The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-02-19
Nirhmrnn Dispatrt.
HORROR: A TRUE TALE.
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Istopped Lucy's mouth with q kiss l d,
ciined ner offer. would not lis ten 10 it. j
TACT, my pride was up in arms, and l felt
wonid rather pass the night IN the church
yard itself than accept q proposal dictated
felt sure, by the notion that my nerves wer
shaken by the ghoStly lore we had been rak
ing up, that was weak, superstitioes crea
tnre, unable 10 pass a night in a strange cham
Der. So would not listen TO Lucy, but kiss
ed her, babe her good night, and went on m
way laughing, to show my light heart. Yet
80 looked back in the dark corridor, and saw
the friendly door still aiar, the yellow bar o
light still crossing from wall TO wall, tn
sweet, kind face stil peering after me from
amid its clustering curls, felt a thrill o
sympathy, wish 10 return, yearntng afte
human love and eompauioasAip. False sham,
was strongest and conquered. i waved :
gay aaieu. / turned the corner and peepfn.
over my shoulder, ! saw the door close
the bar OF yellow light was there n,
longer in the darkness of the passage
thought, at that ins; ant, that heard u heav,
sigh. / looked sharply round. No one wa
there, NO door was open, yet fancieti, ant
faucied with a wonderful yiyidness that
did hear an actual sigh breathed not far off
and plainly distnguishabic from the groan a
the sycamore branches, as ihe wind tossed
litein 10 ana iro IN the outer blackncss Ifeye
moriaIs good angel had cause to sigh fo,
sorro" not sin, mine had cause 10 mourn thai
hlgnt Bnt imagination plays us strange
'iIcAs, ana my nervous system was not over
had to so through the picture gallery.
haa never entered this apartment by candle
.,ght before, and was struck by the gloomy
array OF tall portraits, gazing iaooaiiy from
the canvas on the iozenge- paned or painted
windows, which ratified to the blast as il : wept
rowing by. Many OF the faces looked stern
ana very different from their daylight expires
SION In others, Il furtiye Uickering smile
seemed 10 MOCK me, as my candle Illumined
Them; aud in all, the eyes AS usual wi tn arts
portraits, seemed TO follow my motions with a
scrutiny and an in terest the more marked for the
apathetic Immortality of the other features
telt i'll al ease under this stony gaze though
conscious how absurd were my apprehensions;
and L called up smile and an air of Inirth
more as II acting part under the eyes OF HUI
man beings, than of their mere shadows on
the wall. leven laughed az l confronted them
No echo had my short-lived laughter but from
'ae hollow armor and arching roof, and |
on, hQued Oh my way in silence | have
snnk., ~ the armor. Indeed there was a
fine colIecth N OF Plate and mail, for my IA Their
vas an enthusI- e'iI ssft'q udfy. IN especial
there were two ST. ats OF black armor, erect
and surmounted bv he. 'mets with closed visors,
which stool As if tWo ma. eIi champions We're
guarding the gallery and its ..'e@7tfes. nad
often these, of course, but n 'ei ~ nlshl,
and never when my whole organiZa p7'e was so |
oxrrwrougat and trem ulous as it til "a wits |
As approached the Black knights, 3's "e
had dubbed them, wild notion selzed on 'se /
that the figures moved, mat men Were coz
Cealed in the hollow shells which had once
been borne in battle and tourney. L knew the |
IDEA was childish, yet approached IN IRA
tioraI alarm, and fancled absolutely beheld
ewes glazing on ne from the eyelet- holes IN
the visors. : oaEsed them by, and then my
excited fancy toIa me bat the figures were
following me with stealIhy strides. L heard
n CHATTER OF steel caused, al s3'Te, by some
more violent gust OF wind sweeping the gal
Iery through the creyiceS OF the Old WlIid0WS,
anu with a smothered shrek rushed 70 the
door, opened il, dtrted out, and clapPed II TO
with q bang that re-ecaoed through the whole
al bp
uncommon reyuision of feeling, L shook OF
my aimless terrors blushed N my weakness, !
and sought my chamber, only too glad that |
had been the only witness OF my late tfemofS. :
As | entered my chamber, | thought | heard | !
