Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1899-06-17

tucy SllOulu huoW 40 Nv " 80
at safe distance. And so the lecture
began.
1 was boy OF twenty, cultivating
my first mustache, and the minister
who introduced me told the people
who filled the schoolhouse not to de-
spise my youth, for, said he, 81 reckon
he'll talk well, and l know he'll give
you the best he's got"
l was through with my Introduction,
and had started well upon the body of
my lecture, and had reached the topic
of intemperance and crime.
had just got into this when the
door opened. and in came Pal Sea-
graves. He had companion before
whom he was evidently minded to
show off, and both were more or less
drunk. Respectful room was made
for them, and they sat well toward the
rear, but in plain sight, and their
coming sent a perceptible chill over
the audience. and worse than chill
over me. 1 tried not to look that way,
but turn as | would to this corner and
that, saw nothing but those eyes. l
talked on from sheer inability to stop.
I could not forget what 1 had to say.
1 could not change it. 1 had to go on.
I confess l tried to soften down
some of my illustrations, but it seemed
to me that every such attempt brought
the statement out in all the more I'M
compromising form. L grew almost
desperate.
1 soon saw that Seagraves recog-
nized his portrait, and counted it a
good joke. He winked at his COM
panion and nudged him. Then he
laughed, first softly, then aloud, and
then coarse, defiant laugh. This IT,
ritated me and steadied my nerve
somewhat, and I began to say to my
self that he should hear the truth
about himself once, anyway. SO |
gave myself more liberty, and went
straight ahead.
His laughing mood did not continue
long. He scowled; he scuffed his
feet on the rough floor; he made some
discourteous noises; and all the time
1 talked Oh as if driven by fate, every
word sounding harder and more sting
ing than had meant it to, even when
1 supposed that he would be absent.
At length he rose and started to-
ward me, walking unsteadiIy, partly
because he was drunk, partly because
such is the custom of human centuurs
when compelled TO use their own legs.
1t was not because 1 wanted to that I
looked him straight in the eye. l
could not help it. And I talked on
because I could not stop. Perhaps
my looking at him had an effect; per-
haps he counted me small game; for
he turned on his heel and went ont.
Many mountain schoolhouses have
no glass windows, but this one had,
and at one L soon saw the hideous,
grinning, angry, drunken face of the
desperate. There are few faces that
look well through window at night,
but I am willing to affiun that no face
ever looked less attractive than his
did to me. 1t was plain that he was
undecided what to do, for could read
his thought in his drunken features.
At times he seemed tempted to shoot
me through the glass and again, he
apparently that I was
boy, and that to kill me would be
little out of his line, and could do him
little good.
AS before, I kept my eyes on him,
and every eye in the schoolhouse was
fixed with mine on that pane of glass.
His curiosity soon overcame him, and
he came in again, apparently little
more sober, and partly restored to
good nature by the fresh air. And l
found means about that time to draw
my lecture to close.
In that part of Kentucky the min
listers descend after service, and the
people come forward and shake hands
with them. 1 was sort of brevet
minister, and the preacher and
down. The first man to come
up and extend his hand, which he did
with swagger, was Seagraves.
1 took the hand which he extended,
and asked, "Will you tell me your
name, sir?"
He told me his name with emphasis
and evident pride.
''Do you live about here, Mr.. Sea-
graves?" I asked. 1t was stupid
enough question, but it was ali that l
could think to ask. To my surprise
it abashed him. He felt ali apparent
that he had left it posi-
BILE for any man to enter Jackson
County and not know his name.
Turning on his heel, he went ont.
My friend, the minister, got to-
gether group of people to walk with
us to our stopping place and protect
me in case of need. We passed the
who was watching for us in
the shadow of the schoolhouse, and
his attitude and growing curse con
vinced my friends that the precau-
tons were not unnecessary.
BY the time Pal had taken one or
two additional drinks, he appeared to
repent of having let ME off so easily,
and came galloping up to the log house
where we were entertained. l had
gone to bed, and was making some
mental calculations of the thickness of
the walls when l heard his voice.
My landlord went out co the fence
and reasoned with him. Pal demanded
that "the preachers" should be brought
out. He wanted to see both of them.
If we did not come out, he would come
in and fetch us out. And there was
more talk of this sort, emphasized now
and then by the firing of bullet over
the house.
My host pleaded the laws that govern
and seemed to be urging
my youth in extenuation of my con
duct. Somewhat Modified, Pal at last
rode off, and as the light of the new
day was coming in, I ceasedto wonder
if he would return again and fell
asleep.
That was the last time | saw Pal
Seagraves; but was told year ago
that he has settled down into shift
less farmer, and rides on his raids no
more" About three years since, his