Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1862-03-18
A MIDNIGHT ADVENTURE.

Midnight-twelve o'clock precisely. The
town clock had just proc ia med it to all W hn
had ears TO hear and wish to listen. |
had been 20 the theater.-It was interest
ing, and bad stayed t. the end. 1t was
some little distance cut Of town, and on
my way homewnrd my steps led me past
one of the city cemeteries. At the SPOT |
stepped unintentioraily, CT perhaps nv
thoughts caused me 10 pause. It was a
beautiful summers night, and took
things generally easy.
| had ever been fond Of testing nv own
courage, merely for my own bcneft-my
own confidence, my experience What a
lucky chance A graveyard Mt Black mid
night. Were the gstes locked 4! M. |
entered. IL was here that my POOR parents
were buried here lay the last mortal re-
mains "t those once So dearly loved aud
respected had very Otter visited and
kneit by their graves hefore-ty the quie,
homes Il the denf mourning in melau-
ch"iy silence my l".s and bereavement. but
ever before had arrr,arhpd TT NIGHT.
Was | timld-isOr.ul Why. no: there
was nothing 10 fear was no coward,
though could not help noticing how
gl""my, how very lanely and sad lo.king,
every thing lie orr me appeared pass,
oI--ou through the long path by the still
drnoPing wii'ow-on past the white row Of
tomhst' 8 aid raised m uuds, t. my pa
rents graves.
| wnlked with firmer stem and ouieter
ne-ve than | ad tIpec:ej, though tue idea
o: my sruat O" caused III" ~ shudder PER
ceptii le once in VIII lie; and here l Veg
Won to remcn ter that with the slcuiest
1
OF similar seusrr,cr.--N Mt fear, not cow
ardice; ! would rot style i; that, tut rath-
er nervrusr es-, deep feeling, sensi,ivepess
sat down on NY mothers grave, and
gnzrt about my singular position. A cool
% g'':. Fat tleetirg II lack clouds over
hea5, ind caring ram. breaking nuw and
th~u ger nc -;ar .udded sky. casting
II aEIy shadows slnng through tie rows of
cry' Tie fright moon, now perhrpe,
dampc! If It's briIiancy, half hid behind
the racing cl, uds, wnud metimes shoot
out f its shr I'D, and cast bright stream
Of light upon the weary earth, chasing the
retrsarirg shadows before il, ind running
up 20 my very feet Then aga'n would it
sink in the sutrrur ny cloucs ard The
log shadows, cro"ji uE over tie silcI I
grou' d. like srcctres, added strange as
pPtt to the scene. Whll' the ". insy,ir-
ing W nds, gently wa'tipg through the full
! TeayeI trees. would make sound like
that Of d'cppiug rain. To lie solitary
visitor # such ! lace. ut such time. was
| not very desirable luxury: and remem
her whon. IN ny carly childhood, shpu'd
| have shudiered at the very idea of II.
Very naturally my thoughts became
dire, ted 10 tn So who hnt passed before me
4
| generally the case with rra deep in
! thought. nv eyes became rivited on one
! spot, some little distance in front &C me,
| across the path, where saw, by dim moon
( light new made grave-auothcr tene>
ment to the Anal. the universal resting
! lace. That il was n poor rrTsnu that had
/ hcen buried there judged by its situation
! Yes, indeed, wealth aud poverty follow t"
/ the tomb. retainiuC their outward mark OF
/ distinction even there.
/ Perhaps ! wnuIo not have noticed ii;
! but was it fancy-was 1t reality? | saw
something move upon it. l cautiously
! rose and approached. What caught my
bare feet. stretched across the mound. A
child soLFiug-mournfully sGbbing
! advanced aid touched the little specimen
| cf humanity IN the shoulder.
| With start he jumped to his feet, and
! turned his fearful. sorrOwing face toward
/ me Frightened and angry at this inter
ruption, he attempted to escape.
| Stop. my little fellow said !, in as
! gentle tone a. the occasion " ould permit,
md catching him by the arm Come tell
! nee what you arc crying fer. Don't be
+, afraid what is your name -
! 10 81,
! his tears.
Aud fer what are you crying sof
| Poor boy, he broke from my grasp,
| threw himself down over the grave with
! such scream a. | thought would have
| broken his heart, aud scbbed pi,eously,
! 'Oh, mother, mother! Deer mother!
Alas! well knew for what he was
weeping HIS beet friend and parent.
! ,aken fr,m hIr1 al early an age! II was
! a sad las, indeed; de"uly symra'hrzed
With h,m And sseh affection tooi A,
tle hour Of ida git. mourning in solitude
over the silent tomb | managed 10 quiet
! him-auestioned and learned more of his
! history His mother had been buried that
! afternoon His father was yetliving- 81
| brothers, nor sisters. Poor, lonely child
Strange was it strange ?--I thought
I q " OF nv OWE ~ iiie--l ''bt W wy
time. NV mind was engrossed in the fate
of the p"nr. helpless little fellow beside me.
| On be led me, on through blind. narrow
ALLEYS. fllnwed the cold, snail hard
wherever it led Il stopped at last in
front of crooked, rotten looking building,
! dirty and ancient, a far as cOu!d ascer
tain in the DARK. lie spoke not word,
but went up pitch dark, broken pair Of
! stairs, stumbling at almost every step
and scarcely knowing whether it was dis
Greet. whether il was policy or not. to pro
coed any further. though | dearly loved
adventure and now | certainly knew not
Whist was before nae. A last my guide
put he bar to ia'cb | could only tel! 1t
was such by the sound) and ouened door.
A low, gsrret-lnoking room, with but
two small windows, half of the lights stuffed
with ragr. The ceiling broken, cracked
and dirty, A small table, and light f:
lob poverty y one bit of taliow candle
Pickering and wasting by the wind from
the window-stuck between three nails on
a block Of wood, threw dim glare over
the greater portion Of the apartment.
In one corner there lay heap of rags,