aclre hing stir in the neglected lumber room, | ,
Yhich was the only neighboring apdrtinent.-
But was determined to have no more panics,
and resoiutely shut my ears to this slight and
transient IL DISC, which had nothing unnatural
in il for surely between rats and wind,
Did manor house ON stormy night needs no
sprites TO dis turb it. So l entered my room, | I
md rang for my maid. As l did so, / looked
around me, and q most unaccountable repug-
nance 10 my temporary abode came over me,
N spite OF my efforts / was 40 more to be
shaken Off than chill is to be shaken Off
when enter some damp cave. And, rely |
lpon it, the feeling Of dislike and apprehen- {
sion with which we regard, at first sight, GER
ain places and people. was not implanted in |
t is irrdtional-mere animal instlnct-but
s not instinct Gods gift, and is il for {
IS to despise it1 It is by instinct
heir enemies-that they distinguish with
uch unerring accuracy between those who
ike them and those who only 1iatter and hate 6
hem. Dogs do the same they Will fawn on
ne person, they stink snarling from another |
show me II man whom children and dogs
hrinh from, and will show you n false bad
nan-Les on his lips and murder at his heart. :
10; letnone despise the heaven sent gift of
innate antipathy, which makes the horse | :
uail when the lion crouches in the thicket- 6
Which makes the cattle scent the shambles |
rom afar, and low in terror and disgust as
heir nostrils snuff the blood poliu ted air. l /
cit this antipathy strongly us l looked /
round me in my new sleeping room, and yet :
could lind no reasonable preteXt for my dis =
Ike A very good room 1t was, liter ALL now :
hat the green damask cur iIns were drawn,
he fire burning bright and clear, candles
urning on the man teipiece, and the various
amiliar articles OF toilet arranged as usual
he bed TOO, looked peaceful and inyiting-a
re tty lit tie white bed, not at all the gaunt
unereal sortof couch which haunted apart
lents generally contain. My maid entered,
nd assis ted noe 10 lay aside the dress ana or
alnents l had worn, anu arranged my hair.
S usual, prattling the while, ill Abigail fash
IN. seldom cared TO converse with ser :
ants /; but on that night sort of dread of
eng left alone--a longing to keep some HUI :
IAN being near me-possessed me, and L en-
outraged the girl to gossip, SO that her duties
ook her half an hour longer to get through
IAN usual. AT last, no We yer, she had done
II that could be done, and ali my ques ions Ct
Tere answered, and my orders for the morrow W
,iterated and vowed obedience to, and the
lock on the turret struck one Then Mary, 4
winnings little, asked If / wanted ANYTHING A
ore, and was obliged to answer No for 4
cry shame's sake; and she went. The shut
ng OF the door, gently as II was closed, at Ar
eted me anpeasantly. | took a dislike to 81
he curtains, the tapestry, the dingy pictures
every thing / hated the room. / felt a be
mptation 10 put on a cloak, run, half dress -,
!, TO my sisters chamber, and say l had z
pUa1 o Wi md and pnrr1 fars hulf I,t
icy must be asleep, thought, and l could
II be SO unkind as to wake them. / said my
rayers with unusual earnestness and Il :.
eavy heart. l extinguished the candles, and II
as Just about TO lay my head on my pillow, ~
hen the idea seized me that L would fasten w
le door. The candles were extinguished, but vi
le hire Light was amply sufficient TO guide
e. gained the door. There was lock, be
AZ il was rusty or hampered; my utmost =,
rength could not turn the key The bolt az
as broken and worthless. Baulked of my I
TEN ton, consoled myself by remembering L
lat had never had need of fas Jennings vet
I'd returned to my bed. / lay awake for a
,od while, watching the red glow of the :,
lrning Goals in the CRATE. L was quiet now, ~
Id more composed. Even the light gossip "a
the maid, full of petty human cares and -
VS., had done me good-diverted my thoughts
ON brooding. / was on the point of drop q,
ng asleep, when ! was twice disturbed =
nee, by an owl, hooting in the ivy outside
unaceus toned sound, bat harsh and mel ri
leholy once, by long and mournful howl
& set up by the astin, chained in the yard
You'd the wing occupied. A long drawn,
gnbrlous bowling, was this latter, and =,
ueh such a note as the vulgar declare to ~
.rald a death in the family. This was ii "
ncy had never shared but yet could not s }"
Zip feeling that the dogs moarnful means
ere sad, and expressive of terror, not at =,
ike his fierce, honest bark OF anger but 4
liher us II some thing evil ana unwonted were Hs
broad But soon fell asleep. How long / by
sp'' never knew. i awoke at once, with -