The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1898-02-03

~ this western w Orld
of ours
They had been brought together upon
invitation of Judge John Townsend to
celebrate his reelection as judge for
$the supreme court of Illinois; and wish
ing TO make it a memorable occasion
he had not only entertained them roy
ally through the day and with boxes
Tor the opera in the evening, but
midnight banquet had been arrangd
lin their honor
Judge Townsend seated his guests at
a round table, the appointments OF
which were dainty and elegant in the
extreme; rare china, cut glass and sill
YER choice fruits and fragrant flowers
adorned the board, the whole softened
and melloWed by electric lights in rich
glass bulbs which studded the ceiling;
in the distant corners electric fans
gently stirred the perfumed air, and
skilled walters in pure white suits
glided noiselessly over the Persian rugs
politely anticipating the wants of each
guest.
AS Judge Townsend took his position
and glanced around at the intelligent
and refined faces of his coterie of
friends his heart swelled with pride;
every man present was a judge and
several had attained to higher honors.
One was an associate justice of the
United States supreme court. One
served his country as secretary of
state; several of them were judges of
the supreme courts, and all were men
of marked ability, group which any
man might be proud to call friends.
The banquet continued until the
small hours, and wit and humor
flashed from the brains of these elo-
~quent warriors of the bench-all the
more enjoyable because entirely i'm
promptu.
The Hon. u. S. Justice had the repu-
tation of being a famous story teller,
and during lull in the conversation
was urged by his friend, Judge D.,
TO give one Of his characteristic west
.'ern sketches. to which he responded
with his usual bon-homie, calling forth
"a rousing encore.
AS he rose to bow in response to the
encore, he paused a moment before re-
seating himself and, raising his hand
ITO request silence, said, in a humorous
lily impressive manner:
'FellOW judges ad friends, our es-
1eemed host has put up a job on us
We shall one of us be spook before
the end of the year-there are thirteen
lat this table. We call upon Judge
Townsend to explain himself and tell
us how he dares defy the laws of super
:stition and thus publicly declare his
dnbelief in spooks and their vista
tons"
A chorus of voices arose for an ex-
PLANTATION from their host, and Judge
Townsend, rising to his feet, glanced
round the table at the smiling faces of
his guests, then bowling to his accuser,
said. in reply:
"Your honor, in giving my invita-
lions I have evidently forgotten to in
clude myself, therefore I am number
thirteen; but in response to the accu-
station which you have seen fit to make
against NE will relate few incidents
i'm my own life history, which, I trust,
will sufficiently explain my present in
difference to all danger of ghostly visi-
~tations.
II have friend who is more to me
even than brother; we were born in
2the same town, the estates of our faith
~ers Joined, and not day of our boy
hood was passed that we did not see
each other; between us existed the
most perfect harmony of mind al
though we differed widely in person.
Horace was dark, strong, powerfully
built, full of life and vigor, while was
blonde, delicate, by no means physical
1y strong and somewhat timid
II owe my present physical strength
10 Horace, for he encouraged me in
:athletic sports and laughed me out of
my timidity, and when we went away
to college together, I was almost if not
quite his peer.
Fl will pass over our college life by
simply saying that, as usual, we aided
and assisted each other and graduated
in the same class.
"Together we discussed almost every
theme which was presented for argu-
ment, and among other things the SUI
pernatural was often touched upon by
as.
zone day Horace astonished me by
asserting that he believed in some rare
Instances God in his goodness and
mercy allowed the souls of his earthly
children who were to be taken away
suddenly, with some duty unperformed
or some warning unsaid, to wander at
will over the earth and finish that
work before they were translated to
heaven, whence he thought there was
no return.
<I pooh-hooed at him, as I always
did when our conversation touched
upon the powers Of the soul, but Hor-
sace was in earnest and said to me, very
:impressively: John, fully believe if
Il knew must die and earnestly prayed
10 see you once more should be grant
ed permission to annihilate space and
be visible to you, at least
"'Don't talk to me about dying, when
Fboth of. us are about as healthy speci-
mems of young manhood as there are
to be found I replied, and the con-
versation was dropped, never to be re-
ooJ1od 70 r,,1r ,,o;,k3 ,,pt;1 1o,r 1,oo,,o