Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1898-11-03

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/ THE PORIENI. :
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CHAPTER ]


possessed a small landed property in
the north of Argyll. But although Of
long descent and high connection, he
was no richer than many farmer OF
a few hundred acres. For, with the
execution Of narrow belt OF arabic
land at IT'S foot. bare hill formed
almost the whole Of his possessions.
The sheep ate over II, and no doubt
found it good: l bounded and climbed
all over it. and thought it n kingdom
From my very childhood, | had re-
joiccd in being alone. The sense OF
room about me had been one of my
greatest delights. Hence. when my
thoughts 20 back to those old years,
it is not the house. nor the family
room. nor that desOlate hill. the top
of which was only n wide eXpanse Of
mOOrIand, rugged with height and
hollow. and dangerous with deep.
dark pools. but III many portions pur-
pie with large-belleG heather, and
crowded with cranberry and blae-ber
ry plants.
There was one spot upon the hill
half way between the valley and the
moorland, which was my favorite
haunt. This part Of the hin was Gov
cred with great blocks Of stone. OF
ali shapes aud sizes here crowded to-
cethcr. like the slain where the bat
tie had been fiercest; there parting
asunder from spaces Of delicate green
of softest grass. In the center Of
one of these green spots, on steep
part Of the hill, were three huge rocks
two projecting out Of the hill, rather
than standing from it, and Oue, like
wise projecting from the hill, but
living across the tops of the two, 50
as TO form a little cave, the back OF
which was the side Of the hill. This
.yas my refuge, my home within 4
home, nay study-and, in the hot
moons, often my sleeping chamber
and my house OF dreams. II the wind
blew cold on the hillside, a hollow Of
luling warmth was there, scOoped as
1t were out Of the body Of the blast
which sweeping around. whist!ed
keen and thin through the cracks and
crannics of the rocky chaos that lay
all about: In which confusion OF
rocks the wind plunged, and flowed,
and cddied, and Withdrew, as the SEA
waves on the cliffy shores or the un
known rugged bottoms. Here l
would often lie, as the sun went
down, and watch the silent growth
Of another sea, which the stormy
ocean Of the wind could not disturb
the sea Of darkness. ] would lie till
nothing but the stars and the dim out
lines Of hills against the sky was o
be seen, and then rise and go home,
as sure Of my path as If ! nad been
descending n dark staircase in my
fathers house.
On the opposite side Of the valley,
another hill lay parallel to mine and
behind II, at some miles distance, n
great mountain, As often as, in my
herInit's cave, 1 lifted my eyes from
the volume Twas reading, | saw this
mountain before me. Very different
was it's character from that Of the hill
on phicl I was seated. II was a
mighty thing, "A cbicftain OF the race.
......u,.-.i and Scared, featured with
chasms and precipIces and oycrlcan-
| ing rocks themselves huge NJ hills;
here blacllcncd with shade. there
ovcrsprcad with glory; intcrlaccd
with the silvcry lines Of falling
streams. which, hurryinG from heaven
to earth, cared not how they Wen, 50
It were downward. Fearful stories
were told Of the CULTS, sullen waters,
and dizzy heights from that terror
haunted mountain. In storms the
wind rOarcd like thunder IN It's cav.
crns and along the Jagged sides Of It's
cliffs, bat at other times mat upllftcd
Iand-upliftcd, yet secret and full Of
dlsmay- lay silent as cloud on the
horizon.
had n certain pccullariiy Of con,
stitution which ! have some reason
to believe ! inherit. 1t seems 10 have
it, root IN an unusual dclicacy Of
hearing, which often conveys TO me
sounds inaudiblc to those about me.
This ! have had many opportunities
Of proving. II has likewise, however,
brought me sounds which / could
never trace back to their origin;
though they may have arisen from
some natural operation which / have
not perseverance or mental acute
ness sufficient to discover From this,
or, 1t may be, from some deeper
cause with which this is connected,
arose n certain kind Of fcarfulncsg
associated with the sense Of hearing.
Of which ! have never heard cor
responding instance. Full as my
tTah ,.gt 4 a
fearful tales Of II Highland nursery,
! fcar never entered my mind by t.e
eyes; nor, when ! broOdcd over tales
! Of terror, and fnncicd new and yet
more frIghtful cmbodimcntg of hor-
ror, did | shuddcr at any imaginable
spectacle. or trcmblc lest the fancy
should become fact, and from behind
the whin-bush or the elder hedge
should glide forth n tall. Awnying
! form Of the Bonclcgs. when alone In
J bed, ! uRcd TO lie awake, and look out
; into the room, pcopling II with the
forms Of all the persons who had died
; within the scope of my memory and
' acquaintance. These fancicd forms
were viyidly present 10 my imagina.
tion. / pictured them pale, with dark
circles around their hollow eyes, viai.
ble by n light which Rlmmcrcd
within them; not the light of life, but
pale, grccnish phoaphorcscrncc,
generated by the decay of lie brain
inside. Their garments wsrc white
ana trailing. but torn and aoilcd, ms
by trying often In vain to get up out
Df the buried coffin. But 80 far from
! being terrified by these imaginingH
used to delight In them; and In the
! long winter evenings, when / did not
/ happen 10 have any book that Inter
! cstcd me sufficiently, used even to
! look forward with expectation to the
| hour when, laying myself straight
! upon my bnck, ms If in my coffin,
| could cab M from underground all
who had passed away aud see how
| they fnr"d, yea, what progress they
| had made toward final dissolution OF
form but all the time with my fin
gers pushed hard into my cnrs, lest
! the fnintcst sound should invade the
silent citadel Of my soul. If mad
ycrtcntly | removed one Of my fin.
fscra the agony of terror | instantly