The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1896-02-28
UNCLE SIS UMBRELLA.
By JOHN RIM.

liz cIIC4g DOut " gUd1S dgJs Del
tipped back his chair, put his feet high
er on the stove, and clasped his hands
comfortably over the region of his
stomach.
It was in the village store at Cardiff,
in New Hampshire, the night after the
county fair at Perryville. ten miles
away, where there had been a balloon
ascension. A woman had Ieaped from
the balloon with parachute, and had
reached the ground safely. This had
furnished a subject Of conversation to
the usual group of lOafers in the store.
After Ben has assumed his faf qrite
attitude for storytelling he thought it
necessary to ssseverate that the forth
coming tale was an "actooal fact -
SAN if We don't believe it," said he,
bringing his feet down with a thump,
Eye can jest come up the mounting with
me in the mornin', m I'll show We the
very spot where it happened"
Then he went on with the narrative.
shall not attempt to report his talk,
which might become wearisome, but
will tell the story in my own words.
Silas Hopkins, who was so much
loved that he was Familiarity called
Uncle Silas, was 80 years ago a famous
lay preacher in the White mountain
region. De made frequent missionary
journeys, holding services here and
there, comforting the sick, and doing
great good. He suffered much hard
ship in travelling on foot through the
hali-settled, rugged regions about the
FrGnconia range; but he bore it with
admirable patience, keeping his simple,
sunny n9tuTe unchanged to the end.
Whenever he appeared in a village a
dozen doors offered him hospitable well
come; and in the evening he would al
ways find the Westinghouse or the
schoolhOuse we'll filed to hear him
preach.
Almost as well known as Uncle Silas
was the green umbrella he always car
Fied. 1t was large and strongly made,
with q stout hickory handle, hand
wrought ribs, and an iron point to
make 1t seTyiceable in mountaineering
Ing. This, with his Bible, and small
bundle that he carried easily over his
shoulder, constituted his worldly prop
erty. He seldom had any money at all;
and If he possessed any it was freely
shared with the needy.
Uncle Silas priced his green umbrella
highly. It was like the SeTiptural
promise, "a covert from the tempest"
o shelter from sun and rain, He had
slept many a night OH the mountains
with no other shelter, and never felt
quite without q "habitation to dwell
In" so long as he could prop it against
q great rock and sleep under its prOtec-
tiou.
Many a treacherous cur had he
routed by sound whack of the umbrel-
las hickory handle. Once, in a lonely
place, he had come unexpectedly upon
bear and two cubs. The dam, savage
for her young, growled frightfully and
rushed upon him. But a vigorous flour
ish OF the green umbrella, which for
tunatsly flew open in the most alarm
ing way, took all the courage out of her,
and sent her whimpering away with
the cubs.
One winter, "jest 50 year ago." ac-
ccrding to Ben MarstOn, there was a
panther scare in Cardiff. a real scare. "
with good cause for it. The winter was
severe, and a panther had been driven
down from the mountains by hunger
Several times it's scream had echoed
from the ridge behind the village, and
had been heard even in the stOre-"Jest
here where I'm a-settin'," said old Ben,
with emphasis that would have set all
doubts at rest.
Som sheep had been killed on outly-
ing farms; and Deacon SWANS heifer
was taken one night from his barn eel
lar, The beast had on that occasion
come in from the south, as the tracks
showed, actually traversing the whole
village by it's main street. After that
no one felt safe alone out-of-dOOrs after
nighttall. The boys left the village
store before sunset. 4 small knot of
men still gathered to their accustomed
places nightly; but all brought Ian
terms and guns, and escorted each other
cautiously home at nine o'clock.
In the midst Of the scare Uncle Silas
Hopkins arrived, and gave notice of the
evening services in the schoolhOuse.
The schoOlhOusc was in q lonely spot,
as schoolhouses often are in scattered
communities, and only n few of the
bFayest responded to the preachers in
vitation.
Uncle Silas spent few days in Wis
iting from house to house. After hold
ing two services on Sunday he an
nouneed his intention to walk Monday
morning to Dayton, 70 miles away
across the mountain.
But that night it set in to snow, and
the morning air was thick with whiri-
ing flakes. TWAS late in the afternoon
before the storm ceased. Then Uncle
Silas. much to the alarm of his hostess
and her family, tied up his bundle pre-
parRtory to departure.
In vain they urged him to stay. The
snow, the cold, the coming night, each
seemed a sufficient reason why he
should tarry till morning. All the
stories of the fierce beasts depreda-