M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1861-02-28

marble block before you'll All sweet
emotions frozen within it's sunkea eyes,
and those changefnl and we'll loved
expression which charmed you so in
life settling into that fixed and rigid
emile which, even in its beauty, seems
TO forbid your gaze and tell you that
vour past, in what lies there, is blot.
ted out forever. Oh! if you know the
grief Of such ascene, 1 need not tell
yOu what felt as the hours of the
next sad night wore on toward the
morrow.
His watch lay on the mantlepiece,
ticking as busily as ever. Oh! how
strange it seemed, 10 think its mas.
ter's hand wonld never rest upon it
morel / looked upon it; the hands
were pointing to the hour of three, the
night was over, and the miserable day
was close at hand. Itumvd away and
walked toward the window. | was
alone, for would not permit another
to share that vigil, and the tears trick.
led slowly down my cheeks as | paced
the floor.
Just then, ! heard that low melan-
.choly moan, apparently just withont
the easement, and starting back, held
my breath to listen. BY the faint
light Of shaded taper upon the table
] saw the window open. 1t was a
French window, and turned upon its
hinges like door, and, as it unfolied,
figure crossed the sill and stepped
softly in. 1t was that Of a woman,
dressed in white garments, and saw,
as she crept stealthily towards me,
that one hand was gone. This was no
fancy; il spirits ever came to mortal
man one stood before me now.
The apparition advanced, and so did
!. Heryor gave me courage. and |
grapled wit it. / held it in q firm aud
uRshrinking grasp, and found that it
was solid as thing of flesh and blood,
and that il mSaned and trembled as in
terror. Should | call for add This
thing, living or dead, had killed my
poor young friend. No fevered imagi.
nation conjured up the form and face,
which he believed was of the other
world. Here it was powerless in my
hands, and would exercise it or die.
While | stood irresolute, the light Of
the taper cleaned from out OF the
darkness, anG saw a man standing by
the open sash. He looked upon the
bed, and tie still! thing beneath its
snowy covering, upon me and the be.
ing grappled With, and then whis.
pered:
For GODS sake, don't hurt her, sir!
She does not know what she is doing;
she has lost her senses!'
who and what is this beingP Il
asked; 'and why does she come to
the chamber Of death at this silent
hOuri You must tell me for she is al.
ready a murderessl'
She is my WIFE, said the man, we
have lived in the next house for ten
years, and all that time she has been
mad. She has not had her senses
since her only chld was burned to
death in the same FIRE in which she
lost her hand. She was always fond
of peeping through this window, and
had not the heart to hinder her. But
one night she saw the Doctor, poor
fellow, doing something with a hand,
which, | suppose, he had brought from
the dissecting room, and has been Wild
ever since. | have not been able to
keep her from the window or even
from this room; for, you see, she
thought the hand was her own, and
wanted it back. Three times | have
followed her and brought her back
once she had the jar IN her arms and
was bringing it away. Goi help her,
she would not harm any Que; giveher
to me, and let me take her away
I let the wretched creature 60, and
he took her about the waist very ten
derly.
DO you know what she has donel'
asked.
No. replied the man. TO my
knowledge she has done nothingp
Nothing! Is that nothingr asked,
pointing to the white couch. That is
ber handiwork, She killed him. Her,
presence frightened him to DEATH
i hope not, sir said the man.
4 speak the TRUTH muttered, Bit
terly. Take her from my sight. Oh!
why did | not learn this in timer
why did | tarry on the roadside
while my dwelling was in flames, and
my wife and child in their midstl
Why is this woman, one 30 good and
beautiful, senssless maniacf said the
strange man, sadly. 1t was Gods
will, sir, and we cannot alter it. Good
night. May He comfort you.
And thus speaking, he led the
wretched woman through the window,
and away over the sloping roof, with
the soft, carsssing kindness OF lover,