The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1905-12-08
THE OLD MAN
OF THE SEA
oH,!nal.' '

lions of people both old and young, Is
u STORY of how Slnibad the Sailor was
requested TO take an old man on his
shoulders and carry him across
stream. When tfe old man was secure
~ 6xed IN his position be refused to
get down, aud Sindhad was obliged to
bear III" burden indefinitely. am re-
minded Of this story Of tho odd Man
~ the Sea" In something similar that
happened 20 nc when | was young
I:cfoTr settling down to my profes,
sion, having rrt aside enough money
10 spend II t"w months In Europe.
went abroad. rhe sum was only $500,
and I was obliged TO piece 1t out by
doing good deal Of walking. One day
| vas trudsing along through the En-
Sadine when l overlook Il man who for
some reason was having hard time to
get on. when came up with him
bid blFn good morning and asked him
II ,iould be Of any assistance to him.
"TNn might help me along to the next
hotel, no said. "It's only about
took his arm. and ns We walked
>lowl,l on he told nc that he was
Enochj Crane. an American. He had
long rScn Rilng. and his doctor had
sent hS IN abroad. He, like myself, was
waikiki: because he couldn't afford to
ride. When We got to the inn took
himi'to room and helped him to bed
bed from which he WIS destined
nc-ter 70 arise. He was very i'll In the
might. and I sat with him till near
rElorning.
( Having Iny time laid out and none
TO lose. proposed after breakfast to
proceed on my Journey. but Mr.. Crane
begged me so pitifully not TO desert n
fellow countryman among strangers
that agreed to remain with him an
other day. At the end of that day
was constrained to remain another and
another till found The time allotted
for MY travels slipping away from
mo and taking care OF sick man
in q little Swiss inn.
In this way the whole time | had
laid out for my trip passed and the
time for me 70 20 homo arrived. Tho
-ld man was sinking rapidly. and the
village doctor told him that lie had bet
ter prepare his affairs for 4 journey to
another world. Then Mir. Crane called
me 10 his bedside and said to me:
You tell me YOU are going home. !
beg OF you not TO leave my body in this
faraway land, but TO take it with
you. have expected to die over here
and have made every provision, hav-
ing inquired the cost OF removal In
every particular. You will find exact
lr the amount IN my wallet under my
pillow. Take my body to b., If r.
county. in Massachusetts,. aud about
mllc north of the village On the V.
turnpike is a lot forty feet square In
closed with stones taken off the ground
In the center Is n space marked by
four posts, where the grave is to bc
loeated. This il not all. want you
Ia he custodian Of my grave. Send for
a notary md will draw up paper
transferring the lot to you With every
thing It contains. which. of course. Is
my body"
What a SituatiOn-ny trip spoiled,
obliged to go home in company and in
care OF the corpse OF the man who had
spoiled II. and my pay was q plot Of
ground not worth $40. which, after all,
I must hold for Il grave. Nevertheless
| consented. ] cannot claim that ] did
1t solely from kindly motives. Enoch
Crane possessed n singular influence
over me. Often during my Attendance
upon him I wondered If were really
myself, If were not under some spell.
Al such times invariably thought OF
Sindbad the Sailor.
When Mr.. Craue died possessed
10 Ia. t., n11
10 money. contained an account for cX-
penses figured down TO the closest pos
sih!e amount, It struck me that he must
have been afraid ] would reap few
dollars ont Of the transaction. 1t paid
the way exactly, and ] expended the
last dollar in In ing the body trans
ferred to the grave. ] had promised
Mr. Crane that ] would see the grave
dug the hody lowered and the earth
put back. Ill under my own supcrin-
tcndence. TO do this ! must pay FOR
my own carriage. Glad Of the prospect
OF getting the disagreeablc matter of
my hands. secured two men with the
necessary implements and was soon
standing beside them as they dug the
grave betwccn the posts Crane had de-
scribcd. They had gone down about
four feet when one OF them threw UP
tin box. took charge Of 1t, but
since it was locked ] was obliged 10
wait my return to tho village before
examining 1t. ! presumed it to be an.
other whim OF the man who was being
buried.
Having kept my promise To the let
ter, drove back to the village and.
calling for q room in the little hotel.
proceeded to open the box. II contain.
cd n number OF envelopes. From the
iopnlost / drew paper. 1t recounted
the wrongs hcaped upon Enoch Crane
|. hn