The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1855-01-19
SHOT THROUGH THI HEART !

OF the ringing of shot In the recesses of A
foreat. 1t is tale taken from the lips of the
people, and II may be true. have its kernel
from German writer, Edmund Hoefer.
From village to town, and back from town
to viilage-no matter where-the narrow
footpath runs at one end through smooth
meadows, then descends into wide hollow,
of which the whole sweep is filed with glo-
rious old wood; but, at the other end, the
path runs through the standing corn. From
village to town, or back from town to village,
men, women. and children hurry through the
wood. No troddeu grass betrays feet that
have been truant from the beaten path. Not
far from the bottom of the hollow there is
an open space in the dense forest, and the
trees on one side stand apart as If at the en-.
trance to anarrow avenue. But the avenue
Is no path now, If it ever were one. 1t is
choked up with underwood, matted with
brsmbles and wild vines and the narrow
footway strikes directly across the forest lawn
OF grass and flowers in the little open glade;
there Is no sign of wavering in any wayfarer
no turning aside to be detected. There
was assursdly another path here once, for
here there was set up guide-post, useless
for such purpose now, and overgrown with
ivy; one of its three directing boards being
destroyed, or having rotted off. it looks like
q rude cross set up in the forest, and the pea
SAINTS of the district-though they are by this
time all good Protestsnts-look up at it with
prayerful ejaculation as they hurry by
A party of English travellers dwelt for
few days in the adjacent town, and soon dis
covered that the grand old forest oaks were
good to dine under. They knew generally
that the place was accursed and was believed
to harbour spectres if not worse things. Be-
fore this generation was born, lord of the
castle had gone suddenly abroad, and his lady
VIII nad of bod od no
forest and permitted no wood to be felled, no
lsbour to be done, in it. This curse the fam
ly kept up, and except use of the necessary
paths, the forest had been for almost q CEN
fury untouched by man. 1t was the more
luxuriant for that, and the smooth plot of
grass in which the guide-post stood, with
broad boughs and blue sky above, were floor
and ceiling, as it seemed, to the best ofpicnic
dining rooms.
Only their own servants went with the hol-
iday makers who had dined well and were
dancing merrily when first the shadows on
the turf began perceptibly to lengthen. The
few rustics who came to and fro upon the
path, had, all day long, looked more or less
agbast at their proceedings The last who
? had passed by, even presumed to stop, and
urge that they would return home before
twilight closed. The wood, he said, is never
safe for Christian man, and evil things lie
yonder. His hand waved hurriedly towards
the ancient avenue, and he stepped on
apace, for he had been venturesome in max
ing any halt at all.
"Why, there is full moon to night" said
Clara HOugh, one of the party; "the best of
the picnic is to come. If any fairies should
appear we'll join our dance to theirs, and as
for ghosts, should like to see one! Is this
one of their walking days! What says the
calendar?' at is the Feast of st. Egidius"
said Mr.. Eustace Wenn, who hoped, in due
time, to convert Miss Hough into Mrs Wenn
''St. Egidius' day is nothing in particular
Of course we shall 60 home by moonlight,
but vote for an adventure. Let us break
open that pathway and find out the demon of
the wood. Something, of course lies yon-
der. Who joins the exploring party!' Wo-
men and men too grow superstitiOus in the
twilight, wise as they may be- There were
no volunteers. "My dear fellow" said the
host, '.join our next dance. The path you see,
is impervious."
Mr.. Wenn leapt among the trees and shout
ed back intelligence that it was easy with one
pair of hands to cut a way there even for a
lady. "Then," said Miss Hough, following
his lead, "by all means let us co. "Let them
alone" said the host 'they are lovers, and
they would not thank us for our company"
The dance, therefore, was formed and the
young people went alone into the wood
The green leaves, the CLEANS of sunset CO.
lOring, the twittering of birds above, the moss
and flowers underfoot the pleasant exercise
of fighting down such obstacles as thOrns and
tendrils offered, the young gentleman smooth
ing the way for the young lady, as he hoped
to smooth her way on other paths when she
was an elder lady and they travelled over
years of life that seemed to be before them
all such things made the little expedition as
agreeable as might have been desired. There
was another small break in the wood, and
broader avenue of smooth turf pierced the
trees beyond it, Upon a hillock of large
messy stones that seemed at one time to have
been assembled there together by an idle
man, the lovers sat to rest and talk, for five
minutes or longer, of their own affairs. The
gentleman spoke most the lady looked much
downward, and trifed with her little foot
among the moss upon one stone larger than
the others, why, there is great cross,
and there are three unreliable letters scratch
ed upon this stone! said she. THE first,
think, is a G. Let us go on, let us go on -
This heap is shapen, I think like grave
Or shall we 60 back? have a dread upon
me-" But the way forward was easy and the
sky was light, and to 60 on was to remain
quietly together.
The young people went on with theirhearts
open to each other, impossible enough, and
quite as serious as they were happy. One or
two fallen trees were the only difficulties in
the way by which they reached third and
larger open space. Passing by carved
stone fountain, full of dry growth of moss,
they saw decayed house with its outbuild
ings. The house was of grey stone, and seem
ed to lean against slender round tower.
bound with ivy to the topmost turret. There
was terrace betoreit with grass, and there
were vestiges of flower beds Over the arch.
cd entrance-gate were set up three pair. of
decaying antlers; into the walls at the side of
II was liked rusty chain with an iron collar
TO Whicn there was Jet attached the skeleton
OF dog. All was silent, for the twilight
had set in; the birdn were in their nests: and
IN the old house it vas evident that no man
entered Ao '"o
Though uninhahised, the house was pot
UNFINISHED. Rusty guns and hunting knives
hung on the walls, plouldering benches wsro 20
IN the outer hall; "a inner room. of wh;ob
the window was darkened by the foliage nf
an untrimmed vine, had two soiled Guns nno ~,
its table and rusty coffee-pot. There Law
on chair near it, half knitted stocking y
Out ofthis room, door led into smaller
chamber, full of hunters tools, in which
there was bed still tumbled; and there was.