerate that lie forth
coming tale Vas an sactooal fact
AN II Ye don't believe Il, said he.
bringing his feet down with thump.
~ye can sest come up the mounting with
ne in the mornin'. an' III shoa ye the
very spot where it happened"
Then he went on with the narrative.
1 shall not attempt 70 report his talk
which might become weaTisome, but
win tel the story in my own words.
Silas Hopkins, who was 50 much
io@ed that he was familiariy called
Uncle Silas, Was so years ago famous
lay preacher In the White mountaip
region. de made frequent missionary
journeys, holding services here and
there, comforting the sick, and doing
great good. He suffered much lard
ship in travelling ON foot through the
half-settled, rugged regions sbOut the
Franconia range; but he bore il with
admirable patience, keeping his simple,
sunny nsture unchanged TO the end.
Whenever he appeared in a village
dozen doors offered him hospitable vel
come; and in the evening be would al
ways ind the meeting house or the
schoolhouse well filed 10 hear him
preach
Almost as well known as Uncle Silas
Was the green umbrella he always car
Tied. II was large and strongly msde,
with stout hickory handle, hand
wrought ribs. aud an iron point 10
make IL seryiceable in mountain-elinb-
ing. This, with his Bible, aud small
bundle that he carried easily over his
shoulder. constituted his worldly prop
frty. He seldom had any moEey at al;
and If be possessed any il was freely
shared with the needy.
Uncle silas priced his green umbrella
highly. 1t Was like the scnptursl
promise, "a covert from the tempest" "
a shelter from sun and rain. He had
slept many a night on the mOuntsins
With no other shelter, and never felt
quite without a -habitatiOn 70 dwell
iBr so long as he could prop il against
a great rock aud sleep under its protee-
ton.
Many a treseherous cur had he
routed by a sound Whaek Of the Imbrel
las hickory handle. Once, in a lonely
place. he had come Unexpectedly upon
bear aud two cubs. The dam. savage
for her young, gro~ied frightfuily and
Inshed upon him. But yigsHeas -four
ish Of the green umbrella. which for
tanately fiew open in the most alarm
ing way, took all the courage out Of her,
snd sent her whimperiHg asay with
the cubs.
One winter, ''lest S. year ago" se-
ooFdiug 70 Ben Marston, there vas a
panther scare in Cardiff, a .'reai scare,
with good cause for il. The winter was
severe, and a panther had been driven
down from the mountains by hunger.
Several times its scream had echoed
from the ridge behind the village, and
had been heard even in the stOre-"Jest
here where I'm s-settiH'.r said old Ben,
with emphasis that would have set all
doubts al rest.
Som sheep had been killed on eatly-
ing fsrInsi and Deacon sHain's heifer
was taken one night from his barn Gel
lar. The beast had On that occasion
come In from the south, as the tracks
showed, actually trayersiBg the shole
village by its main street. After that
no one felt safe 2lone out-of-doors after
nightfaii. The boys left the village
store before sunset. A small knot Of
men still gathered to their accustomed
Fiaees nightly but all brought Lam
terms and guns, and escorted eacn other
cautiously home at nine O'Clock.
In the midst Of the scare Uncle silas
Hopkins arrived, and gave notice Of the
evening services iH the seho0inouse.
The schoOlhOuse was in z lonely spot,
as sehoolhouses often are in scattered
communities. and only D few % the
hraFest responded to the preachers in
fifatiOn.
Uncle silas spent q few days in yis-
Ting from house 10 house. After "a
ing two services on Sunday De an
I.ou1ced his inteatiaB - Walk Monday