Litchfield enquirer., 1857-09-17

constant dread, lest Bib should slip off iron the neck of his mistress, and make me visit At all events, the little eyes of the snake gilt tered most suspiciously.
 1 l shall never forget that evening" 1 thank ] ed my stars that the two other sisters were no ! visible. Thus far 1 had only one to deal witt at time. That was some comfort. If the, had concluded triple alliance, and all three operated upon me at once, 1 should have beer lost beyond redemption. In every evil, there 1 is good which neutralizes it in some degree. 1 had suffered so much all day with fright loss of tooth and of blood had come upon me in such rapid succession, that my energies were completely prostrated. Every noise at the door made me start, for 1 was in continual fear that Nimrod or Dieffenbach, or both to. gether, would come in and begin to practice some new and unheard of mischief upon me- Nimrod would have set about snufing the can- as she remarked my feverish condition, would have been for administering pills and blisters.
 From all these possibilities, however, Heav- en be praised 1 was saved. Neither Emile nor Louise made her appearance.
 Ernestine at last retired. The old gentle man, as was his custom, instantly took occa- sion to diScant upon the merits of his darling, as he called his youngest daughter
 "One gets accustomed to her strange taste in time," said he ; but am not without hope she will forget all these things when she is once married"
 I began to long for bedtime. The Counsel Tor perceived my wearness at last and, to my great joy, accompanied me to my sleeping chamber.
 "Now," thought l, "I shall have some rest after the fatigues and sufferiugs of the day " We wished one another good night, and I found myself alone l was so tired that in stantly undressed, extingushed the lights, and groped in the darkness towards the bed Af- ter some fumbling, I fortunately reached my object, drew down the coyerlct, and was about to make use of my couch, when sprang back with horror had touched some hard object that moved. If was not deceived, it was tortoise. No power on earth could have in- duced me to use the horrible bed While was thinking whether I should cry murder or let the matter r. st, something bit my great toe so furiously, that l shrieked with pain A huge crab hung on my foot I danced about so franticaly, that at last I shook off the monster and hurled it against the wall
 1 fled to the sofa. A narrowing thought seized me- "What if they have fastened me up in Ernestine's cabinet Z" The idea became ev- cry moment more and probable, for all around there was creeping and a scratching and a rustling, that sounded most suspiscously. In- santlv something crawlcd close to my ear. 1 clutched at it, and seized with shudder great beetle I hurled it with fury away from me- and heard it crack against the wall Scarcely was 1 free from the beetle, when something bit the call of my leg.
 The idea that the new enemy might be an earwig, made me raving for no living thing had greater aversion than for the aforesaid earwig I had heard dreadful stories of this creature 1 caught like one possessed at my calf, but could not catch the bitter. The an imal had certainly crept up higher, for I cer tainIy felt twinge o" my thigh. 1 now sprung from the sofa, and sought for means to light a candle, but nothing of the kind was to be found. trod on some fryhttul reptile. All the tortlrrs of the Inquistion were noth- ny to my Situntion. 1 could no more sleep than on the edge of a prccipice.--my excited imaginat on painted everything still more fir ght- full y Suddenly heard d hiSsiug. "There's d snake" thought l, " l shall certainly be bit ten." I now began to shout like a wounded Ajax. In the darkness 1 upset the table several boxes that stood on it were thrown on the floor and broken, and heard with ncreas- ed agony how new biting world was let loose.
 l raved like a possessed man it was all one to me, whether any one in the bonse was asleep or not At last the Counsellor Was awakened. He came with light, in bis dres- slug gown to my chamber. He saw at once the cause of my outcrics, and exclaimed: "The thoughtess girl, she will turn the whole house into a cabinet of natural .curosities 7" seem ed to myself like Adam ol the sixth day of the creation, where he is painted among the beasts. Junghaucl transferred me to another apartment which the naturalist had spared.
 Here you will have nothing to fear" said my host consolingly "you will sleep all the better, for the disagreabIe things you have sui fered"
 "Heaven grant it !" said I, gathering up my clothes out of the murder hole.
 The Counsellor spoke no untruth. After l had crawled about on my hands and knees, and flashed the light into all the corhers of the chamber, became pretty we'll convinced that there was no natural curiosities tbere, either living or dead and so I went to bed once again, but noue the less resolved that thIs was the last night, as we'll as the first that %ouiu spend in W. I determined, all my hosI solicitations to the contrary, to be OH at tue earliest pussbIe hour, before the charming put dangerous M @ daughters of the Counsellor should have Tiff their beds. After these wise resolves I stretched myself out and made myself com fortable, while the tortoise in the bed original lv intended for me probably did the same.
 The night passed quietly by :; sound sleep fell upon me, so that had no bad dreams as I feared. Hardly had the first light of the morning looked into my window, when spraue from my bed and set about to put my pnrpost into execution, dressing myself with all despatch
 My purpose was irrevocable. was delighted
 at having awaked so early. | You vii! make great eyes," thought l ys tormentiug spirits, when you find the blr'