Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1853-04-06
MISCELLAN N Y
From the Home Journal.
The JeWeiied Hand.

will write the story ofthe Jewelled Hand. ~
but different reasons have prevented ne.
Sometimes it seemed egotism to relate in
cidents where ones own self was an actor
and always the facts have presented them
selves as unpieasant--sucn as would leave
the reader with uncomfortable. feelings
Still they are extraordinary, and | decide
to relate them.
think must have loved my mother
with more than child's usual intensity Of
feeling; and it was to take me away from
the SPOT where she died--where was for
ever behoding those gloomy mourners, and
the long line Of closed carriages, and the
black pumes nodding that they carried
me to distant pIace-a strange, old fash
ioned town-to an old country house, close
by pond which had thick woods all a
round it, and white lilies ahoat on its bo-
som. 1t was in the heart Of the summer,
and the world out of doors was full of sum-
mer's life, and light, and JOY, and beauty
Child that | was my feelings took new
turn. l was tortured now with feverish
restlessness. roamed and wandered miles
and miles alone. explored the deep and
dark recesses of lonesome woods. turn
ed off at every stage road saw, and went
on and on, searching ever for something
new. Ienjoyed going where l had never
been. | wished 10 see, what lay beyond
that distant hull, or that dense and gloomy
forest. At first, the old people who had
charge of me were anxious and uneasy in
the absence of this strange child !; but soon
they found that nightfall ever brought me
home, and, thenceforth, l went and came
as | pleased.
Our quaint old house was a short dis
tance only from the pond; grassy walk
from the garden gate, shaded all of the
way by knotty old apple-trees, led to a
boating place on narrow beach Of shining
sand Near the water this path crossed a
public road, little travelled, and grass grown
where brown ducks and snow-whlte geese
roamed about the summer long. Not fal
to the left, and close by the water was :
gentleman's country house, whose gray
roof and tall chimneys alone rose above the
surrounding trees. The house was shut
up, and, as | could see creeping through
the palings of the fence and gap in the
hawthorn hedge, the luxuriant fruit tree:
of the large garden, grew riotous in wild
est, rankeSt neglect; ). rare flowers were
strangled by loathsome and matted weeds
and the waters of fountain oozed away
amidst foul and Shiny MOSES.
In the opening Of the hedge, while tht
dews were falling around me, and night
birds were singing down among the tree.
by the pond, used to sit in the cleaning
and fancy strange things about the house
about myself, aud about people whom hat
never seen. 1t was an English coun-
try-seat. I said it was my ancestra
home; l was the heiress. l had liv
ed there years ago; | could remembe
it WE'LL could remember also a stately
nobleman, and fair, sweet woman and
was their child. had greyhound with ;
silver collar and we were playmates in tina
fine garden. We were both beautiful-tht
dog and l.: he had slender limbs. and silky
hair, and soft large human eyes. l was
child with sloe-bright eyes, and shining
curls. We played, we plashed in the foun
tain, we chased each other down the gray.
ell walks, we hid in the thickst Of lilacs
we ran round and round the garden-pa,hs
Then the gipsies came and stole me away
through the gap IN the hedge. The prou(
earl and the sweet lady grew heart-sick
and went of to foreign lands. Now hac
come back,a wild gipsy child, and sa
waiting in the twilight at the hedge.
lived all these things over, till The worlt
was no reality-all wild and strange ro
nance, always strange, always mysterious
There was boat tied under willow OF
the bit of cleaning beach, and at night
when they were all asleep at the house,
would steal down there, and sit and rock
upon the water. heard the night wind,
moan,. heard the night birds sing. saw
bright stars IN the water, and brighter fire.
flies in the dark, ,. green trees. One warm
and mellow night, went down, and saw
the margin of the pond all starred with Ill
les. Their time of blossoming had come
they had been open through the day. and
now, half-closed in the moonlight, their
white cheeks floated on the water. The
air was sweet with their breath. | thought
it would be delightful TO fill the beat with
them, and then lie down and sleep among
them. 1t would be more than a bed Of re-
ses. The rope which fastened the boat al
lowed it to move out thrice its length; and
there lloated among the shining leaves,
and gathered those dropping flowers. a
mong the lily flowers shone something that
flashed back red, clear lustre to the moon,
and cleaned with such brightness that it