THE GRAVE DIGGERS. UNCLE RALPH'S STORY.—BY G. T. S.

Colonist, Volume III, Issue 245, 24 February 1860, Page 4

THE GRAVE DIGGERS. UNCLE RALPH'S STORY.—BY G. T. S.

You see; brother Tom and I courted sisters,' and there were no nicer girls in all the village than Hetty and Nancy Bice, who afterward became our wives. I say it, who ought to know; though it may sound foolish.for a man to be. heard praiaiog his own kith and kin. Well we had been at Deacon Rice's sitting up with our girls—it was one Sunday night in the month of September. How well I remember it—just one of those nights that we have afterj the Fall winds set it in—the moon riding high, and the wind coming in gusts, and driving the great heavy masses of white clouds, looking like snow drifts, over the whole face of the sky. ' . | We had started to go home together—lj should think it must have been about half past one o'clock—and we had to go by the old bury- ; ing ground on the green ; for our house lay just beyond Minister Moore's old stone parsonage. : We walked-aloug the east wall where the road lay, talking pretty briskly, and whistling to keep off bad thoughts, when suddenly Tom stopped and said,."llalph, don't you see..something?- Look there!1' pointing towards the west end of the churchyard, where an old yevr tree stood near the wall. I looked and.saw some object, but I could not tell what it was. Just-.then the moon shone out, and I nfiidV it out to be a horseand waggon, standing under the old yew. I said to Tom, "This bodes no good. The grave diggers are scout —that id their horse and waggon standing under the old yew, and they must be at work, somewhere among the graves." Presently we thought we heard voices, and the sound of steps approaching, and then we saw two men moving from the centre of the churchyard towards the old tree. We watched their'movements. They pulled out what looked to be a blanket from the bottom of the waggon and wrap it round the corps —we knew it was such, for it was in the shape of a man and dressed in white—and they carefully laid it away in the bottom of the waggon. They then went as we supposed to fill up the grave. ' j I said to Tom, " Don't let us let the rascals escape. Let us go and take that body aud and hide it under the wall; and either you or I will take its place, and they will find when they get home that they have got a living man to deal with instead of a dead one." " Good I" said Tom ; " Ralph, I'll be the man to play that game. Nothing I should like better; only lend me your dirk-knife, so that if worse comes to worse I can take care of myself." " Done!" I replied, and we crawled along in the shadow of the wall and came to the old yew. We quickly got the body out of the waggon and laid it close under the wall in the shade, and Tom wrapped himself in the blanket and laid himself in its place. | " A sound sleep to you/ I said, "and don't wake up till at the best time and place.'' I then hastened and secreted myself in the shadow ofihe wall. Presently I saw the men approaching. They had shovels ou their shoulders, aud where on a fast trot, stepping lightly as they were able among the thick brushwood. They went directly towards the waggon, and I heard one of them say, "Jack, this body is too long to ride here in the bottom; you will have to lift it up, while I drive, and we will ride with it between us. Look, I have brought my old hat, in case it should be. needed. Put it on his head and set him up. It is cloudy, you know, and nobody will mistrust." I saw them lift Tom up, and the one he called Jack put the hat on his head. At the same instaut, I saw Tom, the corpse, throw his arms out aud clasp him round the neck. Was not there a scene ? Jack yelled like a devil, and struggled to free himself from Tom's grasp, and at the same time the other fellow took to his heels and ran off as if he had been possessed. Tom had his hands full, for the fellow was strong and brawny, and Tom had his match has he clung to him with one hand, and pummeled him in the face with the other. At last he cleared himself of Tom, and took to his heels with Tom after him—he running as only a man can run who has a dead man chasing him close to his heels. At last Tom came back puffing and blowing like a porpoise, and said, "Ralph, we have made a good night's work of it. We have got a horse and waggon for our paics. That fdllow won't be back again, and he is welcome to depart after the rich mauling I gave him. We got into the waggon and drove home, and nobody ever came to ask us where wo got it, or how a man who had just been dug out of his grave could run so fast and right so well.— Hutchiiigs Californian Magazine. St. Helena and Ascension. —Attention has been recently directed to the present state of the islands of St. Helena and Ascension, particularly with regard to their qualifications as ports of call for homeward bound vessels. In connection with the former there is an abundant supply of fresh water, it is very fertile, and produces large quantities of excellent vegetables; : but on the other hand, the entire of the fixed establishment is supported by rates and duties levied on the island, and in addition to this about £16,000 or £17,000 per annum is collected from the ships which happen to touch there. This is much complained of. Again, a free hospital has been on the island, for which an additional tax- of Id,: per ton on the registered tonnage of the ship is charged, and this is considered a further vexation. With regard to Ascension it appears the supply of water is very inadequate for the necessary requirements, and it is nothing like so productive at St. Helena. . It is urged that whilst Ascension is strictly under the control of the Admiralty and has thousands lavished upon it annually by the Imperial government, it is not taxed. St. He-: lena remains fettered, and receives no government pecuniary support.. It is therefore asked that St. Helena should, at all events, be placed on an equality with Ascension; that there should be b'uilta dock for the repairs of ships calling there; that all duties levied on ships should be removed ; that the hospital if too expensive, should be paid for Only by those using it; and that the expense of maintaining the iGovernment should not in any .way fall upou ;the shipping,— European Times. "'■ : "My good gracious !" said Mrs. Partington, "I wonder what they'll manufacture out of grain. Here's an account of making 9. wry face, iand of another, making..a flowery, speech, and. itbeq 8 wh,ote Qotymn. oqus tbe mn laws,"