Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1853-02-10

a pause, as usual en:ued, when the incau,a-
tions were again renewed. The same wild melo-
dy as before responded 10 the spell. Every heart
in the audience beat quicker--for the sorcerer is
about to recall again the mysterious being whom
We had seen in the brief lapse OF few minutes
infant, girl, then young lady. With almost
breathless emotion we gazed upon the upltted
wand. Every eye watched its evolutions with
absorbing interest. We saw il wave at least IF
teen times and then ceased to count. It paused,
and at that signal the curtain rose \ nayon Of
the middle age of life now stood before US
She was the same, the very same being we had 50
often seen. There was no mistaking those deep
blue eyes, that auburn hair, and that striking
countenance. Every feature was the same.
She came not alone, a noble manly boy stood
by her side, her hand held fondly in his. 1t need
ed not the aid Of the magician's art to inform
what was the relationship between the matron
and that boy The look of almost alteration
which he casts upon her, tells US that she is his
mother, and that he would protect her with his
lite. See with what mingled emotions OF pride
and affection she gazes upon that manly boy
while her hand half unconsciously plays with the
rich curling locks that shade his beautiful fore
/ head
/ We require not to be told that this matron
/ views human lite far differently from what she
did when we saw her last for her air and manner
sufficiently indicate this Duties and trials Of a
serious character have teyolyed upon her in that
important interval
She approached the magician, and once more
gave into his hand the talismau. lie spoke Of
the many times she had already appeared at his
cal and told her that he should summon her into
+ his presence once more. As lie spoke of this Il
mai summons the magician betrayed deep emotion,
and in despite of his magic art his voice became
/ treuuous. The talisman is again replaced upon
! her neck. wien the matron bowed. the curtain
J fell, and she and her proud boy disappeared be-
I hind its folds.
/
j By this time the feelings of our audience were
wrought uP to their utmost tension. With al
most painful interest did we await the closing
scene, when that mysterious parsonage could aP-
/ pear for the last time.
/ This time the pause of the magician before he
resumed his incantations was much longer than
/ usual but when the spell was completed, and the
smoke of the incerse once more rose in broad
wTcathes 10 tic ceiling. the strain of music that
now broke forth was 50 low, melancholy, dirge-
+ like, it seemed as il intended as a wall for the
dead. Now II swecd into a lament, deep and
solemn as the full bass of an organ. Then it
gradually died away Till its expiring sounds were
as the soft tgemulous murmurs of an Eolian
harp whose siIken strings are stirred by the last
faint breeze OF summer evening. Every heart
felt tie influence OF that music. When it ceased
the magician came forward to exercise his art for
( the last time He raised his wand, / know not
what we c9iscied, or what Jsared-certain it is
+ that not one among the whole audience had the
courage TO count the revolutions of his wand
I It ceased The curtain rose. Behind it seated in
an arm chair, was a venerable lady yerging upon
seventy years. apparently the same lady whom
we had lately seen a matron of the middle age of
+ life All her features were the SAM. except the
changes which time only had wrought No one
( for a moment could dlvest himself of the i'm
preston that the info,t, the SRI, the youllg la
dr. the l1atr9u. and this venerable troulan totter-
ing upon the utmost boundaries of life, were one
and the same Individual. The sight of this ven
cradle lady was affecting. Every eye was moi,-
tened with a tear. There she sat with the tails
man upon her neck, the ribbon and the cruciix,
which we bad seen placed there when she was
smiling infant We had seen her at Eve different
periods, and witnessed the changes which time
brings upon the human form
( This scene was TOO affecting to be prolonged,
and in a moment more the curtain fell. Before
we had time to recover from these emotions, the
magician himself had disappeared, together with
all the implements of his art. Our invisible per
former now struck up an air 50 cheerful and live
Iy. that soon every trace of sadness was Danish
ed from our hearts.
Mr. Morton, whom we had not once observed
during the whole performance now came for
ward Al gathered around him. and urgently
pressed him to explain the miracles which we had
witnessed 1t was soon told. His family com
+ posed of to,y generations consisting OF q grand
daughter the lovely infant first introduced Of his
own daughters, tie one of ten, the other of TWEEN
/ ty. their mother the middle aged matron; and,
lastly. of their maternal grandmother, the vener
able lady who appeared in the closing scene
There was a remarkable family likeness in all
the members Of his family. So very striking was
this resemblance, that even painter could hard
I Iy discover shade of any difference between the
portraits of his daughters, their mother, and
their grand mother, taken at the same age. 1t
was TINS striking likeness that suggested 10 him
the idea OF the little drama which he wished TO
give his guests in return for the compliment that
we had paid to him and his neighbors on board
the boat. It hardly need Be added that AIr. Nor
ton himself enacted the part Of the magician lit
tie as we suspected it at the time. The invisible
performer, was married daughter Of his, the
mother Of tAat lovely infant.
We now took a hurried leave OF our new ac-
quaintance, for we had al THAI moment, received
intelligence that the engineer, having accomplish
ed the object Of his journey TO St. Louis, much
sooner than we anticipated. had got back, and ev-
cry thing was ready for the departure of the
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