The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1827-12-06

ternitY rather than time, aud IN The Con-
structing of which the founder had con-
suited convenience and comfort more
than show OF situation. 4 flight of high
stone steps brought them, to the door,
and dark stair case of immense width,
fenced with balustrades a foot broad, and
supported by railing Of MASSEY dlmen-
sions, led TO the chamber OF the patient
This was lofty wainScotted room, with
"A window sunk yard deep in the wall,
and looking out upon what was once a
garden in the rear, but now grown SO
wild that the weeds and rank grass al
most reached the level OF the wall which
enclosed it. At one end stood an old
fashioned square bed on which the
young gentleman lay. 1t was hung with
faded Venetian tapestry, and seemed
itself as large as moderate siZediroom.
At the other end and opposite 10 t,.s foot
of the bed was fire place, supported
by ponderous stone buttreSScS, bur with
no crate, and a few smoudering turf
were piled on the spacious hearth
There was no door except that by which
she had entered and no other furniture
except let low chairs, and a table COW
erved with medicines and draughts beside
the window. The oak which covered
the walls and formed the pannclS of the
ceiling, was as black as time could make
it and the whole apartment which WAS
kept dark at the suggestion Of the physi-
clan, was so gloomy hat the gllmner-
ing of the single candle in the shade Of
the Fireplace could not penetrate it, and
cast faint CLEAN around, not sad, but
absolutely sickeniug. While the Doc
tor was speaking in low tone TO the
invalid, nurse tried to find out some FRI
Their particulars from the other atten-
dant who was tying on her bonnet, and
preparing TO mufile herself in her plaid
before going away for as | sad before,
il was winter and bitterly cold. She
could gam no Information from her, how
ever, although she had been in the sit
uation considerable time. She could
not tell the name Of the gentleman she
only knew that he WAS an Oxford sal
dent but no one save herself and the
Doctor had ever crossed the threshold
to enquire after him, nor bad she ever
seen any one in the rest of the house,
which she believed TO be uninhabited.
The Doctor and she soon went away,
after giving some unimportant directions.
Nurse closed the door behind them, and
shiverlng with the cold frosty gust of air
from the spacious lobby, wrapped her
cloak about her, drew her seat close To
the hearth, replenished the fire and com
menced reading a volume OF Mr.. Alex
ander Peden's Prophecies, which she
bad brought in her pocket. There was
no sound TO disturb her, except now and
then blast of wind which shook the
| whitening trees IN the garden below, or
death-watch which licked necessarily in
the wainscot of the room. In this man
ner akpour or two elapsed when, CON
GLIDING from the, potonless posture oil
the patient, that he must be asleep, she a.
rose, and taking the light in her hand
moved on tiptoe across the polished Cd
ken floor, to take a survey of his feature,
and appearance. She gent y opened t,
curtains, bringing the light to bear upor
him, but was startled to find that he Wa,
still awake /; she attempted to pologise
for her { rloSlty, by an lwkward tender
of her services, but apology aud oilcI
were equally useless he moved neither
limb nor muscle he made not the faint.
est reply he lay motionless on his bach
his bright blue eyes glaring fixedly upor
her, his under lip fallen, and his mouth IL
part, his cheek perfect hollow, and his
long white teeth projecting leartully from
his shrunken lips, whilst his bony hand
covered with wiry sinews, was stretched
upon the bed-clothes & looked more
like the claw of bird, than the finger,
of human being.
She felt rather uneasy whilst looking
at him, but when slight motion of the
eyelds, which the light was too strong
for, assured her he was still living, which
she was half inclined to doubt, she re-
turned to her seat and her book by tht
fire. As she was directed not to dis.
turb him and as his medicine was onl,
to be administered in the morning, SHE
had but little to do, aud the succeeding
two hours passed heavily away ; sht
continued, however, TO Tighten them b,
the assistance Of Mr.. Peder, and by now
and then grooming aud gazing over the
silent pickering progress of her turl-fre
till about midnight, DIS near as she could
guess, the gent man began to breathe
heavily and appeared very uneasy as
however, he spoke nothing she thought
perhaps he was asleep, and was RISING
to 90 towards him, when she was snrpri-
sed to see lady seated on chair neai
the head ofth bed beside him. Though
- a, L.. Ia mr.