Year: 1876

ton of the seeon1 Again and again
he would say ''she had no right to die
she was marred."


Shortly after this it seems that he
left home. He said nothing to his
neighbors or his children. He made
no provisions for the future, but simply
left his wellstocked farm as it then
stood, and came into the wilds of
Pennsylvania Here and in this man
ner he has lived for over thirty years.
His real name is unknown. He calls
himself, and asks others to call him.
Uncle Luke. What became of his
children he knows not, nor does he
care. He calls them children of false
hood, because their mother deceived
him by dying, and their step mother by
running away. Here he lives alone,
uncared for, and nncaring; remember
ing the past only enough to hate his
race with the cold scorn of virulent
nature. He is loved by nothing save
his dog; nor does he love anything save
his dog and his boots.


His antipathy of woman is very great.
After pause in our conversation he
said: 'Yes, sir; have lost all conf
dence in woman" To humor the old
man l replied 81 never had any to-
lose." A Agleam of satisfaction lighted
up his grim, wild face, and from that
moment had his confidence. Then
he plunged into the secrets of his life;
secrets which had been long laid away
in the mouldy corners of his memory,
and which showed me that reason was
no longer there, when the conversation
turned upon woman, and again he
plunged with liberal hand his curses
upon woman. He will eat nothing,
wear nothing what comes from the
hand of woman, lest he should be in
volved in further trouble.


Uncle Luke's principal employment
is hunting and fishing. He told me
long stories of hair breadth escapes
which occurred in the days when game
was larger, and more plentiful. He
has killed large numbers of bears, deers,
panthers and wolves during these thir-
ty years. Now he regrets that they
are SO scarce. Seldom does he find
any thing larger than fox or wild
cat. One of these he had killed the day
previous to my visit, it was bright
yellow color, and must have weighed
at least 60 pounds. He is still able to
follow his game for miles through the
woods, and when once within range of
his rifle his hand is as steady and his
eye as keen as ever. Few things escape
the keen balls of that terrible rifle
As be sat and talked in his abrupt
manner-so silent-I could not but
compare him to Hawkeye, the Path
finder, or the Deerslayer of the great
est American novelist, ]. f. Cooper.


His dog-a small mongrel-is The
most intelligent have ever seen. He
talks to it as to a companion, and
it seems to understand all that he says.
He bade it sit up and it did SO on Its
hind feet. Then lie told it to whisper
and it whispered; if he said louder it
became louder and louder, until the
whisper becamea bark. Then lie told
it to leap; and from that position it
wouh leap straight up, at least two
feet. IL his masters hat was oil lie
would say I'm going out, and instantly
it would search for his hat and bring
it to him. Every thing lie said the dog
seemed to understand, while he under
stood every look and motion of his
dog. Day and night have they been
together for the past ten years.


Looking on the wreck of what once
might have been a noble specimen of
manhood, compared him to some old
extensive ruin when searching about
with a pick, spade and chisel, you
come upon an inscription in some out
of the way place You find out the age
of the building, the purpose for which
it was at first reared. You find also the
name or initials of the builder. From
these facts You intuitively weave toll
erably accurate description and history
of the ruins before you. Like the
"deep sea dredges, you have got facts
from which no end of theories may be
evolved. You can see from your
watchtower the ages which have swept
over the crumbling castle. You can
see the plundering hordes Of visored
men in coats of mail seeking its de-
struction. You can see the barbaric
splendor and hear the uneouth mirth
of those who dwelt within the massive
walls. But with alI these appear the
date, the purpose and the builders
name.


So in the ruin before NE / thought
read the name and tie purpose of the
great builder.


Uncle Luke hated deception and
falsehood. However mistaken he
might be in some particulars, it was
evident-to some extent-that this ha-
tired led to his lonely useless life. In
this part of the inscription | saw the
initials of God. For God is The
Truth"


The inscription contained two other
items which make but one fact "Com-
panionship" and "Home." He loved
his dog. That was his companion.
He might in his madness rave against
his fellow men, yet il all this debris
the inscription of Brotherhood which
God had once written there was still
legible. And this word is the great
underlying principle OF home life. just
as home is the foundation of social
life, or as social life is the foundation
of national life. He spoke of it as his
home. For thirty long years it had
been his only home. So l saw in the
brotherhood" and ''home" which
were written upon the ruin before me.
the great purpose for which he had been
made ITO associate with the best, to
sympathize with the worst to help the
most needy of his race, to rise 70 the
society of God, and live for his home"


So left Uncle Luke, his dog, and his
''home," a wiser and better man than