The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-12-26
THE GHOST
GORDON'S ATTIC
By DIR. RICHARD DILLARD.

"Whst if my house be troubled with q raj,
And be pleased to give ten Thousand
To have It baned J" Merchant of venice
A happy hance, last tum
threw me in the neighborhood OF my
old friend and c~lassnate, DR.. Gordon,
who had but recently returned from
an extended tour in the Orient. At
the nearest station l telephoned him,
hired a carriage. and set out On my
Journey, which carried me through
that beautiful country along h up
per waters Of the Potomac.
It had rained all night, a drench-
ing, ceaseless rain, but the day was
rare and delicious, like nature some
times sends, by way Of compensation
for one of her gloomy, sinister
moods. The broad intervale along
the Potomac lay exulting In the gold
en- sunshine, brooks played hide AND
seek, leading their silver streams IN
der beds Of wild asters, or through
ndless mazes of bending gerandlas'
the old rail fence cut their Zigzag
patterns across the fields and mead
ows. 1t was autunn's pageant; sour
wood and sumac were redder than
the bloody garment of Nessus, sassa-
fras, poplar, and hickory richer than
the Golden Fleece. Cows, full uddeT-
ed and sweet reath with clover,
were lying quietly under pasture
trees awaiting the m~ilkTnaid's "Cusha!
Cusha!"
Shocks Of corn, like bivouaeked
armies, were everywhere upon the
hillsides, and loaded trains wound
slowly to the granar5es with their
golden harvest; yellow pumpkins
were scattered all over the fields IN
generous ~profusion, the rich bounty
of summers tenancy. Boys and girls
were out upon the wooded hills,
laughing and shouting. and prodding
with long sticks among the brown
leaves in search of the coveted chest
nuts, which the recent storm had
shaken down. All along the road-
side the golden rod was bending and
singing to the north wind OF the
sweet memories Of summer, Of bird
arias waited across the fields. and OF
h gaudy butterflies, and dronins
bees that came to sip its nectar.
Hesiod tells how upon the shield OF
Hercules were em~blaZoned scenes OF
strife and tumult, and Of princes, but
here were enbellished pastoral beau
ty, calm cOntentment, and sweet do
nestle peace, for nature was picture
writing. On such a day we lose our
grip upon the earthly and TAX hold
OF the heavenly.
A five hours drive brought me to
an iron gate. which marked Gordon's
domain, the road then swung alOng
through a copse Of vergreen which
Thanked the lawn, and at the next
turn caught a glimpse OF Gordon's
baronial mansion, a digniied old pile
with great clusters Of chimneys. dor
mers and endless gables; W gigan-
tic elms stood on each side Of the
|~~--- a. Il 49,
Baucis, presiding over the house, anG
their wide extended limbs seemed tc
meet in loving embrace just over the
lofty observatory.
Gordon received me in his arms or
the terrace, hugging and welcoming
me III his old-time enthusiastic cor.
dial manner, and I was ushered into
q spacious salon to the right Of the
hall overlooking an elaborate gar.
den; stained glass windows almos
enveioped this room On two sides
wrought in the richest and mos
grotesque Oriental designs, the pre-
vailins tones being red, blue ant
brown. ] was at first disposed tt
ridicule and sheer at Gordon's attemp
to initiate Oriental life in his home
but as I observed more closely. ani
things began to develop in the sort Q:
weired twilight that pervaded tn
room, l was not only surprised. blu
highly delighted at the marvellous eff
fects he a created. Around tn
frieze were innunerable small res
lights, which threw warm gules ant
fantastic shadows upon the rich ray
OF antique Bokhara and Tabriz de
signs, the very perfection OF Orienta
art and elegance; plaster heads o
white turbaned Turks, and ravishin.
hours peeped from the walls an.
scented tapers burned IL massiv,
brass candeIabra wrought like with
ing serpents. At the farthest end O
the room were hung two rare oil,
tapestries. One was women to rep
resent a tree bearing all manner o
fruit, and filled with birds of Para
disc. with wonderful high-iights upo,
them; the other n represented som
NEUROLOGICAL Persian Gene, whic