The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-05-15

"Do not speak--do NOT sneak an,
very glad that Won have come. when
I shall have dressed vour foot we will
talk" He lifted mo in his arms rs
though / were a mere child and laid
me on a couch i'm n corner OF the room.
Then with deft fingers he bandaged
my feet, and saturated the bandage
with n liuuid of neculiar odor that los
sened nv main and nroduced a grateful
feeling of warmth and comfort
Now" said he. "lie ouietlv and nv
tomorrow Won will be able TO walk"
Tomorrow. exclaimed in conster-
nation. "J must leave tonight" Her
bert shook his head dcprecatingly and
replied: "You cannot leave tonight
Even IL Won were we'll the darkness
would mislead YOU. BE. content where
Won are PeoDlc saw / am a skillflll
leech. and deem It n favor If will but
try to heal them"
He said this with a plea sing smile
that dispelled any doubts [ might have
had regarding the sincerity of his well
come; and as | realized the truth of
his words l thanked him for his hos
pitality.
AS / spoke with him I fancied that
he resembled a picture L had seen of a
venerable Druid priest, His voice was
deep and unusually musical. for a man
of his apparent years. and his remark
able stature and erect carriage indi-
Gated a latent strength that contrasted
strangely with his aged appearance.
While l was thinking of these things
he passed into an adjoining room and
in a few moments returned with a
plate containing some cold fowl oaten
cakes and a pitcher of milk, and set
ting them before me with great sua-
witty of speech and manners he urged
me to help myself. Recovered some
what from the shock of my slight ac-
cident. l ate rather heartily, and hav-
ing finished my meal I explained the
object Of my visit. While he listened
his face lit up. and we carried on an
animated conversation in which he
showed a wonderful knowledge of not
only the Gaelic languages, but also
Of Latin and Greek and the modern
languages. He spoke of the ancient
runic tongue, of which so little is
known at the present day. and aston
ished me by his comprehensive knowl-
| edge of the subject. Drifting from the
subject of philOlogy we spoke of the
| Druids and their theology. He eX-
| planned their doctrine Of the trans
migration of souls and enlightened me
| on many other points that l did not
| know or fully understand. To my
great delight, but no longer to my sur
lv
| If was mast midnight when our con-
versa tion ended. l did not feel the
| time mass and GLADLY would I have
| continued b,t he rose from his seat
| saving "You need rest" and walked
I IN the hearth where a LIQUID was
brewing In q conner vessel He poured
II into a cun and handed it to me. saw
ing.
| "Drinl, tbie. II will nrevent a fever
from vour hurt and cause YOU to rest"
| When 7 had DRINK the decoction he
extinpuished the light and passed into
on odioinirg room
| Thai this man of evidently superior
education and refinement who could
AZ a university nrofessorship with dis
t,nction shouId choose TO bury himself
in +bie eout-of-tba-r,av nlace was in
commemorative 70 me and felt that
there must he soma mvs+arv eur.
rourdinp. his carly life The events of
the dav nassad bafora INV nuzzIed
| n,ird hut fo+io,,a ord +be soo+bing
draugbt which had taken cpt short
NV reflections and 7 fell into a deem
CraamIaes elaen
A noise as if some person was NOV
ing about the room aroused me and
in an instant l was awake. / arose
to a sitting posture and peered into
the pitchy darkness. In the direction
in which l conjectured the entrance
10 the room to lie, l noticed a luminous
spot of a pale opalescent color. As I
looked the point of q light grew larger
ana brighter until | saw the face. and
then the figure of Herbert irradiant
with the ghostly gleam. A long, white
robe hung in loose folds about him.
on his head was a chaplet of green
oak leaves and in his left hand he
bore a golden wand. The soft rad
lance that enyeluped him was diffused
from an oval object suspended from
his neck by a chain of gold; and as
l took note Of these things a prefer
natural fright seized me, for I recog-
rized the customs Of the Druids-the
prehistoric dwellers Of the British
isles. He noticed my terror, for he
said:
BE not afraid. I come, not TO do
Won harm, but rather to give YOU all
of the things that men strive after in
this world. Whence my power comes
YOU need not ask; let it be sufficient
for Won 10 know than I nossess il
Last night YOU were surprised at nv
knowledge of the old languages and
the Druid customs. More than I then