St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1904-01-30
Warming from the
Other World ~ ~
~. oificer's Narrow Escape from
Zap IN the Franco-German War
Observation-Disclosures,

M = are living in an age Of d,scov
+aur,xa. si1e .s and solutions of great mvs.
les ssa.es. Who, SO years ago, would have
dreamed OF the existence Of the x-rovs
~ 81 the marvels of electricity =,
bacilli and serums9 'y' "
1et the human intellect ;s far FROM,
having attained the goal of its desire ri
ns.s.lsallon On the contrary. the
. wonoef1ul discoveries of the great scien.
tlsts nave but stimulated and urpad !,
nore swiftly than ever along the great
lace course whose prize and goal are in.
vent1on and success!
Wnat marvel If the learning IF +he
."en'letn century, which has already
naue SO many impossible things posi-
W. seeks to transform the pretense OF
eonJullne up ghosts into earnest and to
grave? en VI 'ne
Ghost stories are told by the thousand
anu' y the tales of old women could be
DelieVed, we should all have walked
lons ago IN blaze of light and known
.nal precisely at II o'clock skeletons
oanced IN the churchyards and pallid an
ces1ral danes wandered restlessly
through every old castle.
But such tales would possess ahso.
luteiy no interest for the public, who de-
sire 70 see this subject treated seriously
therefore, the following one is related
on the authority Of persons whose char
facter is guarantee Of trustworthiness
Inc incident was related by Joseph
victor Won Scheffel, the famous author
OF "Ekkehard," by an intimate friend
9 cavalry officer, whom he called S. and
described in the following terms:
His character excludes the possibi-
Hty OF any distrust A thorough soldier
very practical In his mode of thought
frank to bluntness, yet genuinely re-
ng1ous; 2 man who, though he never
talks Of his piety, In the hour of need
sends forth q prayer from the Utmost
depths Of his heart.
he was cavalry officer, and during
the campaign Of 1870 and 1871 was prin-
cipally engaged in pursuing Franc
tireurs, q service for which his caution,
GOODNESS and courage bordering upon
recklessness, rendered him specially fit
ted.
The following story was told me
with his own lips"
It was warm moonlight night when,
with few picked men, of my squadron
! set ont to reconnoiter the enemy's po-
sition.
We had only general knowledge OF
the country; we were aware that in
front Of us was wood of moderate size,
behind it open meadows and titled land,
and adjoining the latter a farmhouse
which we suspected to be the principal
hiding place and storeroom of ammuni-
ton Of the Franc-tireurs.
The wood, however, proved larger and
more difficult to traverse than we ex-
pected, and although we used every pos
sible precaution we were often dis
turbed by sounds as II the enemy were
at hand and watching us.
We were already considering whether,
under the circumstances, 1t would be adj
visable to pass out OF the protecting
gloom OF the forest into the bright
moonlight, when the rising storm COW
cred the sky with clouds, Transforming
the brilliant moonlight into the most
intense darkness.
We had reached the edge of the woods
and stopped moment irresolutely gaz-
ing out upon the dark. silent plain.
The wind bowed the treetops and swept
bowling over the level country, the rain
drops battered down, and night birds,
with hoarse cries, fluttered over our
heads.
We could not see an inch beyond our
eyes, and 1t seemed an impossibility to
ind our way to the farmhouse. I was
Just making up my mind to turn back
when light cleaned some distance be-
fore Us.
..The house! Kurrah-there's the
house," whispered one Of the men, and
took my field glasses and anxiously
tried to discover the building.
Yes, the light was shining through
the glass-it must be the window pane,
and at times was obscured as though
shadows were gliding before 1t.
The room was evidently occupied by
the enemy.
we rejoiced. The stormy weather IA
A LEGEND OF HARVEST.
4