Iron County register., 1899-12-14

| visited again the ''sun parlors"
and viewed from them once more the
towering heights of Pisgah and The
Rat: so far as the mountain mist would
permit; entered the room which for
five months had been our abiding
place, now sacred to me from its as
sociations. It's floor will never again
resound to the tread of our feet, and
strangers knowing nothing of its past,
and caring as little, will find within its
walls shelter from the worlds intru-
sion. just now the room is vacant,
and as | looked at it's familiar furnish
ings / breathed fervently the hope that
it is given to the disembOdied spirit
the power to revisit the scenes of
earth, joyous in its sense of freedom
from pain and fear, and filed with
love for the old scenes and the friends
who make all there is to life. The
honest spiritualist must be the hap
piest of mortals, for to him come,
while he is yet clad in mortal flesh and
chained in Promethean anguish to this
drear existence - to him come the
heavenly hosts marshalling him on
ward and upward into the certain
realms of eternal bliss! The knowl-
edge that there awaits him future of
ineffable happiness browns the misery
of the present and renders naught the
varied penalties showered upon man
kind through that ill-timed and ill-ad-
vised angelic insurrection when yet
the world was new, if at all.
went to the room the clerk bad
allotted me, changed my shirt collar,
and made myself presentable to the
few remaining friends | had known of
yore-and they are few indeed. Just
three of the old set. Genial, big
hearted Loughran. just across the
street, was first seen. He knew me
instantly. and it was gratifying to me
to see the light that shone in his face
as he grasped my hand. God bless
him! He runs a White Mans Bar"
with a white heart behind it. To him
will | ever be indebted for many an
act of disinterested kindness and
friendly courtesy, and | am happy in
making even the poor return of due
acknowledgment.
By inquiry l ascertained that Mr..
LaBarbe, clerk of the Swannanoa dur
ing my former sojourn, was in the city,
and to his office l repaired. He was
out, but would be in during the after
noon. | strolled about the town un-
til the dinner hour, visiting the old
places and noting the changes. To
the outward view these were not num-
erous. but the people were all strang-
ers. l went to the Gazette Office,
where | had passed many pleasant
hours, but It's personnel too had
changed, and not familiar face greet
ed my inquiring look. l left it and
returned to the hotel and dinner with
as pronounced case of "blues' as
ever fell to my lot. The head waiter
and all his subordfuates were new, the
menu cards had an unfamiliar look,
and the only article of table ware that
gave me friendly greeting was the sill
ver-plated sugar-bowl labeled Cobb"
in engraver's lettering. Cobb ran the
hotel sometime in the dim pastor,
rather, he attempted to run it-and
made a complete and unanimous fail
ure. But his name, deep carved in
enduring Brittania, yet survives his
epoch.
After dinner again sought the old
time clerk, and this time was success
full. An hour or two with him some
what lightened the tint of my blueness.
/ am no doubt obtruding my personali-
ty too often upon the REGISTER readers.
but l hope they will bear with me in
giving Mr.. LaBarbe acknowledgment
for many Iavors extended at time
when circumstances rendered them
peculiarly grateful. May his shadow
never grow less and long life of mar
ried happiness bless him to the end!
But after leaving im and retiring
to the wearisome privacy of my own
thoughts, the cerulean tint settled
down again. and deeper than before;
and so, to make long story short, the
weeks | had intended sojourniug i n the
Land of the Sky resolved themselves
into two days. when l bade no doubt
eternal adieu to its mountains and
rivers, and its pure air. which alas!