Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1856-03-22

with physician, as pupil and assistant, ut the
little town of Cassel l established myself in
my inheritance.
] was delighted with my home; with my
garden, sloping down TO the Iushy margin Of
the river; with the view of Ems, the turreted
old Kurhaus, the suspension bridge and, fur
ther away, the bridge of boats, and the dark
wooded hills, closing in the little colony on
every side. | planted my garden in the Eng
lsh style; fitted up library and smoking
room and furnished one bed sSamber espe-
cially for my friend This room overlooked
the water, and clematis grew up round the
window. placed there bookcase, and FL
led il with his favorte books hung the walls
with engravincs which | knew he admired,
and chose draperies of his favorite Color
When all was complete wrote to him. and
bade him come aud spend his summer-holiday
with me at Ems.
He came; but found him greatly altered.
lie was dark, pale man always somewhat
taciturn and sickly, he was now paler, more
silent, more delicate than ever. lie seemed
subject to fits Of melancholy abstraction, and
appeared as if some all-absorbing subject
weighed upon his mind-som haunting care,
from which even was excluded.
He had never been gay, it is true he had
never mingled in our Heidelberg eXtruvagan-
ces-never fought duel Mt the Hrschgasse
never been one of the rellowhood OF Foxes
never boated, and ouarrelled, and gambled
like the rest Of us, wild boys as We were !!
But then he was constitutionally unified for
such violent sports aud II lameness which da-
ted from his early childhood proved an elIec-
tual bar to the practice Of all those athletic
exercises which secure to youth the mems S0aa
in corpore sane. Still he was strangely alter
ed and it cut me to the heart to see him so
sad, and not be permitted to partake Of his
anxieties. At first thought he had been STU
dying too closely; but this he protested was
not the case. Sometimes | faDcied that he
was in love. but was soon convinced Of my
error: be was changed-but how or Why,
found il impossible to discover.
| After he had been with me about n week,
CHANGED one day to alude TO the rapid pro-
sress that was making everywhere in favor Of
mesmersm, and added some light words of
incredulity as | spoke. To my surprise he
expressed his absolute faith in every depart
ment OF the science, and defended all its phe-
nomena. even to clarivoyance and mesmerc
revelation, with the fervor OF determined
believer.
found his views on the subject more ex-
tended than any had previously heard. To
mesmerc influences, he attributed all those
spectral appearances. such as ghosts, wraiths,
and doprlegangers all those noises and trou-
bled sphits; all those banshees Of family ap-
partitions all those haunting and misceiane-
Gus phenomona, which have from the earliest
ages occupied the fears, the thoughts, and the
inquiries Of tho human race.
Aftor about three weeks stay, he left me,
and returned to his medical studies ut Casse
promising to visit me in the autumn when the
grape harvest should be in progress. His
! ma in l,l.
Farewell Heinrich, Mein Bruder; farewell
till the gathering season. In thought, l shall
be often with you"
He was holding my hands in both his own
as he said this, and peculiar expression fit
ted across his countenance y,the next moment
he had stepped into the diligence, and was
gone. Feeling disturbed, yet without know
ing, why made my way slowly back to my
cottage. This visit Of lberts had strangely
unsettled me, and found that for some days
after his departure, | could not return to the
old quiet round Of syudies which had been
my occupation and delight before he came
Somehow, our long arguments dwelt unpleas-
anty upon my mind, and induced nervous
sensation Of which felt ashamed. ! had no
wish to believe; / struggled against convic-
ton, and the very struggle caused me to
think oft the more. At last tie effect wore
!
about fortnight, ! returned almost nsensi-
bly, 10 my former routine of thought and oc-
cupation. Thus the season slowly advanced.
Ems became crowded with tourists, attracted
thither 10y the fame Of our medicinal springs
and what with frequenting concerts, prone
nades, and gardens reading, receiving few
friends, occasionally taking part IN the music
meetings, which are so much the fashion here
and entering altogether iuto a little more So
cety than had hitherto been my habit, sue
ceeded in banisling entirely from my mind
the doubts and reflections which had SO much
disturbed me.
One evening, as was returning hemcward
frsm ths house OF u friend in the town. | eX.
perienced delusiOn, which TO say the least o
il, caused me very disagreeable sensation
] have stated that my cottage was situated
on the banks Of the river, and was surrounded
by garden. The entrance lay at the Other
side, by the high road but ] am fond o
boating, and i had constructed, therefore, q
little wicket. with q fight of wooden step;
leading down to the waters edge, near whicl
my small rowing boat lay moored This eve
ming, came along by the meadows which
skirt the stream these meadows are here
and there intercepted by villas and private
enclosures. NV, mine WAS the first and
could walk from the town to my own garden
fence without once diverging from the river
path. was musing and humming to mysel
some bars OF popular melody. when all a
once. l began thinking Of Albert and hi
theories. This was, l asseycrate, the frs
time he had even entered my mind for at leas
: two days. Thus going along, my arms folded
and my eyes fixed on the ground, reached
the boundaries Of my little domain before
knew that had traversed half the distance
, Smiling at my own abstraction, paused t
go round by the entrance, when suddenly
and to my great surprise, saw my frienC
} standing by the wicket, and looking over th,
river towards the sunset. Astonishment aIC
r delight deprived me at first of all power o
speech; at last-"Albert y / cried. "this i
I kind Of you. When did you arrive ?" HI
seemed not to hear me. and remained in thu
I same attitude. ] repeated the words, ant
with like result albert, look round
man /" Slowly he turned his head, and looke'
me in the face and then, o horror even a
] was looking at him he disappeared. HI
did not fade away he did not fall ; but il
the twnkling of an eye, be was not there
Trembling and awe-struck, went into tn
house, aud stroye to compose my shattere,
nerves. Was Albert dead. and were appari
tions truth i dared not think-l dared no
ask myself the question. passed wretche'
night and the next day was as unsettle
A as when he first left me-