The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1844-09-18

permanent of the being who listened to his rea-
soning, willing, nay, anxious TO be convinced
| against the evidence Of her own feelings.
Her parents agreed with her lover in his
views of the case-and urged on all sides, her
own heart traitor, Ellen yielded to their wish
es and betrothed herself to Peyton.
As the day appointed for her marriage
drew near, the v ords of her vow appeared to
be ever ringing in her ears. With restless
and fearful spirit she saw the hour approach
which was to witness her second espousal.
Preparations were made for splendid bri-
dial. All the members ofth family assem-
bled beneath the parental roof, aud every eff
ort was made to divert her mind from dwell
ing on the fantasy that possessed it.
The appointed evening arrived and the GER
emonv which made her the bride of another,
was performed. Several hours passed in
dance and song. 1t was near midnight when
Ellen found herself standing on the portico in
in the bright moonlight with Peyton beside
her. The gay throng within were still dane
ing, and the sound of merry voices mingled
with the bursts Of music that swept by on the
dewy and fragrant air. Ellen started as Pey-
ton spoke beside her, and for the first time
for several hours the recollection of her fatal
vow intruded on her mind.
"What glorious night" she remarked.
81 never saw the moon shine with greater
splendor.''
May it be happy omen to us, my dear
Ellen, replied Peyton-and as he spoke he
turned to white rose bush which had
wreathed itself around one of its half blown
flowers.
While he was thus employed, Ellen was
gazing abstractly on the fantastic shadows
made by the trees in the yard. Suddenly
she grasped the railing for support, and look
ed with eyes fascinated with terror on awhile
shade, which seemed to rise from an open
space on which the moons radiance was pour
ed without obstruction from the surrounding
shrubbery. The shadow arose slowly, and
and gradually assumed the waving outline of
a human form wrapped in the garments ofthe
tomb. 1t approached the spot on which she
stood, and the features of Henry Sinclair,
wearing look of sad reproach, were distinctly
visible to her as the shade glided between
herself and her newly welded lord.
With faint cry she would have fallen had
not Peyton sprung forward in time to receive
her senseless form in his arms.
Long, long was it before she recovered
from her death like swoon. She then rela- :
ted what she had seen, and chung to the be-
lief in the reality of the spectral visitation
with such tenacity. that reasoning and sooth-
ing failed to calm her mind. Before anoth- !
err day had dawned she was raving in the de-
lirium of brain fever, and in one week from
her ill-omened marriage she was laid beside
him whose spirit she believed had summoned
her to join him.
The incidents on which the foregoing tale
is founded are literally true. That the super
natural visitation was the offspring ofan over
wrought imagination and superstitious mind, !
a real case of monomania, there can be but
little doubt The vagaries of an excited i'm
agination are producing results on Mormons
and Millerites quite as inexplicable to sober |
reason as TIE Broken Vow