Gazette and sentinel., 1861-03-09


be upon the high road to recovery.
All that time | had never left him,
day or night. Study had been thrown
aside, and business abandOned-all
earthly interest seemed centred i'll the
dying friend, beside whose pillow | had
watched so anxiously. When the hap
py hour ofIconvalescence came, could
have wept for joy.
One day l had been sitting beside
Robert reading from ali old book to
which he loved to listen until the tWi-
light fell, and the room grew 50 dark
! that | could not see the words. Then
my friend said to me, clay down beside
me, Greystock, and rest a ntt'e while
you must be weary" and il my happy
confidence of his safety, obcyed, and
had scarcely flung myself upon the pIi-
low, ere slumber overlook me. How
long | slept | know not, b t | was "a
Weakened by "a low moan, and lifting my
head | saw Robert sitting upright gaz-
ing through the window.
Bob, dear Bob T. | eiacu,ltoi, what
is the matter?"
Il committed sacrilegc,' moaned my
friend, land this is my punishment.
Robert, she has been here again. Put
your arm about me, and let me die on
your shoulder
Horrow-stricken, | Supported him mp
on my breast, called to God for and, an0
prayed for one smile, for one more word
from those pale. lips, but all IN ain
Tie voice was hushed f%orcve., The eyes
grew CLASSY, the cold hand Stltfened IN
my own, aud the white moonlight fell
upon a dead mans face, as | pressed
my last kiss upon his lips.
Have You ever watched BESIDE the
dead, dear reader? Do you know what
it is To See a form which once was full
of life and mirth lay like a marble flock
before You? All sweet emotions frozen
within it's sunken eyes, and thuse
~chaugefuil and well-lnved expressions
which SO charmed you in life, settling
into that fixed and rigid smile, which;
even in its beauty, seems To forbid your
gaze and tell you that your partln what
lies there is blutted out forever. On,
if you knew the grieI of such a scene,
need not tell YOU what felt, as the
hours of the mex sad night wore on to-
ward the morning.
His watch lay on the mantlc-plcce,
ticking as loudly as ever. On, how
s. strange it seemed, to think its masters
hand would never TEST upon II more. /
looked upon it the hands were pom =
ing 10 the hour of three ; the night was
over and the miserable day was close
at nand. | turned away and walked
toward the window. | was alone, tor
: would not permit another t" share thai
! vigil, and the tears trickled slowly
) down my cheeks as | walked the loor.
: Just then | heard once more that low,
. melancholy moan, apparently just with,
{ out the easement, and starting back
$ held my breath to listen. By the faint
, light of a shaded taper upon the table,
I | saw the window open. 1t was a
! French window and turned upon It's
: : hinges like "a door, and, as it unfOlded.
u a figure crossed the sill and stepped
softly in. 1t was that of a woman,
. dressed in white garments, and saw
as she crept steathily toward Inc, tina
one hand was gone. This was no fancy
e if spirits ever came to mortal mai . II
stood before me now.
J The apparition advanced and SO did
T.. Horrow gave me- courage, and | crap
). pied with it. | held it in a firm, un
shrinking grasp, and found that it wa
e. solid as a thing of flesh and blood, ant
10 that it moaned and trembled as if in ter
+; ror Should | call for aid? The thing
3 living or dead, had killed my poo
he young friend. No fevered imagination
5, conjured up the form and face, whicI
e. he believed was of another world.
II Here it was powerless in my bands
10 and | would exercise it or die. While
. stood irresolute, the light of tape
+ CLEANED from out the darkness, and
D. saw a man standing by the open sasl
10 He looked upon the bed, and the stu
?, thing beneath its snowy covering, upo
70 me and the being | grapplcd with, ali
, then whispered ::
d. For Gods sake, don't hurt ler, sir
8 She does not know what she is doing
she has lost her senses !"
"a "Who and what is this being p
r asked "and why does she come to tn
er chamber of death at this silent hour
re You must tell me, for she is already
mprderess 7" d"
"She is my wife," said the man Wv
1 have lived in the same house for te
o years, and all the time she has bee
d. mad. See has not had her senses sine
a her only child was burned to death
ne the same fire in which she lost her han'
IN She was always fond Of peeping throug