The day book. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1857-1867, 1857-10-16


SCENE to abonden mems body, and leaves
it to a fend instead.
'Alter an hour or more waiting patient
ly by his bedside, not liking to leave the
helpless old woman alone with SO dam
gerous companion, flor | could not
answer for anything he might do in his
lrcnzy,)I thought that the remedies by
Which hoped in some measure to subdue
the fever seemed beginning to take effect,
and that l might leave him, promising to
send all that was necessary, though fear
ing much that he had gone beyond all my
power to restore him; and desiring that ]
might Immediately be called back again,
should he get worse instead of better,
which l felt almost certain would be the
case, FASTENED, glad enough to be leav-
ing wretched huts and raving men, driv-
ing rain and windy hills, for a comforta-
bic house, dry clothes, warm fire and
good dinner l think never saw such
fire in my life as the one that blazed up
my chimney; it looked so wonderfully
warm and bright, and there seemed all
indestribable air of comfort about the room
which never had noticed before. One
would have thought should have enjoyed
it all intensely after my wet ride, but
throughout the whole evening the scenes
of the day would keep recurring to my
mind with most uncomfortable distinct
ness, and it was in vain that | endeavGred
to forget it all in book, one of my old
favoritos too; SO at last fairly gave up
the attempt, as the hideous face would
come continually between my eyes and
an especially good passage; and went off
to bed heartily tired, and expecting sleep
very readily to visit me. Nor YVES disa'
pointed was soon deep asleep, though my
last thought was on the little valley l had
left
''How long this heavy and. dreanless
sleep continued cannot tell, but gradu-
ally felt consciousness returning in the
shape Of the very thoughts with which |
fell asleep, and at last opened my eyes,
thoroughly reused by a heavy blow at
my window l cannot describe my hor-
ror: when, by the light of the moon strug-
Cling among the heavy surge-like clouds.
| saw the very face, the face of that man,
looking in at me through the easement,
the eyes distended, and the face pressed
close to the glass. | started up in bed to
convince myself that really was awake
and not suffering from some frightful
dream. There it stayed, perfectly move
less, its wide CHASTITY eyes fixed I'M
wavering on mine, which, by a kind of
fascination, became equally fixed and RI
gid, gazing upon the dreadful face, which
alone without a body was visible at the
window, unless an indefnable black |
shadow, that seemed to float beyond it,
might be fancied into one. l can scarce
ly tell how long l so sat looking at it,
but / remember something of a rushing
sound, feeling of relief falling ex-
hausted back upon my pillow, and then |
/ awoke in the morning i'll and unfresh-
ed.
Il was i'll at ease, and the first ques-
ton | asked on coming down stairs, was
whether any messenger had come to
summon me to Wentford. A messenger
had come, they told me, but it was to
say need trouble myself no further, as
the man was already beyond all aid, hav-
ing 3ied about the middle of the night. l
never felt so strangely in my life as when
they told me this, and my brain almost
r,eled as the events of the previous day
and night passed through my mind in ra-
pid succession. That had seen some
thing supernatural in the darkness of the
night, l had never doubted; but when
the sun shone brightly into my room in
the morning, through the same window
where l had seen so frightful and strange
a sight by the spectral light of the moon,
l began to believe more it was dream,
and endeavored to ridicule myself out of
all uncomfortable feelings, which, never
theless, | could not quite shake off.
''Haunted by what considered pain
full dream, left my room, and the first
thing / heard was confirmation of what l
had been for the last hour endeavoring to
reason and ridicule myself Of btleving.---
1t was some hours before I coind recover
my ordinary tranquility; and then it
came back, not slowly as you might have
expected AS the impression gradually wore
of, and time wrought his usual changes
in mind as in body, but suddenly-by the
discovery that our large white owl had
escaped during the night, and had honor.
ed my window with visit before he be-