Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1857-09-25
: THRILLING sKEroHa
CHARMED BY A RArTLEsSAKE.
pY ". GILMORE srxxs

A writer in the United States
Magazine pronounces the following
description of young girl, charmed
by rattleshake, one of tho most
remarkable and beautiful descriptions
ever penned;
Before tho maiden roso o little
clump oil bushes - bright tangled
leaves flaunting wide In glossies,
green, with vines trailing over them
lhickly declsed with blue and Grim.
son flowers. Her eye communed
vacantly with these; iastened by q
starilko shining glance, subtle ray
that shot cut lrvln the circle vi groeu
leaves, seeming " DO their very cye,
aud sending out huid lustre that
seemed 10 slream over tho space DO.
tween, aud tind its way into her own
eyes; very piercing and boaut'iu iul
was that subtle brightness OF the
sweetest, strongest power. And now
the leaves qulyervd and seemed "
fioat away only TO return, and the
vines waved and swung away in fan
tastle mazes, unfolding eyvr.cnurming
varieties oil form ana color To her gaze
out tho star.llke cye was ever ssead
Iasl, bright aud gorgeous, cleaning
ln tneir midst, anu stlil fastened with
strange londnvss upon her own.--
How beautiful, with wondrous inton.
s,ty, did II gleam and dilate, growing
larger aud more lustrous with every
uoam IL sent forth. And her own
glance became intense, liked, also
out with u dreaming sense which con.
Jurod up the Widest iancies, terribly
beautiful, that took her soul away
irom her aud wrapt IL about as with
u spell. She would have hed, she
would have flown, but she had NO
power to move. The will was want.
lng 10 her flight, She ielt that she
could have bout forward TO pluck the
gem-like thing irom the bosom Of the
leuf In which II seemed 10 grow, and
which irradiated with It's bright,
white CLEAN; but ever, as she
stretched forth her hand, and bent
forward, she heard rush OF wings
and u shrlll scream from the tree
abogo her--such u scream as the
mocking-bird makes. when angrily !,
raises It's dusky chest and daps Ia
wings fariously against It's slender
sides. Such scream seemed like u
warning, and though yet unawakened
" full cvnsciousness, II startled and
forbade her effort.
"Mo,e than once in her survey OF
this strange object had she heard that
shrill note OF warning, and 70 her
mind the same vague consciousness
uf an evil presence. But the star-like
eye was still upon her own--a small,
bright eye, quick like that OF bird
nov steady ia its place, and obscrv
ant seemingly only of hers; now
darting forward with all tho cluster.
ing leaves about IL, aud shooting up
toward her, Us II wooing her ~ seize
At another moment rlvited 10 the
vine which lay around II, IL would
whirl round and round, dazzlingly
bright aud beautiful, evon as u torch,
waving hurriedly by night In the
hands Of some playful boy; but in
all this time tho glance was never
taken from her own--there II grew;
fixed--a very principle OF light land
snch q bright, subtle, burning,
piercing, fascinating CLEAN, such as
gathers in vapors above tho old
grave, and binds US as we look
shooting, darting directly into her
eye, dazzling her gazc, defeating its
sense OF discrimination, aud confusing
strangely It's sense OF perception
She ieIt dizzy; for as she looked, a
cloud OF colors, bright. gay, various
colors, foated and hung like so much
drapery around the single object that
had 80 secured her attention.; and
spell.bound her feet. Her limbs fell
momently moro and moro insecure
her blood grew cold, aud sho seemed
TO feel tho gradual freeze OF vein
by vein. throughout her person
AT that moment u rustllng was hoard
la tho branches OF the tree beside her
and tho bird, which had repeatedly
uttered u single cry above hor, as Il
were OF warning, flew away from his
station with u scream moro piercing
than ever. This moment had the
effect for which IL seemed intended
VI bringing back TO her portion o
that consciousness she had been near.
~ deprived of before. She strove te
move from the beautiful but terrible
presence, but for u while sho strovo In
vain. Tho rich, star-liko glance still
riyeted her own, and the subtle fasci
nation kept her bound. The menta
energies, however, in the moment o.
their greatest trial, now gathered
suddenly TO her aid, and with u dos
perate effort, but with n feeling o.
most annoying uncertainty and dread
she succeeded partially in the attempt
and threw her arms backward, hei
hands grasping the neighboring tree
teoble, tottering, and depending upor
II tor that support which her limbs
almost entirely denied her. With
her movement came, however, the
iuil development OF tho powerful spell
and dreadful mystery before her.
s'As her feet receded, though but 0
single pace, TO the tree against which
she now rested, the auditiy articaiated
ring, Ike that OF tho watch when
wound up with tho verge broken
announced tho nature Of the splendid
yet dangerous presence, in the form
OF q monster iattlesnake, now but
tow feet before her, lying coiled at the
bottom Of q beautiful shrub, with
which, TO her dreaming eye, many o.
its own glorious hues had boon asso'
ciated. She was at length conscious
enough to perceive and feel her dan
ger; but terror had deprived her o.
the strength necessary 10 fly from heI