Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1827-11-27


inc night, hsr7Hrnt now became composed,
and enioyeJ interrupted Stu nber till the
light Of mornihg, now reflected from heaps Of
dazzling snow, brought with il the female who |
wa. 10 relieys guard at the bed of misery.
The following morning nurse went to The
house Of the physician who had engaged her,
with The determination Of giving up the task |
in which she was employed. She felt uneasy
ar the thoughts of retaipiug ii, as she had never
been similarly situated 5efo:e she always had
some companion 10 speak 10, OF was at least
employed in an inhabited house; but besides
she was not by any means comfortable In the
visits of The nightly stranger. She was disap-
pointed, however, by not finding him at home,
! and was direc led 10 return at a certain hour,
| but as she lay down to rest in the mean time,
she did not awake till that hour was long past.
| Nothing then remained but TO return Tor ano-
,ber night, and give warning of her intention
1 nm the morrow;-and with heavy disconnected
| heart she repaired TO the gloomy apartment-
! The physician was already there when she al -
rived. and received her notice with regrets nut
was rather surprised when she informed BIN OF
the attentions Of The strange lady, and the man
ucr in which she had been prevented from per
forming her duty: he, however, treated u as
common place occurrence, and sugsesedthat
|
the paiiept, Of whose connexions he knew no
,hing. At last he took his leave, and Nurse
| arranged her chair and seated herself to watch,
not merely the del,6flure bot the arrival oil her
fair friend. AS size had mol, however, appear
| cd on the former occ asions till the nigh! was
far advanced, she did not expect her sooner, and
endeavored to occupy her attention Till that
time by some other means But It was all 10
vain. She could only think OF the one mys-
,erious circumstance, fix her dim gaze on the
blackeued ,rcllis-work Of the ceiling, aud start
=, every ,rlaing sound, which was now doubly
audible. as all without was hushed by the noise
loss snow in which the streets were imbedded.
Again, however, her vigilance was eluded, ana
as, wearied with thought, she raised her head,
with long drawn sigh and yawn OF fatigue,
she encountered The green garments OF her uhso,
licited companion. Angry with herself, ana
al the same time unwilling TO accuse hcrseh
of r.missness, she determined once again
that she should not escape unnoiced. There
hung feeling of awe armand her whenever
she approached this singular being, and when,
as before. the lady retired TO another quarter OF
, the room as she approached the bed, she had
no, courage to follow her. Again The same
distressing scene Of suffering in her unfortanat"
charge ensued; he gasped and heaved I'LL the
t noise OF his agony made her heart scken WIN
in her: " hen she drew near his bed, his coFpSe>
like features were conrulsed with Il feeling
which seemed to twist their relaxed nerves into
, the most fearful expression, while his ghaslly
: ewes we've straiuing from their sunken sockets.
Size spoke, but he answered not; She touched
him, but he was cold with terror, and uncon-
scous Of any object save the one mysterious oe-
= ing whom his glance followed with steady hxed
1 intensity. have often heard my mother say
4 tbas = vs. soSa,1y beside
! herself with anxiety. She thought that the
e young gentleman was just expiring, and was
I preparing 10 leave the loom, in search Of far
ther assistance, when she saw The lady again
move towards the bed Of the dying man; she
1 bent above him for moment, Wills, his with
ings were Understandable; she then moved state
/ Iy towards the door. Now was the moment!
Nurse advanced at the same time, laid her one
hand on the latch, whilst with The other she al
tempted to raise the vril OF The stranger and in
the next instant fell lfcess on the floor As
she glanced on the face Of the lady, she saw
tina; liieess head filled the bonnet: its vacsnt
, sockets and ghasty teeth were all that could
be seen beneath The veil. Daylight was break
ing The following morning, when the other at
tendaat arrived, and found The poor old woman
cold and benumbed, stretched upon the foor
beside the passage; and when she looked upon
the bed OF the invalid, he lay stiffened and life
less, as If many hours had elapsed since his
spirit had shaken off lis mortal coil One hand
was thrown across his eyes. as if to shade them
from some objec, on which he feared to look;
and the other grasped the coverlit with conyul.
sive hrmness.
The remains Of the mysterious student were
inferred in The old Cation burying ground, and
l remember, before the new road was made
through it. 10 have seen his grave; butt never
could learn his name, what connection the spi-
rit had with mis- story, or how he came to be
in that melancholy deserted situation in Ed.
inburgh. have mentioned at the commences
ment of this narration, that will vouch for
the truth as far as regards myself, and that
is, merely, that | heard the poor old woman
herself tell all the extraordinary circumstanc-
es as have retited them, a very few weeks be.
fore her death, with fearful accuracy. Be i;
as ii may, they cost her her life, as she never re-
covered from the effects Of the the terror, and
| pinned and wasted away 10 the hour of her