The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-11-03

and do his best. VI "'u1
when they had entered the house. the aoo,
was softly closed, and the gentleman. whose
haihe, we may here mention, was Harrenhn,n
conducted Conrad across the hall, and IN stars
" an apartment on the second story. having a
southern aspect. The proportions of the house
y, e,e nooie. The wide entrance hall was bold.
-. "esseiated with white and black marble: the
g;an,s was large enough Tor a procession of
ereJ u,;,h "I oIoad oaken stairs were partly Gov
t s,eu WIN tnick, rich carpet; fine p;c,nres !,
nahosome frames, decorated the walls sna
whenever tney happened in their ascen, ~ ,ss
an open do1r, Conrad could see that the rnor,
witnln was superbly finished. To ,h. . ."-
painter, these evidences Of opulence and ,ss,.
seemed to have something of the fabulous ahor,
theu. me house was good enoug for a mon.
afen and to fnd private gentleman of neither
rank nor title living in such splendor, vas what
ne should never have expected. MIR. Harren.
ourn placed his finger on his lips, as he opened
ine door OF the chamber already Indicated.
Cohrad followed him with stealthy steps and
suppressed breath. The room was closely
cuttained,and couple of night-lights shed their
ieeoie ana uncertain rays upon the objects
within II. The height Of the apartment and
the absorbing complexion of the dark oaken
wainscof, here and there concealed by falls of
tapestry. served TO render such an illumination
extremely inefficient. But Conrad knew that
TINS must be the chamber Of death, even before
he was able to distinguish that an apparently
light and youthful figure Law stretched unon
the bed-still, motionless, impressive. as death
alone can be. Two women, dressed in dark
habIiaments-lately nurses of the sick, now
watchers over the dead-rose from their seats
and reIr,d silently to a distant corner of the
room as Mr.. Harrenburn and Conrad entered.
Where does The poor heart suffer as it does in
the chamber OF the dead, where lies, as in this
instance, the corpse Of a beloved daug ghter7-
hundred objects, little thought OF heretofore.
present themselves, and by association with
me iost one, assume power over the survivor.
The casual objects Of every day life rise no and
seize place in the fnncy and memory. and
become invested with deep, passionate interest,
as relcs OF the departed. There is the dress
which lately so we'll became her there the
little shoes in which she stepped so lightly aod
gracefully; there the book which she was
reading only yesterday, the satin ribbon still
between the pages which she had arrived when
she iaId 1t down forever; there the cup from
when she drank but few hours back; there
the toilet, with all its little knick knacks, and
the glass which so often mrrored her sweet
face.
Thus Conrad instinctively interpreted the
glances which Mr.. Harrenburn directed at the
objects around him. The bereaved father.
standing motioniess, regarding one thing and
then another with u sort of absent attention,
which, under other circumstances, W ould have
appeared like imbecility or loss Of self COM
mand, but now was full OF deeply touching
significance, which reused the sympathies OF
the young painter more powerfully than the
finest e.oquence could have done. He seemed
at first to shun the bed, as il the object living
there were too pow erful a source of grief to
bear-seemed TO be anxious to discover in some
| MINOR souvenirs OF sorrow, preparatory step,
which should enable him to approach with
seemly and rational composure the mute wreck
of his beloved child-lhe cast-shell of the spir.
it which had been the pride and joy, the hope
and comfort of his lite. But presently he sue
ceeded in mastering this sensibilty, and ap-
preaching the bed, motioned Conrad to follow
him. He gently drew aside the curtain which
had concealed the face Of the figure that was
lying there. Conrad started. Could that be
death That hair, 80 freshly black and glossy;
those slightly parted lips, on which the light
of fancy still seemed to play; the teeth within,
so white and healthy looking the small, we'll
shnpen hand and arm, so listlessly laid along
the pillow; could these be ready for the gravel
Ii seemed 80 much like sleep, and SO little like
death, that Conrad, who had never looked Nd
on the dead before, was amazed. When hs
saw the eyes, however, visible befwixt the
partly opened lids. his scepucism vanished
The cold, glazed, fixed, unmeaningness Of them
chilled and frightened him-they did really
speak OF the tomb.
My daughter" said Hanenburn, to whose
tone the effort of self command now eommuni-
Gated grave and cold severity. "She died
al four this afternoon, after very short illness
only In her twentieth year. l wish 10 have
her represented exactly as she lies now. From
The window there, in the day time, strong
t;1k .o tbr 1 do
think il will be needtul To make any new dispo-
siton, either Of the bed or its poor burden
Your easel and other matters shall be brought
here during the night | will rouse you at FIVE
in the morning, and you will then, if you please,
use your utmost expedition"
Conrad promised TO do all he could to- ac.
compiish the desire Of the afflicted parent aBd
after the latter had approached the bed. leaned
over it and kissed the cold lips of his child, they
left the room to the dead and It's silent'walch'
eYs.
After solemn and memorable evening, Con-
rad was shown 10 his bedroom, and there dream.
ed through the liyel0ng nigh-now, that he
was riding al ffighlfal speed through woods
and wilds with Mr. HarenbuTn, bufrying with
GREATNESS haste to avert some catastrophe that
was about to happen somewhere TO some one
nov that he was intently painting a picture of
the corpse of beautiful young lady-terribly
OppfesseJ Dy nervousness, anC ITeuul sense
OF inc apacty most luxurious to the success of
his labors-when suddenly, o horror! he be-
held the body move, then rise, in frighful and
unnatural manner, stark upright, and with open.
ed lips, but rigidly clenched teeth, utter shrek
upon shrek as il waved its white arms and
tore its streaming hair; then that his landlady,
Mrs. Farrell, came up to him, as he crouched
weeping and trembling by, and bade him be
comforIed, for that they who were accustomed
TO watch by the dead often beheld such scenes;
then tina. Mr. Hanenburn suddenly entered
the room and sternly reproached him for NOT
proceeding with his work, when, on looking
towards the bed, they preceived that the corpse
was gone, and was no where to be seen, upon
which Dir. Harrenburn, with wild cry, laid
his hands upon him. as ifto slay him upon the
spot.
you do not sleep we'll" Ahand was gen
tly laid upon his shoulder; kind voice SCUM
ded in his ear; he opened his eyes Va. Har-
renturn was standing at his bedside. "You
have not slept we'll, regret TO find. l have
knocked al your door several times, but, re-
ceiving no reply, ventured TO enter. have re-
iieYed you from an unpleasant dream, think. -