Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1896-02-13
A SAVAGE AND MAGIC PICTURES
Robert Louis Stevenson Tells of the Mys.
tilicatiOn of One of Ills Retalners.

Robert Louis Stevenson Tells of the Mys.
tification OF One of Ills Retalners.
"Rut have told you great deal toe
much about poor Arick's savage nature,
and now | must tell you of a great
amusement he had the other day.
There came an English ship-ofwar into
the harbor, and the officers good-na.
turedly gave an entertainment of songs
and dances and a magic lantern, to
which Aricll and Austin were allowed
to go. At the door of the hall there
were crowds of black boys waiting and
trying to peep in, as children at home
lie about and peep under the tent of o
circus; and you may be sure Arick
was very proud person when hcpassed
them all by, and entered the hall with
his ticket.
Il wish | knew what he thought of
the whole performance; but a friend
OF the lean man, who sat just in front Of
Arick, tells Inc what seemed to startlc
him most. The first thing was when
two of the officers came out with black.
encd faces, like MINISTRIES. and began TO
dance. Aricil was sure that they were
really black and his own people, and he
was wonderfully surprised to see them
dance in this new European style.
But the great affair was the magic
lantern. The hall was made quite dark,
which was very little to Arick's taste.
He sat there behind my friend, nothing
to be seen of him but eyes and teeth,
and his heart was beating finely in
his little SCARED breast. And present.
ly there came out ON the white sheet
that great bright eye of light that am
sure all of you children must have often
seen. 1t was quite new to Arick; he
had no idea what would happen next
and in his fear and excitement he laid
hold with his little slim fingers like a
birds claw on the neck of the friend in
front of him. All through the rest of
the show, as one picture followed an
other on the white sheet, he sat there
grasping and clutching, and goodness
knows whether he were more pleased or
frightened.
"Doubtless it was very fine thing to
see all those bright pictures coming out
and dying away aGain, one after an
other; but doubtless it was rather
alarming also, for how was it done?
At last, when there appeared upon the
screen the head of u black woman las
it might be his own mother or sister,
and this black woman of sudden be-
gan to roll her eyes, the fear or the ex-
citement, whichever it was, wrung out
of him loud, shuddering sob. think
we all ought to admire his courage
when, after an evening spent in look
ing at such wonderful miracles, he and
Austin set ont alone through the forest
to the lean mans house. 1t was late
at night and pitch dark when some of
the party overlook the little white boy
and the big black boy, marching among
the trees with their lantern. 1 have
told you this wood has an i'll name, and
all the people of the island believe it
to be full of evil spirits; it is Il pretty
dreadful place to walk in by the NOV
ing light of a lantern, with nothing
about you but a curious whirl of shad-
ows, and the black night above and be-
yond. But AIicll kept his courage up,
and / dare say, Austin's too, with a
perpetual chatter, so that the people
coming after heard his voice long be-
fore they saw the shining of the lam
rn."-Robert Louis Stevenson, in st.
Nicholas.