The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-08-23
Bread Cast
Upon the Waters
BY JAMES COOLIDGE


shoulders and carry him across a
stream. When the old man was Sc
curely fixed in his position he refused
to get down, and Sindbad was obliged
to bear the burden indefinitely. am
reminded by this story of the Old
: Man Of the Sea of something similar
4 that happened to me when ! was a
young man.
Before settling down to my profess
sion, having put aside enough money
to spend a few months In Europe, I
went abroad. The sum was only $500,
and was obliged to piece it out by
doing good deal OF walking. One day
! was trudging along through the En-
gadine when / overlook a man who
for some reason was having a hard
time to get on. When / came up with
him I babe him good morning and
asked him II l could be of any as
sistance to him.
you might help me along to the next
hotel" he said Its only about a
mile"
/ took his arm, and as we walked
slowly on he told me that he was Enoch
Crane, an American. He had long been
Hiling, and his doctor had sent him
abroad. He, like myself, was walking
because he couldn't afford to ride.
When we got to the inn took him to
room and helped him to bed-a bed
from which he was destined never to
arise. He was very i'll In the night,
and sat with him till near morning.
Having my time laid out and none
to lose, I proposed after breakfast to
proceed on my journey, but Mr.. Crane
begged me so pitifully not to desert a
fellow countrylnan 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 l found the time allotted
for my travels slipping away from
me and l taking care of a sick man
In a little Swiss inn.
In this way the whole time / had
laid out for my trip passed and the
time for me to go home arrived. The
old man was sinking rapidly, and the
village doctor told him that he had bet
ter prepare his affairs for a journey to
another world. Then Mr.. Crane called
me to his bedside and said to me:
You tell me you are going home. l
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. having In |
quired the cost of removal In every |
particular. You will find exactly the
amount in my wallet under my pillow.
Take my body to b., In r. county In
Massachusetts, and about a mile north
of the village on the v. turnpike is
lot forty feet square inclosed with
stones taken off the ground. In the
center is space marked by four posts,
where the grave is to be located. This
Is not all. | want you to be custodian
Of my grave. Send for notary and
I will draw up paper transferring the
lot to you with everything it contains.
which, of course, is my body"
What a situation! My trip spoiled,
obliged to go home in company and In
care of the corpse of the man who had
spoiled 1t and my pay was plot of
ground not worth $40, which, after all,
! must hold for grave. Nevertheless
] consented. / cannot claim that did |
1t solely from kindly motives. Enoch
Crane possessed singular influence
Dver me.
When Mr.. Crane died possessed my [
self OF his wallet, which, in addition I
TO money, contained an account for ex- !
penses figured down to the closest pos =
sible amount. 1t struck me that he s
must have been afraid l would reap a E
few dollars out of the transaction. 1t a
paid the way exactly, and expended !,
the last dollar in having the body 9
to the grave. / had prom =
sed Mr.. Crane that I would see the
grave dug, the body lowered and the !,
earth put back, all under my own SUI
To do this must pay !,
'or my own carriage. Glad of the pros
beet Of getting the disagreeable matter
III my hand, | secured two men with
he necessary implements and was soon
standing beside them as they dug the
yrave between the posts Crane had :.
described They had gone down about 20
our feet when one of them threw up =
tin box. l took charge of it. but :
ince it was rocked | was obliged to "
wait my return to the village before u
it. | presumed it to be an y
'ther within of the man who was being >
,uried. had a mind to sink il, fear -
ng 1t involved some new obligation on ~
ny part.
Having kept my promise to the let =
er, ] drove back to the village and, J"
alling for room in the little hotel, a.
roceeded to open the box. IL contain ''e
d a number of envelopes. From the =
opmost / drew a paper. II recounted
be wrongs heaped upon Enoch Crane
Y his relatives-he had no wife or
hilc-and their hearflessness in per-
hitting him TO go abroad alone In
earch OF health. The next envelope
a paper willing the contents
T the box to the owner OF the lot in (
1hich IL was found. The remaining s
ENVELOPES contained stocks and bonds s
-orth S240.OOO.
IL was some time before ! could I'M |
erstand that in a twinkling | had
1me into possession Of fortune This I
-as owing to my being dazed, for new I
: was there a clearer case. owned }
le lot. and the owner OF the lot owned }
.