New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1857-06-15

A cuRIoUs TNcrpEsr.

stance am about to relate, bat leave to the good
pleasure Of nv readers to do 10 according to their
own fancy. Or coa.e sad my own private opin-
ion on the sGs: ;ssss ssnt am pausr
At the time when the adveuture which am noW
about to speak Of occurred was student g Edln.
burgh, and not being overburdened with the riches O.
shs world, contented myself with very unfashions.
BE lodging in the Old Town, in . queer old hotse
full Of hooks and odd corners, with strange devices
carved in stone about it fantastic heads peeped
out Of the cornices and grinning sssys, & ana @ a,s
possible and impossible place In my bedroom, how
ever was piece Of sculpture 80 different from the
other oddities that often used to wonder whether
the same imagination that had conceived all the hof-
TORN could have created such an opposite work
Over the head Of the bed, which stood in synall
recess, hung massive canopy OF stone, 1eagnuly
carved oil over with wreaths OF fruit and lowers.
z g covering With
upheld and fixed to the wall by strong stanchious
very ingeniously concealed in the masonry. here
devoted myself entirely to study. Having nothing 70
depend upon in the wide world but my own e1ertons,
had determined if possible, to distinguish myself in
the career had chosen.
One bright afternoon in October after having been
hard at work the whole day, l was interrupted bys
visit from an old friend of my fathers, who had Al
ways taken kindly interest in me and my fortunes
his way home the idea had occurred to him to beat
up my quarters, and carry the latest news Of me 70
my friends.
was delighted to see face SO strongly associated
with all my home recoections, and readily agreed
to his proposal that should lay aside my books, and
after walk to Arthur's Seat, dine with him at his
hotel. We enjoyed q long chat over bygones-for my
friend, though old enough to be my father, was g
feshheared q boy and entered into all my enfhu-
siastic hopes and plans as heartily as Icoud have
wished. At last conversation turned upon m old
scho0fell0w0 OF mine, and III. Hepburn (the name 0f
my frend) related to me how be h&d suffered his too
luvrr in1rp tn md
had become such slave to all sorts of superstitiOua
fatalities and other absrdes that once or twice he
had been on the verge o5 losing big atogether
AS even from my childhood had been an inveter-
ate disbeieyer in all the terrors Of bogie and old
man." wherewith my nurses had endeayored TO
frighten me into good behavior, so in my maturer
years this rejection q anything partakng p gf z, .Ge
nv mind We conversed short time on the extraor-
dnary haucnations to which persons Of an exctable
imagination are often subject; but our opinions ON
the matter being very SIMILAR the subject was soon
exchanged for another. "a
At an early hour we parted, and II set forth ON my
way back to my lodgings It was fine night, though
dark but the way was 50 familiar to me that walked
the host Of recolectons the evening had recalled
had hardly reached the Old Town, and had only two
or three streets to traverse, when suddenly became
aware that had been for some time following the
| tall figure Of a man, and it struck me as rather
strange that our roads should be exactly in the
same direction. quickened my pace intending to
come 10 llm, Out ID eplt6 Oh all my eHOkIS Inc
distance between US was still the same. sayntered
| slowly, still with the same effect determined to
turn down an alley, which made short cut to my
rooms but had no sooner arranged this in my own
mind than the tall figure took the same direction.
Confound the fellow T. said to myself, " what can
he mean? Iaciu pass hin" J" and almost broke into
| run. @sy4 g.s @F -
the figure came into the full light Of it observed, to
my utter astonishment, and, / must confess, to my
great dsmay also, that it was complete facsimile
Of myself-form face and dress, all was exact felt
cold chill pass through my veins, and seemed as
though was rooted to the spot in the meantime my
counterpart crossed the street, took key-my key!
from his wastcoat pocket, quietly stalked in closing
the door upon him, and fancied could hear the
steady tread of his footsteps on the stairs lnvolun
tarily felt for my key--it was gone! although
could have sworn had putt in my pocket when Lief
. the house in the morning What should do2 fell
an nvincible repugnance to encounter my mysterious
counterpart again. and almost equal to return
and relate the afair to Mr.. Hepburn.
After moments hesitation decided on the latter
alternative and retraced my steps, 10 strange be
hotel merely said that finding that had not my
kew with me- and the people Of the house being ver
quiet and orderly had preferred returning there fo
a bed to disturbing them, and thus escaped an ex
PLANTATION of the strange but true cause OF my reap
pearance at the hotel.
:, The following morning, however, / told my stor,
to my friend treating it as freak Of the imagina
1t ton and wondering at my own weakness and at
surdity in allowing it to take such hold upon M
mind but in spite of all my efforts, could not re
sst latent feeling that this mysterious appearanc
had some meaning in it, and though strove to crus
the idea it would still present itself.
It had to attend lecture at the college, and was
l. obliged to go to my rooms first for book. Mr. Hep
burn proposed to accompany me, and we accordingly
Il set out together. On arriving at the house fount
e the door open, and running up stairs to fetch m.
book, could not refrain from utterng cry of hor
; ror at the sight which met my eye as soon as en-
tered the room. The stone canopy have mentioned
had failed upon the bed in such manner that hai
e any one been occupying it he must inevitably bav
t been crushed! Mr.. Hepburn who had followed me
d stood silent moment, and then, laying his hant
upon my shoulder. said, "Truly there Providence
watching over all, and His arm has been stretched
out over you in wonderful Manner
r On making inquiries it appeared that in th,
course of some alterations in the next house. the
l. curity of the iron stanchions had been disturbed
The noise of the fall had been heard very early in the
morning by the servant, but supposing it to be tht
workmen next door, she had taken no notice of il
: was therefore the first to discover it.
have only related the simple facts Of the circum
. stances as they occurred to me; and they certain
! wrought an effect on my character which may hum
. bly, hope rendered me better and more useful man