The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1896-02-29

getty, but in reality how untrue. |
watched for some time these many and
varied preparations for the night, and then
strOlled off to the front porch, where |
became interested in the gambols of two
spindle-legged calves. They, as if upBill-
ing to exhibit their sports to stranger,
soon gallOped away.
Thus left alone paced a sentiners beat
from one end of the porch to the other,
repeating one of Whitcomb Riley poems,
something about the Land of Used-to-
be, and when this expedient had nearly
run its course little kitten came walking
toward me, offering to play Had the
immortal gods sent this or did it drop, as
in an Indian legend, from the sky. l
questioned not, but accepting the invita-
ton we played for some time; and I ven.
ture to remark that had mine host ap
peared then. and there he might have seen
two kittens-one somewhat larger than
the other
The evening duties were at last ended;
twilight was fast gathering; night s dark
ness was soon abroad, heightened in no
small measure by the still impending storm
clouds.
We were sitting in the hallway looking
forward to bedtime and listening to the
distant thunder The storm was advanc-
ing rapidly and before the old clock had
struck another half hour the rain began
falling
From the diningroom came the strokes
of the hour for rest
"At nine O'Clock we had cur prayer,
And then went to bed,
Away offin the darkest ROOM
But it was to be, had feared, no restful
hour for Inc. In the early afternoon
had found that the couch whereou was
ito lay me down to sleep was piled high
with feather-bed, one of the largest ever
seen. Having never been able to lie in
comfort-not even during the coldest
weather-upon bed such as this, was
confronted with the question that has per
picked many mind, even before the days
of Hamlet-''to be, or not to be. In
what manner | solved the problem is a
fact unknown to mine hostess-may the
truth never be unfolded.
The storm had ceased and drifting away
bore captive the winds so refreshing but
an hour past. Closing the door, lest
sounds Of my movements should disturb
Others in the house, and placing the lamp
on the floor | drew thick. quilted com
fort from the bed and spreading it on the
floor, together with pillow, was prepared
for the night. Reading a short while
feeling of drowsiness crept over me and |
soon was drifting upon the tides of oblivion
After sleeping as thought throughout
the night, awake and -ras eOnssratrrlatins,
myself that morning would soon break in
the east when the clock below began to
strike. Expecting to hear it chime four
l eagerly counted, but what was my sur
prise as that number was passed and the
clock finally ceased on the stroke of eleven.
L was at first alarmed lest the instrument
so dearly priced by tirs, eanIily was deranged.
mechanically out Of its mind Then .he
truth flashed upon mel had slept one
hour Thinking of the vanished hour re-
minded me Of my watch, and fearing that
also to be among the missing | reached
under the pillow where it had been placed
My fears were dispelled 1t had not gone,
but it was going
The lamp burnt brightly, the door was
still closed and the window was raised as
far as the only available stick permitted.
l had vague recollections Of hearing when
younger about this old mansion being the
abode of strange sounds and sights, whose
origin | remember never to have heard
Nevertheless my vigil that night and dur
ing the small hours before dawn was not
disturbed by any sights or sounds for
lorn
The moon, ever and anon breaking
through a rift in the clouds, would peep in
at the window l watched it sparkle on
the roof beneath me, where the shingles
were soaked by the late shower and send
beam from under some parting cloud
streaming across the road and far over
fields of corn. The crickets and katydids
sang merrily to me, and from the distant
woods, stretching in gloom as the clouds i.
drifted thick overhead, the solitary cry of
an owl, perhaps more lonely than myself,
fioated toward the farm
[ endeavored to beguile the hours BY
reading; then BY repeating all the poetry
| could cali to mind, and as last resort
sought the realms of fiction and entertained
myself with tales and stories. From this
source derived much pleasure climbing
the mountains with old Rip or wandering
through the streets of some Jewish city
with Ben-Hur, and then anon finding my
self cast away upon some rocky island with.
new Robinson Crusoe, which thought
would quickly bring me to myself and my
own condition
Thus the hours dragged YEARLY toward
morning. The volume I had been read
ing was Fox IS Book of Martyrs. TWAS
one Of the early editions, containing the
old, well-known woodeuts, very interesting
yet very horrible. When nearly four
o clock, after having witnessedsix prelstes
burning at the stake and score or more
q - o.,Ios 1;a II, dafanaa of 4heir