In the dark of night, one light still yet burns.

Frightened fingers tremble as brittle pages turn.

Fireside Mystery Theater presents The Midnight Reading,

a special series of dramatic recitations of dark masterpieces in

miniature by the masters of the macabre. Good evening, I'm Ali Silva. What on this menu is

local? We live in a time now that when it comes to the things we consume, more and more people want to know exactly

where their fruits, their vegetables, even their beers and liquors come from. The British author

and poet Robert Graves may have anticipated the locovore movement by more than 60 years,

as you'll learn in the story you're about to hear. If you are one who

insists that your night terrors be fresh and crisp, and harvested with a wicked integrity,

we'd like to offer you this, the ultimate informed-to-table dining. By all means, work up your

appetite for this sketchy little sketch by Robert Graves called Earth to Earth.

Here to read it for you is the otherworldly but organically talented Mary Murphy.

Yeah. Yes, yes and yes, and yes. Don't get me wrong, for goodness sake. I am heart and so with you. I agree that man is wickedly defrauding the earth mother of her ancient dews by not putting back into the soil as much nourishment as he takes out, and that marden plumbing is, if you like,

a running sore in the bawdy politic, and that municipal incinerators are genocidal,

rather than germicidal, and that cremation should be made

a capital crime, and that dustballs created by the greedy plough, yes, yes, and yes again.

But...

Elsie and Rowland Hedge.

She, a book illustrator, he, an architect with suspect lungs,

"'had been warned against Dr. Eugensteinpilts.

"'He'll bring you no luck,' I told them.

...