New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1852-10-05

and begged him to dyulge the secret. Still
sceptical to the last, he answered that one dis
eased person in the family was enough, and
that he would not permit me to run the risk of
being infected by Alfred's mental malady. l
passed the whole of that day and the next in
state of agitation and alarm which nothing
could tranquilze. The sight had seen in the
study gave a terrible significance to the little
my brother had told me- was uneasy if he
was moment out of my sight. There was
something in his expression-calm and even
cheerful as it was-which made me dread the
worst.
&c On the morning of the third day after the
occurrence l have just related, | rose very
early, after Il sleepless night, and went into
Alfreds bedroom. He was awake, and well
coined me with more than his usual affection
and kindness. AS | drew a chair to his bed
side, he asked me to get pen, ink and paper,
and write down something from his dictation. |
obeyed, and found to my terror and distress
that the idea of death was more present to his
imagination than ever. He employed me in
writing a statement of his wishes in regard to
the disposal of all his own little possessions, as
keepsakes to be given, after he was no more, to
my father, myself, the house servants, and one
or two of his own most intimate friends. Over
and over again I entreated him to tell me
whether he really believed that his death was
near. He nvaria bly, replied that should soon
know, and then led the conversation to indffer-
ent topics. AS the morning advanced, he asked
to see my father, who came, accompanied by
the doctor, the latter having been in attend
ance for the last two days.
'' ''Alfred took my fathers hand, and begged
his forgiveness of any offence, any disobedence
of which he had been ever guilty. Then
| reaching out his other hand and taking mine
| as stood on the opposite side of the bed, he
asked what the time was. clock was placed
on the mantel-piece of the room, but not in
position in which he could see it, as he now lay
/ turned round to look at the dial, and answered
that it was just on the stroke of nine.
sex FAREWELL said Alfred calmly; in this
world, farewell for ever!
ssT The next instant the clock struck. / felt
his fingers tremble in mine, then grow quite
still. The doctor seized a hand mirror that lay
on the table, and held it over his lips. lie was
dead-dead, as the last chime of the hour
echoed through the awful silence Of the room
'sI pass over the first days of our atfiiction.
You, who have suffered the loss of beloved
/ sister. can well imagine their misery. l pass
over these days, and pause for moment at the
| time when we could speak with some calmness
and resignation on the subject of our bereave-
| L lent. On the arrival of that period, l ven
tlued, in conversation with my father, to refer
to the vision which had been seen by our deal
AL red in his bedroom, and to the prophecy
viii ch he described himself as having read upor
the supernatural scroll.
ID 's Even yet my father persisted in his skeptic
ism but now, as,it seemed to me, more because
he was afraid, than because he was unwilling
| to believe l again recalled to his memory wha
| l had myself seen in the study. l asked him t.
| recollect how certain Alfred had been before
hand. and how fatally right, about the hour Q
his death. Still l could get but one answer
my brother had died of u nervous disorder 9TH
doctor said so:) his imagination had been dis
eased from his childhood; there was only on
way of treating the vision which he describe
himself as having seen, and that was, not
speak of it again between ourselves-neyer
speak of it at all to our friends.
'sWe were sitting in the study during thi
conversation. 1t was evening. As my fathe
uttered the last words Of his reply, ! saw hi
eye turn suddenly towards the further end {
the room. In dead silence, | looked in the sam
direction. and saw the door opening slowly {
itself. The vacant space beyond was filed wit
a bright, steady glow, which hid all outer OF
jects in the hall, and which l cannot describe
you by likening it to any light that we are ac
customed to behold by day or night. In III
terror, l caught my father by the arm, an
asked him, in a whisper, whether he did not Sc
something extraordinary in the direction of I'll
doorway
Yes, he answered, in tones as low as mine
. i see or fancy | see, a strange light. I'll
subject on which we have been speaking h;
impressed our feelings as it should not. OF
nerves are still unstrung by the shock of the b
reayement we have suffered-our senses are d
luding US. Let US look towards the garden"
s' But the opening of the door, father-r
member the opening of the door!
''sO Ours is not the first door that has acc
dentally flown open of ITSELF
! sc Then, why not shut it again =
"s Why not, indeed? l will close it at once
He arose. advanced a few PAGES, then stoppe
and came back to his place. 1t is a warm ever
= ing,' he said, avoiding my eyes, which wei
eagerly fixed on him; the room will be all tt
cooler, if the door is suffered to remain OPEN
= His face grew quite pale as he spoke. III
T light lasted for few minutes longer, then SUI
denly disappeared. For the rest Of the evenir
my fathers manner was very much altered. I
was silent and thoughtful, and complained of
feeling of oppression and languor, which he trit
e e to persuade himself was produced by the heat
D the weather. At an unusually early hour
Il retired to his room.
sc The next morning, when got down stair
\ [ found, to my astonishment, that the seryan
I were engaged in preparation for the departu
of somebody from the house. l made inquiri
of one Of them, who was hurriedly packing
trunk. My master, sir, starts for Lyons t
first thing this morning., was the reply. | il
mediately repaired to my fathers room, al
found him there with an open letter in his han
I which he was reading. His face, as he look
!. at my entrance, expressed the most viole
emotions of apprehension and despair.
"'I hardly know whether l am awake
dreaming; whether L am the dupe of territ
i delusion, or the victim of Il supernatural reali
more terrible still,' he said, in low, awe-stru
Il tones, as l approached him. One of t
prophecies which Alfred told me in private tt
he read upon the scroll, has come true!
predicted the loss of the bulk of my fortur
here is the letter, which informs me that
merchant at Lyons in whose hands my MOI
was placed, has become a bankrupt. Can
occurrence of this ruinous calamity be
chance fulfllment of a mere guess' Orwa
doom of my family really revealed to my d.
SOM l go to Lyons Immediately to know
result. This letter may have been written
~ der false information it may be the work Of
- impostor And yet, Alfred's prediction-I sh
der to think of it,
ID s'' The light, father!' / exclaimed s'
IS light we saw last night in the study
dis 's Hush don't speak of it! Alfred said t
y I should be warned Of the truth Of the prophe
and of its immediate fulfillment, by the shin
r. Of the same supernatural light that he had Sc
"A | tried to disbelieye what beheld last nigh
hardly know whether>I dare believe it e
: now This prophecy is not the last; there
q others yet to be fulilled--but let us not spe
= lot us not think of them l must start at o
j. ssr Lyons. l must be on the spot, if this hol