The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-06-20

give US all he caught. When autumn
and nutting time came, he knew wher
every tree that bore could be found
and showed us the way. If corn
| roast was planned, he was the maste
| spirit and built the fire, and enjoye
| the fun as much as we.
| When it came time to go coon hunt
| ing, old Cy and his dog were Away
ready and he carried the Az choppe,
the tree, and gave us the game. II
built brush fences and set snares TO
cartridges and rabbits, and waited TO
us to go with him to tend them, anC
made us take the prizes home as ;
peace Offering maybe, to our obdurat
parents. For us boys he had only kind
| ly looks and words, and was our tuto
| in all the lore of forest and stream. Hi
taught us how to catch the sky trout
how to call up squirrels and how to Sc
all manner of traps. He showed III
how to line up and find bee trees; how
to track coons and foxes, and to tel
the points of the compass in the dark
est night. He knew all about the woods
, and all their inhabitants, and seemed
eager to impart his knowledge to us
who, it is needless to say, We're eager
pupils. When the chilly autumn even
ings came, and we gathered, as we
ofttimes did, in his cherries room, the
old fellow seemed the happest one OF
all, and though we sat on the floor In
front of his open fireplace, while he
cracked nuts for US to eat, or roasted
chestnuts in the ashes, while we ate
the choice apples he always furnished
we were supermely happy, and believ-
ed him to be the best friend we had on
earth, and his method of living the one
true and perfect way Of life.
In a small way we returned few of
the many favors he showed us, and if
now and then a pie, a loaf OF cake, or a
few pounds of meat were missing from
the home pantries, no one of us knew
anything about it, We were his little
circle of friends, and our company, all
the social pleasure that came to him.
In a way we loved him, and although
we never went into his abode on Sat
urday night, we pitied him for the one
vice that, we felt was the sole reason
for our parents dislike of him. We
never dared ask him why he acted so,
or why he was afraid of women, but
wisely shared whatever in his nature
seemed good to us, and avoided the
rest.
Curiosity occasionally led us to his
abode on what might be called his orgy
nights, to listen to his queer perform
ances and the songs he rendered in a
not unmelodious voice; and when he
was evidently we'll under the influence
of his drink. we would crawl UP and
peep through the cracks. BY the light
of one tallow candle and the fire in the
fall and winter, we could see the old
fellow, either sitting by the fire or
dancing in front of it, while his dog lay
curled in it's accustomed place and
watching the old mans antics with
wondering eyes. cold Dan Tucker
and Zip Coon" were his favorite selec-
tions, or else Nelly Cray Just why
he enjoyed this solitary concert of
drink and song we could not under
stand, but in after years it seemed to
us little pathetic--a lonesome soul, as
it were trying to find oblivion from
sorrow and desolation in a pint of rum
He was not a heroic figure on our
though certainly a pictur-
esque one, outlined as he was against
a background of forest, field and
stream. He seemed to enjoy making us
happy, and for the rest to live in OBJ
security and alone, and perhaps to die
in the same way AT least he did, for
one cold, winter Saturday night he
made his usual visit to the village gro
Gerry store, and, obtaining his jug of
Joy, departed. Three days later his
dog was discovered in the morning,
and whining at the door of
a neighbours house, and investigation
resulted in finding old Cy dead in his
miserable abode, half buried in the
snow that had blown in through the
open door. Beside him was the empty
Jug, mute witness of the cause. They
buried him in the little garden he had
.illed back of the house, and, except
ng the dog. we boys were the only
The dogs grief was even
greater than ours. We tried to coax |
lin away and adopt him, for we had |
earned to love him as well as his mas
er; but he would not leave the spot. |
lie would not leave the spot. He would |
olow us a little way and then scam
Ter back, as If fearful his master |
would return when he was not there to
Welcome him. We carried him food ev-
ry day and when we left him our eyes
7ere usually blinded by tears at the |
way he whined and grew |
hin. One day we found him, curled
p and dead, in the bunk where his
laster had slept. We buried the poor,
Tasted creature in the garden, near the
Their grave, and after that nothing
ould tempt us near the spot by day
+ night.
Many years after I visited the place.
nd lived over again in thought the
any happy days Old Cy had added to
y boyhood days. Only pile of stones
arked the spot where the old house
Ice stood. Creeping vines seemed try
G to cover these, and a thicket of
lshes filled the garden, hiding both
'aves from human sight.
/ recalled the faces of all my young
dead, and all passed
It Of my llfe-Who wit hme had shar-