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

Vouch Tor their authenticity but the re-
lance to be placed on the other parts of
the recital, must be at the option of the
reader, or his conviction Of their appar-
ent truth. | am neither over credulous
Tor sceptic in matters of superhumsn
nature would neither implicitly con-
fide in unsupported assertion, nor Il 81
sent from wellaitested truths but at the
same time must confess, that, although
rather inclined to be I nun-belieyer, /
have sometimes listened to details of SUI
pernaturnl oCcurances, so borne out by
concurring testimony as almost to fix my
waverng faith. Ii is now nearly thirty
years since ! was partial witness to
the following circumstance, at nv faith
er's house in Edinburg and though dur
ing that period, time and foreign eli
mates may have thinned my locks and
furrowed my brow little, they have
neither etiaced one item of its details
from my memory, nor warped the vi
vd impression which il left upon my re-
collec ion. Ii was in the winter of 1898
the occurrence took place. I'remember
the time distinctly by my father being
absent with his regiment, which had been
ordered to Ireland to reinforce The troops
then engaged in queling the insurgents
who had risen in rebellion in the sum-
mer of that wear. There was an old re-
tainer of our house, who used at that
time to be very frequently about us she
had nursed my younger brother and my
self, and the family felt for her all the
attachment due to an old and faithful in
innate. Her husband had been SER
geant in the army of Gen. Burgoine, e.
was killed al the attack on Valencia de
Alcantara, in the early part of his late
Maiesty's reign, when the British cross
ed The Portuguese frontier in order to
check the advance of the Spaniards up
on Alentejo and perhaps this circum-
stance created an additional sympathy
towards her in my mothers breast.
remember her appearance distinctly ,hef
neatly plated cap e. scarlet ribband, her
white fringed apron and purple quilted
petticoat, are all as fresh in my memory
as yesterday and though nearly 90 at
the period | spoke OF, she retained all
the activity and good humor Of sixteen
Her strenth was hui little impaired ;
and as she WAS slightly affected by IA
tigue or Watching, she was in the habit
Of engaging herself as IA nurse-tender in
numerous respectable families, who
were equally preposseedd in her favor.
The winter was drawing near close
and we were beginning TO be anxious for
the return oil tiny tather who was expected
homo about this timt, when Old Nurse,
as we always called her came to tell us
of an engagement she had got 10 attend
Young gentleman who was living. dan
gerously i'll in one of the streets of the
Old town; for at that time few of the
fine palaces Of the new town had been
even thought OF, and many splendid
street now covers what was then green
fields and waving meadows. She mem
toned that a physician, who had always
been very kind to her, had recommend
ed ner to this duty, bntas the patient was
in most critical Sttae, the manner OF
her attendance was 10 be very particular.
She WAS to 90 every evening at eight o.
clock, 10 relieve another vino remained
Turing tbeilv aud 10 be extremely eau
, tiouS not to speak to the young man, un-
less ii was urgently necessary, nor make
any motion which might in the slightest
, degree disturb the few intervals ofrest
he was enabled TO enjoy, but she knew
neither the name nor the residence OF
, the person she was to wait upOn.- There
seemed to be something past the COM
) mon in all this, and remember perfect
" well my mother directing her to call
, soon aud Ieth her know how she was COM
, ing on, and any farther matters she
might be able to learn /; but nearly six
weeks had elapsed, and we had never
once seen or heard OF her, when my
mother at last determined on sending 10
= learn whether she WIS sick, and to say
she WIS longing to see her again. The
servant on his return, informed us that
poor Nurse had been danger ously III, and
confined to her bed, almost ever since
she bad been with Us, bat that she was
now some little better, and had pnrpo-
sed coming to see US the following day.
She came accordingly, but, oh, so alter
! ed, in So short time. that no one would
have believed it she was almost double
aud could not walk without support; her
flesh aud cheeks were all shrunk away,
; and her DIM lustreless eyes were almost
lost in their sockets. We were all star
lied at seeing her; 1t seemed that those
six weeks had produced greater changes
= in her than years Of disease in others ;
but our surprise at the affect was Moth
ING, when compared to that which her
recital of the cause excited when She IN
.ormed US of it, and as we had never