Year: 1866

The following is warning TO dead men
not to come back to hear what is said
about them -


Some years since an eccentric old gen.
ius, called Barns, was employed by a far
mer living in town some six or seven |
miles westerly from the Penobscot River,
Maine, to dig well. The soil and stra-
tum being mostly of sand, old Barns, bav-
ing progressed downward about forty feet,
found one morning upon going to work
that the well had essentially caved in, and
was full nearly to the top. So, having
the desire which men have of knowing
what will be said of them after they are
dead, and no one being yet astir, he con-
cealed himself in rank growth of bur-
dock by the side Of board fence. near
the mouth Of the well, having first left his
frock and hat upon the windlass over the
WE'LL At length, breakfast being ready,
boy was dispatched to call him to his meal,
when, 10 and behold it was seen that
Barns was buried in the grave unconsci-
ously dug by his own hands. The alarm
was given and the family assembled. 1t
was decided to first eat breakfast, and then
send for the coroner, the minister, and his
wife and children. Such apathy did not
fatter Barns self-esteem bit. He wait
ed patiently, determined to hear what
would be said and see what was to be
! seen.


Presently all parties arrived and began
prospecting the scene Of the catasro-
phe, as people usually do in such cases.
At length they drew together to exchange
opinions as to what should be done. The
minister at once gave it as his opinion that
they had better level up the well and let
Barns remain; "for," he said, " he is now
beyond the temptation of sin, and in the
day of Judgment it will make no difference
whether he is buried five feet under the
ground or fifty, for he is bound to come
forth in either case" The coroner like
wise agreed that it would be needless
expense to his family or the town to dis
inter him when he was efectually buried,
and therefore coincided with the minister.
His wife thought that as g he had left his
hat and frock it would hardly be worth
while to dig him out for the rest of his
Clothes" And so it was decided TO let
| him remain.


| But poor old Barns, who had no break
fast, and was not at all pleased with the
result of the inquest, lay quiet until the
shades of evening stole over the landscape,
when he departed to parts unknown. Af-
ter remaining incognitio for about three
years, one morning he suddenly appeared
| (hatless and frockless as he went) at the
door of the old farmer for whom he had
agreed to dig the unfortunate well. To
say that an avalanche of questions was
rained upon him as to his mysterious re-
appearance, ETC., would convey but a fee
| BILE idea Of the excitement which his bod
| lily presence created. But the old man
bore it all quietly, and at length informed
them that, finding himself buried. he wait
ed to be dug out again, until all his pa
tience was exhausted, when he set to work
to dig himself out, and only the day before
succeeded, for his ideas being very much
confused, he had dug very much at ram
dom, and instead of coming directly to the
surface he came out in the town OF Hol-
den, six miles east OF the Penobscot Riv-
er.


No further explanation was asked for
| by those who were so distressed and sor-
rowful over his supposed final resting.
place.