Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1896-03-12
UNCLE SIS UMBRELLA.
ny JOHN RIM.

thlng at happened up on the mount
ing yender, bout so years ago." Ben
tipped back his chair, put his feet high
cr on the stove, and claspcd his hands
comfortably over the region Of his
4 stomach. "
1t 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 balloon
ascension. A woman had leaped from
the balloon with a 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 favoritc
attitude for storytelling he thought it
necessary to asseverate that the forth
coming tale was an ''actooal fact"
AN if We don't believe it, said he,
bringing his feet down with . thump,
rye can jest come up the mounting with
me in the mornin', an 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 so years ago a famous
lay preacher in the White mountain
region. He 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
half-settled, rugged regions about the
Franconia range; but he bore it with
admirable patience, keeping his simple,
sunny nature unchanged to the end.
Whenever he appeared in village
dozen doors offered him hospitable well
come; and in the evening he would al
ways find the Westinghouse or the
schoolhouse well filed to hear him
preach.
was the green umbrella he always car
ried. 1t was large and strongly made,
with a stout hickory handle, hand
wrought ribs, and an iron point to
make ii serviceable in mountaineering
ing. This. with his Bible, and small
bundle that he carried easily over his
shoulder, constituted his worldly prop
crty 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 1t was like the Scriptural
promise, "a covert from the tempest
a shelter from sun and rain. He had
slept many night OH the mountains
with no other shelter, and never felt
quite without ''habitation to dwell
i'm so long as he could prop it against
a great rock and sleep under its protec-
ton.
Many a treacherous cur had he |
routed by sound whack of the lmbrel- |
las hickory handle. Once, in lonely
place, he had come Unexpectedly upon
n bear and two cubs. The dam, savage
Tor her young, growled frightfully and
rushed upon him. But avigorous -four
ish of the green umbrella, which for
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 SO year ago." &C.
cording 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 timeslits 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
.ome in from the south. as the tracks
showed, actually traversing the whole
,iliage by its main street. After that
10 one felt safe alone out-of-doors after
oightfall The boys left the village
store before sunset. A small knot of
iien still gathered to their accustomed
,,aces nightly; but all brought Ian
crns and guns, and escorted each other
home at nine o'clock.
In the midst of the scare Uncle .Silas
hopkins arrived, and gave notice of the
'vening services in the schoolhouse.
The schoolhousc was in lonely spot,
Is schoolhouses often are in scattered
communities, and only few of the
responded to the preachers in
iitation.
Uncle Silas spent few days in Wis
ting from house to house After hold
ng two services on Sunday he an
lounced his intention to walk Monday
morning to Dayton, 10 miles away
Icross the mountain.
But that night it set in to snow, and
he morning air was thick with whirl-
ng flakes. 1t was late in the afternoon
'efore the storm ceased. Then Uncle /
'ilas, much to the alarm of his hostess
md her family, tied up his bundle pre-
to departure,
In vain they urged him to stay. The
now, the cold, the coming night, each
eemed a sufficient reason why he
H. A