Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1857-02-12

The hours went by like shadows, an,
he still lay under the charmed inAuenc,
of sleep-sieep the little spirit from iii,
land OF nowhere, that sits upon tired eye
lids and weighs them down so kindly
Erratic and coquettish sleep, that vii
won't, and is so very like woman 81
hard to win, so exquisite and true whel
won. sometimes
Tom lay dreaming of ships, anchors
and ambergris, of Nantucket and fish
and silent fields,
- s'Where calm and deep
| The sunshine leth like golden Sleep
In the midst of this the fire in the dim
inutive stove went out and now com
menced a combat between the warmth
of the dreamer's fancy and the GOODNESS
which was gradually taking possession
of the room. The alarm of conhagra
ton in the next street, the mufiied street
the muffled sound of the engine, dragged
furiously past the door by men who
seemed like demons red-hot from Pand
emonium, andlthe jubilant clash. of sleigh
bells now and then, had failed to move
the sleeper. But the silent, invisible lips
of the Chill-fend were eating into his
slumber, and he dreamed oficiclesl His
little enbrowned hand lost its hold Of
the stool, and after one or two involun-
tary turns, he opened his eyes--to the
fact that it was growing intensely cold
1t was in vain that he drew himself to.
gether, like turtle: the cold. touched
the outer circle of his body, and sleep
deserted him. He spied the velvet pal
on the counter, and i'll q moment he had
envelope d himself in its peaceful folds
But the death cloth warmed him nom
than if he had been dead. In fact, il
threw a chill over him, and he Seemed
covered with a black frost, colder than
the snowy tracery which grew like ma
gic over the shop-windows. He threw
the pail from him as fit had been pest
and tried to warm his hands by the JET
of gas which burned azure, and yellow
and all colors. But it only aggravated
his GOODNESS.
Theidea Of freezing to death took hold
of Tom, and out of this grew a strange
act. His eyes fell on coffin which hi
thought would hold him comfortably -
1t nearly exhausted his strength to lay
the silk-padded box on the floor. Thi:
being done, he settled himself into i
without hesitation, and once more mad,
coyerlid of the heavy pail.
Then Tomtit fell asleep again, anG
commenced dreaming of dreary oceans
and lonely isles, andfairy lands torlorn,
ofcross-bones and eyeless skulls church
yards and epitaphs, and God knows
what Just then brazen-lipped senti
mel in neighboring belfry solemnly
tolled out the hour, and unseen save by
Gods own eye, high up the steeple in
the snow, and wind, and sleet, a ghostly
finger pointed to the cabalistic figures
XII.
WHITING THE PAIL.
Jedd Pallfry was detained at the Spuy
ten Duyvers longer than he anticipated
two hours longer; and the clock struck
twelve as he whirled round the corner
and brought himself up against the
wind in front of his shop. The long
tails of his threadbara overeoat were fly.
ing all ways, and he looked like great
hideous owl lost in in the night.
When Jedd threw open the door, be
paused.
Phere, in the middle of the shop, just
where the spectral grave splung up year
ly, lay palI-covered coffin, the gas 60
ing out and the boy gone! The place
seemed chilly and damp like vault,
and jedi shivered so, that the snowhakes
flew from him in every direction like
sparks from scissor-grinder'5 grind
stone. The stiffness i'll his knees gave
out, and he supported himself against
the counter.
Now one of those changes came over
Jedd Paltry which happen to us all at
times, and for which philosophy's self
cannot account. With resolute and
fearless steps he approached the coffin
and lifted the pail The light which
seemed to brighten up little, fell aslant
on Tom, sleeping. The strange young
face, shaded by tangled curls of nut
brown hair, and lacking the soft influ-
ence Of his closed eyes, was almost wild
in its beauty. The parted lips seemed
ready to speak, but they moved not; the
eyelids twitched, but were not lifted: and
he lay double picture-Life and Death
Jedd started, but not with fear. He felt
somethingtrembling, throbbing, warming
in his bosom. 1t was only his heart
melting! The nature and humanity of
the man had broken their letters like
reeds, and the love which had lain in 4
trance for a dozen years, rose up within
him, and would be heard! His heart
knew the little stranger in the coffin, and
he bent over him with a tenderness that
belongs to woman.
"Nannette" he said, softly; "oh! SO
wonderfully like Nannette!"
The boy opened his eyes and looked
about him eonfusedly. He attempted to
rise, but his strength had succumbed to
cold and hunger; and he sank back with
a sIckly smile.
'I'm so very hungry, sirp'
"Only speak to me! cried jedi,
hoarse with emotion; "only say if you
are Nanne;te's child" e..
"Nannette, Nannette,' said the boy,
dreamily. rs some one calling my
mother"
The old man said not word at this,
but knelt down by the coffin and wept.
The clock struck one as Jedd PaIfry
passed through the binding sleet with
something heavy in his arms-some-
thing in pail. a drowsy policeman,
.ensconced in a doorway out of the
storm, hailed him, and the drifted snow
was more than knee deep-but Jedd,
bea1;,-o~ nnitke- etrrr1oslad on with his