Literary cadet, and Saturday evening bulletin. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1826-1827, 1826-11-04

nile associates, that an attempt should be
made to expose what they considered
vanity in the extreme. With this view,
after the consultation, they resolved to
introduce into her bed portion of hu-
man skeleton, with its head reclining up
on pillow, imagining that, when the
unfortunate subject Of this memoir should
undraw the curtains of her bed, an invo-
luntary scream would expose that even
her fears could be easily worked upon.
They listened, when she had retired from
the dance, with no ordinary silence but
for such an exclamation they listened in
vain no scream, not the least sound was
heard; the light of the lamp, too, was
extinguished, after a seemingly long in
terval, and all was apparently buried in
profound, uninterrupted silence. Con-
cluding, therefore, that the fearless mai
den had seen the skull, and removed it
in silence, they retired, with some little
disappointment, at the i'll success of the
plan they had laid to alarm her. In
truth, Mary had not seen the horrid spec
tacle she reposed in the same bed with
human skull, totally ignorant Of its
presence, and slept as sound as inno-
cence always will, in peace, by its side.
The moon, rising during the night, she'd
its rays through the window of her room,
full upon the skull, presenting an object
barely visible to the eye, and for that rea-
son more appalling than it would have
been, had The light been sufficient to rem
der surrounding objects distinctly yisi-
BILE Upon this scene, beamed the bright
eye of Mary, as she woke from dream.
The shock was too exquisitely horrible
to be endured her fine spirits could not
Withstand the blow; and but few mi
nutes sufficed to convert the soaring
spirit of her, whose wit had lately abash-
ed even the most presumptuous, into that
wild, horror stricken essence, which di-
rected the motions Of beauteous, un-
fortunate maniac.
Listen," said the wife Of the worthy
host, to physician of long practice in
the most benevolent Of the sciences; "Lis-
ten to that curious, long continued laugh!
1t is surely the laugh of your tavouritc
Mary" In a few minutes all the inmates
of the house were assembled at the door
of the room, hich contained the beau
teous form from whence this wild laugh
ing emanated it paused for few mo-
ments, and then again proceeded-again
it ceased, and all became silent as the
grave. Again the laugh went on-no
entreaties could stop tall questions
passed away unheeded. "lt sounds"
said one of the servants, " as if it
was approaching the window" This
suggestion reused the weeping energy
of the worthy doctor; he hastily burst
open the door, and rushed into the
room; but his benevolence came too
late, for the unfortunate subject Of the
story had precipitated herself to the
ground, and was borne back by her ago
nized companions, more dead than alive.
The doctor soon foresaw that the injury
she had received would render all care
useless-death had marked her for his
own. The incessant care, however,
which was bestowed upon her, brought
her from state of torpor to some little
feeling. Her half dead attendants had
YET hope for the best; but death came
on apace-no balm could cure an in
.ured frame, whose angelic spirit was,
ifpossiblc, still more dreadfully wound
ed. Her days Of suffering were there
fore few and OH the morning, on which
she fled into the fields where folly never
riots, the bright spark of reason return
ed to her yet once again-her powers of
mind came back with renewed strength
and calling around her the weeping group
with whom she had parted but few eve
nings before, she begged of them to for-'
get her fate, as completely as she for
gave those who were the unintentional
cause of her death. EDO not imagine"
said the retiring angel do not for one
moment believe that | am sorry that the
period shall come when l shall be set
free from pilgrimage, which might, per.
haps, have ended still more unfortunate
ly, and might not have afforded so useful
an example of the dangers of working
upon the fears of any one nor should 1
have been so tried, had not my vani;y
laid claim to what no one ever pos
sessed-a total absence of all fear. In