Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1858-10-07

the haads of her kindsnan, and which he
had read the night before the execution
the purport only, for it has been necessary
to throw it into form adapted to the char
acter of our story, and in accordance with
the spirit of these divinations, so secutive
to the imaginative mind, and which Ma
poleon, Goethe, Scott, and myriads of 9th
ers, have consulted with wild eagerness,
as f they might wrest secrets from the bo-
som of futurity in the same manner as they
had pressed the outer limits OF the great
circle of hnman thought.
THE PREDICTION.
The astrologer moved the astrolabe
slowly from point to point; again inquired
the date, the hour, even the moment Of
birth, and then readjusted the instrument
with look of unwonted interest. '.-
"Well" demanded the lady.
"If the child is yorrs, my dear Madam
you need ask nothing more in regard to
him." @
Will he die?-will the child die?" she
gasped, almost convulsively.
"No, be will live many years-with all
honor, and love, but"-and he threw the
diagrams from him-"Mad"m, he will
probably survive yourself" This was ut
tered with an expression of commisseraticn
.arely assumed by one so familiar with ex-
bitions of human emotion as the follower
of such an art must necessarily be.
.You have told me nothing" she per-
sisted; 81 must know all. l cape here
for the purpose; not as believer in your
art, it may be, but because, loving the child
as do, l can bear to know, at least what
be called To endure"
The man of science smiled at the fatty
which the remarks implied, and then re-
sumed the instruments of of profession
As he did so, he looked down upon the
face of the conshlter, and saw with what
painful interest she followed his move
ments.
"The child will live to bemuch beloved :
will reach distinguished honors; be witty,
graceful prosperous but;'@Again he
stopped.
"Tell ine all; l came to know, and
will know-let what will be-" urged the
lady.
GAS you will, then,'' resumed the astrol-
oyer, soleInnly: 'sthe child will come to a
painful end; he will be''-the words clung
to bis tongue.
"What?" persisted the visitor, turning
deathly pale, and sinking back in the
chair.
"Strangled," he replied, in low voice.
She repeated the words in q faint whis-
per, so low and hoarse it was almost in-
articulate.
"Sdme accident perhaps" she uttered,
gathering courage.
The man shook his head.
al do not understand you speak
outT
ale will be hanged"
"My God! the beautiful child the hope
of an honorable family-the sweet, beauti-
full! Oh-my God, it cannot be. Man, |
do not believe in your lying art" and
she grasped his arms as if she might shift
the terrible prophecy from her own con-
sciousness.
"Look again-it cannot be-" The man
of science went over the figures once more
and again shook his head.
"Better he should die now. have
prayed impiously for his life. Oh that he
may dep The veins of her forehead were
distended, and she held by the arm of the
chair, with look as if she might arrest the
web which the remorseless Parcoc were
spinning for her household.
The astrologer limited at the long career,
prosperous and honorable, that would inter-
vene; the improbability that she would
ever live to see the termination, and other
topics always inutile In moments of suffer
ing.
ssNo, no; if such is to be, only have
strength to bear it: must be with him,
comfort him, die with him." and tears
came to her relief. She yielded a while
to the strange consoling which tears always
afford woman; as if the good Father,
knowing her many and solitary hours of
suffering, had provided within herself this
sad fount of ef:-alas! the comforter !!
then she gathered thick veil over her
face and went out.
When she had gone, the man revised his
diagrams again, with an expression ofpain
upon his pale spiritual features; for he was
a firm believer in the truth of his profess
sion, and not one who followed it for the
mere purpose of gain. The fee, which his
visitor had laid upon the table, remained
untouched, and he talked aloud as he me-
chancally turned the index of the astrolabe.
"Poor youth! Venus favoring-graeeful.
winning, courteous-yes, yes, the idol OF
the Mercury in his dignity-elo-
quenL in speech-ready with his pen-Mars
in his house-brave as lion-ah! ah.
here comes the moon trouble-and here The
paneful Saturn-he cannot escape-poor
young man. and with beautiful sor-
row over the fate as yet unachieved-over
the folded scroll of cradle babe-he arose
heavily from his seat, and lifting his eyes,
prayed audibly for the child, that God, in
his infinite goodness, would interpose all
possible hndrances to the threatened cal
amity. He was ignorant both of the name
and station of his visitor, but he noted the
nativity in his books with much care, and
then resumed ponderous tome containing
the prophecies of Nostrodamus, endeavor-
ing to fathom their meaning; and resolv-
ing them into astrological tables, the bet
ter to aid in their Interpretation.
He remained SOME time occupied in this
manner, when the door again opened and
his visitor stood before him. She was fear
fully pale, and and her voice husky, as she
said: