Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1852-03-11

find myself deserted. Evelina was gone
Her parents had carried her away!
" At first was supplied with the sud
dcnness of the calamity. AS soon ms
could realize the terrible truth, however
set out in furious pursuit. l was to-
late! my wife had followed her parent
to Europe.
1t is impossible to describe to you m,
grief. Had Evelina died before the evi
influence Of selfish relatives robbed me
of her, | should have felt less sorrow
The thought that she had deserted me,
that malice had extinguishcd ler love
drove me to the verge of distraction.
Her father had had his revenge!
F." cannot dwell on this period in my
life" pursued Dinsmore, with agitation.
| loved Evelina still. and when the
news came that she had died in Europe,
| forgave her for the anguish she had
caused me. I preserved this portrait,
with AL the care and tenderness should
have felt for it, had Evcine died in nv
arms.
"I'hc artist had commenced his work
Immediately after our marriage, and ar
ter it was finished, my darling wife used
to say, that should she die before me, she
would come in spirit and inhaLit her pic
turc. The fancy pleased me, and haunt
ed me; but never thought seriously of it
until about the time heard of Evelina's
death, | observed !; change in the an.
pcarance of the portrait There was
life in it which have never discovered
before"
At this point of the narration | could
not refrain from examining once more
the extraordinary picture.
" From that time," pursued my friend,
al could never, on looking at the por.
trait, divest myself of the impression
that the soul of my wife was regarding
me through those beautiful eyes, and
this fantasy, as You will call it, grew up.
on me, and night and day, worshippcd
the living picture of my lost, ingloried
Lvclina."
"ltis NATURAL said 7. "You have 4 !
susceptible Imagination"
5W''s@+lS'gs
rated with fever, from which my re-
,ovcry has been a miracle.
"lmcan to say, it is not to human
agency owe the preservation of my life.
[tis to the spirit which inhabits here"
Diusmorc indicated the portrait.
al know you will doubt, / am sure
you will laugh at what you will call my
folly-but | must tell you what | have
seen. That portrait" cried Dinsmorc,
with vchemence. Evelina, my wife,
came and administered to me in my sui.
fering."
"Ihe portrait! !"
"Ycs. 1t was after my physician had
given me up. know by his face that he
dcspaircd of saving my life. There, in
the stiffness Of the night, when my
watchers thought l slept, in the night,
unseen by them, she, the pcnitent, started
Into life; came out from the canvass,
DCIll over lllc ilnu hiSSSV NiS
The speakers manner was strangly
earnest. regarded him in amazement.
"You mean," ! said, that such was
the vision which appeared to you"
alt was rcality!' exclaimed my
friend, solcmnly. 81 had been delirious,
but | was not so then. The fever had left
me too weak to stir. | Twas even too weak
to speak. But felt the hiss. A joy
stole into my soul. | looked into the
spiritual eyes; the angelic faces more
lovely by far, freed from the dnsky can
vas, yet the same as you behold them
thcrew
"And this" said I; "was this all your
dreamw o
"My dream! I tell you it was no
drcamw whispered Dinsmore, in an Inn
prcssivc tone. "Ihc portrait left its
place; expanded into perfect life; bent
overmc; kissed me; and spoke. Live,
oh, nv loycp said she; my Evelina; in
a soft, trcmulous tone; live for me!
Nv lips moved to reply; but no murmur
came TO my relief; and the portrait, the
figure of my Evclina, vanished.
"On the following morning. when the
strength of which the fever had robbed
me, partially returned, l inquired of my
watchers il they had seen any vision du
ring the night They had seen nothing
and then knew that the miracle had been
manifest to my eyes alone.
"In the afternoon the fever returned
Delirium followed 1t left me weak ; al
most lifeless; as before. Then again she
came and bent over me. The angel came
out Of the canvass, pressed warm lips to
mine, and whispered again; live, oh, my
love! live for mep Then; then ] foun'
strength TO murmur.
" Eveiina; my wife tits youF
"Iti is your own Evelinap whispered
the angel.
"Shc kissed me, and-on turning m.
eyes, | saw her looking sweotly dowl
upon me from the canvass.
For the last four and twenty hours
had grown no worse. The visits from
the spirit of my beloved had inspired mt
with new life, and now began slowly t'
recover.