, 1858-08-20

hail burst like platoon of small shot on the
window, and fash Of vivid lightning was fol-
lowed by one Of the most tremendous pcals Of
thunder have ever heard.
" "Hark!" cried the old woman startling, "was
not that shriek?"
We listened, but the cry was not repeated; ;
we rushed to the door, but no other sound was
heard than the raging Of the river, and the roar
Of the sea-wavcs breaking on the bar.
Dick soon after came home, and the boat
having swung back to her station, embarked
with him, and reached the opposite inn, where
] soon went to bed. Scarcely had laid my head
on the pillow, when sudden inexplicablc terror
fell upon me; shook with an unknown horror; ;
! was as it were, conscious that some invisible
being was lowering beside me, and could hardly
muster fortitude enough to refrain from rousine
the house. At last fell asleep; II was perturb-
ed and unsOundj strange dreams and vague fears
scared me awake, and in them were dreadful
images Of soldier numbering female, and open
graves, and gibbet.irons swinging in the wind.
My remembrance has no parallel to such another
night
But when the night returned next year, 1 was
seized with an unaccountable detection; It
weighed me down; tried to shake il Off but
was unable; the mind was diseased, and could
no more by resolution shake off its discomfort
than the body by activity can dispel fever. /
retired to my bed greatly depressed but never.
theless fell asleep. At midnight, however, l
was summoned to awake by hideous and unde-
Unable terror; it was the same vague conscious
ness Of some invisible visitor being near that |
had once before experienced, as have described,
and ] again recOllected M6cton and Mary Blake
in the same instant; saw-for cannot now
believe that It was less than apparitional- the
unhappy pair reprOaehing one snother. As
looked, questioning the integrity Of my sight the
wretched bride turned round and looked at me,
How shall l express my horror when for the
ruddy beauty which she once possessed, beheld
the charnel visage Of skull; started up and
cried aloud with such alarming vehemence, that
the whole inmates Of the house, with lights in
their hands, were instantly in the room-shame
would not let me tell what had seen, and, en-
deavoring to laugh, l accused the nightmare Of
the disturbance.
This happened while I was at watering place
on the west coast was living in boarding
house with several strangers; among them was
a tall pale German gentleman, Of grave i'm
pFCssive physiognomy. He was the most intel
ligent and shrewdest observer have ever met
with, and he had in singular degree the gin Of
discerning spirit In the morning when we rose
frOn the breakfast table, he took me by the arm,
and led me out upon the lawn in front Of the
house; and when We were at some distance from
the rest Of the company, said,
Excuse me, sir, for must ask an impcrti-
nent question, Was it indeed the dream Of the
nightmare that alarmed you last nightg"
81 have no objections to answer you freely;
but tell me first, why you ask such question:
at is but reasonable. l had friend who
was painter; none ever possessed an imagina-
ton which discerncd better how nature in her
mysteries should appear. One Of his pictures
was the scene Of Brutus when his evil genius
summoned him to PhiliPpi, and, strange to tell,
;us whcn I'M ,Lo o,I,o.. ~, -, - ~. -, -
room last night you looked so like the Brutus in
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