The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1858-07-14

4 Poor Eleanor"
1 From such melancholy wanderings he
would arouse himself, and look with Il
! quiet resignation around, saying only, in
answer to our questions, +" I have been
asleep, and dreaming" When he had
been three weeks i'll, he seemed growing
better. Ills ,aind ceased to wander, his
manner was cheerful, and he appeared
again like himself One evening he said
he could sleep without watchers, and
urged us all so strongly to retire, that we
yielded, and left him alone.
After restless night l arose as early
as it was dawn, and FASTENED to his
house. | approached his bedside Quick
lv, but there | stopped, and gazed in 81
lence upon the scene before lue. Mr.. Hud
son lay dead, with a serene smile on his
! lips, md in his folded hands | saw again
a beautiful garland of flowers,
Years passed, The grass grew over
his grave, and new cares and new joys
made us forget onr mourning for him.
Bnt often, in the wakeful hours of night
that solemn picture would float before
me, and | tried in vain to account for its
seeming mystery,
In the mean time Mrs. Hudson had
married again, and removed to distance
and we, too, had removed to another
place, where our littlo Eleanor, now rap
idly growing up, might have better ad-
vantages of education. We have always
made every effort to cultivate and enrich
her mind, deeming tina: the best method
of ennobling her character. s='#
Last night a stormy December eve
ming, as | sat by the fire, reading with
my daughter, the door-bell was suddenly
pulled violently, and went to answer it
myself. A seryant-man stood there,
drenche1 with snow, and in hurried ac-
cents, besought me to go to his mistress,
who was dying.
Hooked out into the night The storm
was increas ing, and my warm fire and
the society of my family seemed never SO
irresistible.
as she really dying!" [ asked.
Eyes sir, was the reply, "they say
she will never see the morning.
'fThen, my man, theirs is no need of
my going. She will be better with only
h3r friends about her. Icannot do her
any good.
The man looked up eagerly into my
face.
'Are you not DR.. Ware?" he asked,
'That is my name," | replied.
land did you not practice elsewhere"
And he named our former residence.
EYES," | answered again with some
wonder.
'Then sir, you mast come to my mis-
tress 1t is not that she thinks you can
save her, but she wants to see yon, and
your wife is to come with you. She
babe me say she had something to tell
you
I said no more, but Immediately set
out, acce mpanied by Alice, who wonder
ed greatly at the unusual request. The
man walked on at our side, serving us
asa guide. We passed through several
streets, and at last stopped at the door Of
large house. Before [ could read the
name on the plate, woman openel the
door. and led us by broad staircase to
lofty and richly furnished chamber
! Here we waited while she entered an in
ner apartment.
AS warmed myself, standing by the
fire, something struck me as familiar in the
oppearance of the room. Where had [
seen that mosaic table, those antique books
those rich, softly colored paintings? |
unused in vain. The silver vases on the
mantel-piece, the statuettes in inches of
the wall, and the pattern of the Turkey
carpet were familiar to me. Yet ! could
not remember when or where I had seen
them. Suddenly, turning round, | saw
hanging over the fireplace O git-framod
pictiire, covered with a silk curtainl
Then all flashed upon me. ] saw in
memory, the chamber in my old board
inc house, the pale, handsome woman
who sat there. 1t was Miss Ross VITO had
sent for me.
was now summoned into the next
room? and there, as expected, on bed
of snowy whiteness, lay the strange lady,
who had once so troubled MY iinagina-
ton. | vert to her and took her by the
! hand.
Il am sorry to find you i'll, Miss Ross, y
| said, quietly.
She looked at me earnestly, and said
~ on recognize me, then. am glad
YOU remember. Is this AIice9''
s'Yes,"II answered, and Alice and
/ sat dow by her bedside. She had growr