Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1854-10-13

went into the committee (an slone) on ways
and means--what 10 dc!
Should / awaken the landadv9 By no means:
even though the circumstances warranted it.
would not After the hrst horror. as / have told
you. cain. fright succeeded: and | felt that
fearful Is was the position-I would have 10 brave
1t alone
Ne! l would light the gas, and-lookl
Slowly | Quilted my chaIr,--bus Al this mo-
ment strange unearthly, Kissing sound came
from the bed | nj -ht be the kissing of SER
pent land Nh Wilson was. l had heard, an
amateur collector Of such creatures. or the sup
pressed breathing Of dog. Ii was sound as
though blood were letting. Saint Bartholomew.
t,aye1 to death as thou vast, how my hair stood
up as thought of sickeuing passages in Frank
estiers, Shaking with the palsy. as II seemed,
,ottered 10 my char.
But something must be donei Screwing up
my courage 10 the sticking point, and murmur-
i's s~ayer. | again rose,-foand my trousers
and searched IuY lr,x Of aongreves (which,
as q smoker invariably carry) 1t was barren,
NOT a single match remained! What should do?
To cross tie spacious landing, and to reach the
kitchen was an carly thought. The fire would
perhaps be smou.dering; might perchance OBJ
tain what required. Mrs Wilson's matches
could not hope 70 find; knew not their locality.
But an old newspaper (Which l had put into the
drawer loaned me, mentioned, would do
Could not | carry it, blazing ttom the kitchen en-
bers2 Yes. [ could, bat what theue The glare
Of the light would arouse the sleepers; aud then
the second married lady was, | had heard Mrs
Wilson sa, fearful Of fire; and | felt persuaded
that after the matter OF others whom l know,
she slept with her door aIarl
fell FOR my the one which had brought
from Hougoumont. Desperate. ] thought Of
striking the coverlet until tat otge1 moved. But
suppose II eere an infant All | could pass my
cane gently over the surface, and do no harm
| approached the bed, and did SO. Then
starting back, my summoned resolution left me-
knew, | reh. that the object still there
With beaiing heart dressed myself as | could
and cautiously feeling my way to the sitting room,
lay down On the sofa. and drew my coat over me-
For time | was unable to sleep; my nerves
too much strained; at length dropped off
into an uneasy slumber.
The clock Of an adjacent church struck four
l awoAe. Mornng had come; golden and silver
rays We're flashing through the crevices of the
shutters. | arose-with memory Of last night
occurrences-shook myself, and treasured by
the day. proceeded TO my chamber.
| was not at ease when | entered l stopped
on the threslold-but at last slowly went in.
With bated breath approached the bed. OH
shall lever erase from memory that revelation?
Ghost. yampirel monsters mis- shapen, and
creatures charged to freeze the blood No mar
vel that ! had thought Of ye!
Ny terror had been scutely excited; my nerves
awfully startled, and discovered the cause at the
bottom of the bed, in the shape of foot bot
tle!' Mrs. Wilson, pray for the future inform
your guests when you give them bedfeow.
which bad conscience Or active imag ination can
conjure into frightful and mysterious monster