Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1853-04-06
seemed to light the water far around.

waved, and seemed to beckon to me, a
white, white hand. ! rowed back, then |
looked behind. thought all the lilies were
changed to hands, aud they were beckon-
ing me TO come. pushed the boat deep
into the shadow, under the. great dark
branches of the willow and crouched down.
dared not stir, or open my eyes, but lay
motionless on the cold, wet lilies, and lis
tened. It seemed SO lonesome, SO still ;
then bird would cry plaintiyely, drearlly ;
then something would sway above me like
the trailing OF heavy garments. slept at
last-a sleep of visions, and was awakened
by the plash Of an oar. A man, in boat
was rowing past me. saw his counte-
nance-deadly pale. He went to where
the ruby gem burned like coal of fire upon
the water. There his form was between
its light and me; soon he came back, and
again passed me. He sat in the stern row.
ing, and at his feet, stretched in the bottom
Of the boat, lay woman all in white
One arm was flung over the side-raven
curls concealed In partits snowy whiteness,
out the hand was bare and reached to the
water; and as the boat rose and fell at the
stroke of the oar, that fiery gem now bazed
with bloody light, now became submerged
in the dark wave, again to rise with daz-
zling brightness.
held my breath till the death-heighted
bark had passed me, had swept round a
fringe Of .alders, and disappeared in the d.
rection Of the country house. A moment |
waited, terrified into inactivity; but grew
chilly and sick with fear, and, with sud-
den impulse, darted from the boat, and
up the path. AS sprung into the road
which had to cross, saw man On horse
back, who seemed to have checked his
steed to look back al something by the
pond. Before was hardly aware of it, |
had rushed by him, under the very head of
his horse, who now reared and plunged,
and had nearly thrown the rider, at sight
Of this child, spirit, appartion, flying from
The gloom across bis path and vanishing.
did rot check my flight. hurried thro'
the spectral garden---l gained the house,
my chamber. and crept shlverng into my
warm bed In the morning awoke with
raging fever. | was i'll for weeks. In
that time | saw terrible visions. |
dreamed the widest, strangest dreams. |
thought | should never, never sleep and
rest again. ! cred, "Oh, mother, let me
sleep, let me rest"
AT last those terrible things were over,
and in the golden autumn days, | sat pale
and weak, by closed window, where flies
buzzed droningly ", and watched that gray
house beyond the garden, and wondered
and specuated about what had seen. /
could never take my eyes from it, lonesome
and melancholy as it looked, with the sere
leaves falling on its messy root, and every
thing ruSset and faded around.
asked at length of Dame Mllwood, 'Is
il always SO lonesome over there!
The good woman raised her spectaces
and looked up, with an inquiry, where p
pointed with my thin tremulous finger
"What does the child mean' 1t seems
very handsome place to me, and it will
be gay with company, as it used to be,
when Mr.. Berford and his wife come back.
They never will come" heard myself
say, without knowing that | was going to
! speak. -
Dame Nfllwood put by her work. and
wheeled me off to my room, saying, "You
are getting Iii again, aud nervous very i
guess il must be too dull here for you
Your father must take you away
Soon after went home. thought tha
the strange events on the pond must bt
those Of dream-one of my feverist
dreams-and thinking SO, never dared tc
mention that-the most distinct and terri
BILE Of my visions. But it occurred to mt
often. The sight of the White Pond Lily
gave me a strange, sickening shudder.
could not have touched one, and when il
perfect health, recoiled with an almos
deathly Sickness from this sweet blooming
flower. My friends said it was from some
constitutional nervousness, unaccountabl,
to them. More strange was it to me, who
from childhood, had loved that pale, pure
passloness flower.