Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1857-09-02

RANDOLPH CAErE awoke gradualiy at the
sound OF low, sweet music, which seemed 10.
nave been floating around him for q long
Time. 1t was plaintiye, almost as q wall v.ss.
listening to the harmony, the nerves thro1s.h-
out his frame thrilled with a strange .delieIiE :
he awhile fancied It the song; Of some m
known bird Of night. but the notes had d
them too much ofthe human, and be became
convinced that himself was not alone q guest
IN these solitude. Indeed, he scarce could
believe to have awakened in the same sphere
as that in which he had closed his eyes and
well might fancy, from the changed asuect
OF nature, that during his slumber some fairy
band had transported him to their sylva1
domains. The overhanging clouds, which
80 strongly bad indicated the setting In Ola
heavy rain, within q few hours had, even "a
the last feck, disappeared the moon, In her
last quarter, shed slant beams upon h7ra
through the wellclothed boughs Of q gigantic
buttonwood tree, which bore itself like 70 a
: monarch come up to view his broad posses
sions and so transparent was the atmos,-
phere, the stars seemed to have been multi
Piled three fold, and to shine with addsf,
lustre.
AS soon as be could collect his senses. Cur,
hero arose and moved along in the direeti On
Wnenee issued that music Of a human harp:
directly he found himself upon the verge Of
srock, dropping 50 prepitously as 70 cause
him to recoil with shudder. He did not.
however withdraw 90 far, or become so mteh
confused. as not to have his attention irnras-
diately riyeted on the scene presenting Itself
below and beyond. At the distance Of
some fifty feet from the base of this perpen-
dicular wall, was a lakelet of waters. smooth
and transparent as crystal, its banks elevated.
and of unbrokeu green; and, half reclining
upon the lifeless trunk ofa solitary hackbs7,v
tree which stopped low from The nearest brink.
appeared in the full moonlight female fiz.
ure. Hair black and wary fell about her
like the folds OF heavy veil. entirely conceal
ing her form but beautifully moulded arms.
and one uncovered foot that had furnished a
perfect model to a sculptor. met the eye, and
were distinctly redeeted la the waters. She
was hxedly gazing into the liquid depths.
while chanting the mournfal entrancne
melody, which had attracted the auditor. ;n
aplace where she well might deem herself
removed from human observation. OF he
words OF her song only these were distf1-
guishabae: they were often repeated, and
Zach time with q pathos indescribable -
Ner pa cher, Ner.pa-cher, Nas5o ne-aIv sis-
ter, my mirror sister. =
FOR several minutes the young man remained
pell bound he thought of the mirage which
had SO bitterly deluded him on the previons
fsernoOns aud it required all the evidence
iissenses could supply to convince him ofthe
reality of the vision-like spectacle fsfere him
At length, moved by an irresistible desire to
obtain nearer view of the songstress, he
turned away and hastened softly down tha
easy slope to the left, where along shaded
gorge, he made quick approach 10 the val
ley of the lake. The gentle singer. who had
soHr ah1t L. =
whose ravishing strains had sounded uneea-
singlyinhis ears giving assurance that she had
not vanished from her position, still, notion
less, bowed her draped head over the wave.
and sang on as before. A little to the ris.ht
of where he stood, and immediately below
the site he had occupied ON the summit. an
peared recess in the face of the escarpment.
in which one might stand concealed while AZ
distance of scarce more than dozen ua,es
from her who seemed the deity Of the vale.
This, Campo attempted to gain, keeping
n the path Of shadow thrown by the elf.
Jut, in passing too incautiously over a bed
e detached stones, one rolled beneath his
DOT, jostling him SO severely that his rife
was discharged into the air; the report break
ing fearfully in upon the quiet of the hour.
A cry, which accompanied rather than fol-
lowed, arose; there was q sound of the sud
IL
ed; the wild sougstress had disappeared.
Our hero proved it but seconds task IN
leap to the spot, and plunge after the mysts-
rious being, whether drowning maiden or
nymph, descending the crystalline stairs to
reenter her palace of pearl. Fast receded
the curved pillows from shore. and sill
among the environing hills the echoes lad
nos ceased calling to each other. Shortly
the young man rose from between the waves.
without a burden he did not so much as turn
an eye towards shore, but calmly sustaining
himself breast high in the water until he lad
taken two or three respirations, went energet-
ically down second time After another
interval, sufficient to have involved deathIy
suspense to a spectator, the surface of the
lake was again broken, and now the SWIM
mer's neck was twined about with dripping
locks from head resting heavily upon his
shoulder.
Bearing bravely to shore the young Indi-
an girl-for such she was-and couching her
listless form upon the sod gently, her preser-
yer, or, if we use the epithet by which he re-
preached himself, her murderer. knelt beside,
and chafed the perveless fingers and temples,
in which Id c>11l feel no throb,. while a
uainful solicltude. as though its object was
one long known and held dear, peryaded his
heart, and was depictsd with that intensity
which characterized bis emotions, upon ais
countenanee. At length sigh heavsd the
maiden bosom the cold lips moved xhispsr-
iugly, and articulated in their native speech:
Sister, mirror sister, am come to tt &c
embrace me, dearest sister,