The Union. [volume] (Georgetown, Del.) 1863-1866, 1864-03-11

swering In the affirmative, rang Tor tne
old servant, gave her nephew her hand,
which he kissed, and dismissed him as
from the royal presence. ~. ~. -,
1t was strange old room to which the
servant conducted Irving, with a mighty
bedstead lost at one end, androom enough
for myriad phantoms in its shadowy cor
ners. The young man was no coward, but
he would have given much for less
gloomy room. 5 r. e
He left the candle burning when he
laid down, and, for long time, found 1T
impossible to close his eyes. At last, how
ever, he fell asleep, and must have re-
manned unconscious for three hours, for
it was nine when he looked at his watch
before placing it beneath his pillow, and
some distant church clock was striking
twelve when he suddenly started broad
awake again. The candle had gone out;
but the moon had arisen, and a flood OF
silvery light filed the chamber, so bright
was it that the very figure Of the green
carpet ON the floor was visible, and the di-s
visions Of the oaken wainscot which ran
breast high around the room.
At first this was all that he saw, but in
an instant something else arose before his
eyes which made him doubt his senses
How it came, or whence, he could not tell
but there, before him, stood a child-the
tiniest creature, draped in white, holding
its little arms towards him, and weeping.
Irving's first idea was, that some child,
of whose presence he had not been aware,
had left its bed and wandered away in the
great house, and he spoke to it cunningly:
"What has happened, little one r.
The child wept the more. Irving, felt
a sort of dread creeping over him, but he
spoke again :.
'sDo you want anything?"
And the little creature answered iu a
silvery wall
81 want to be with my mother"
"Who is your mother Where is sheF'
There was no answer to the query, but
!, the child moved towards the door, beck
oning with its small finger and Irving,
against his will, arose and followed it. He
was cold with terror now, for this seemed
like no human child but he had no more
{ power to stay his footsteps than if he had
, been in some giants grasp.
/ Out into the passage, down the stairs
along the broad hall, the child fitted
| making no sound with its bare feet. Al
) the end of this it paused and held up iti
, finger. Irving paused too.
) They had come to flight of broad
stone steps, which led to what was called
, the s'milk-room." Down there the little
form glided, and Irving followed. Nc
} moonlight shone here, but amidst the
/ darkness sort of silver has also seemed
, to encircle the child, and revealed fla
, white stone at the foot Of the steps, deep
=; ly bedded in the earth.
"Let me lie by my mother" it said again
e in the same futc.like wall, and seemed tt
| sink into the stone before Irving Hey
e woods very eyes. All grew dark, and
e filled with indescribable terror, the youns
e man sped up the stairs and sought his own
f couch once more.
r In the morning he half fancied that HI
g had slumbered and dreamt all this, and
as the day passed on, wellnigh forgot wha
Ii he had seen. His aunt conversed witt
n him, took her place at the table, and eve
it walked with kim in the garden; but sh
) continued to speak of her end as fast az
vi preaching, and to allude to the hour i
e which he should be master there as clos
Is at hand. rE
d At nine she once more dismissed he
l nephew, as though he had been a schoo
If boy, to his bed in the oak-paneled chan
ber, Irving Haywood resolved, however
t, that neither nightmare nor vision shoul
/, disturb his sleep that night, and, wrappin
1T himself in the coyerlid, soon slumbere
a. soundly. A
But again it was his fate to start awak
IN at midnight, and to see straight befor
r him, in the bar of silver moonlight, thi
ID baby figure This time it did not becko
d, him. 1t only held up its finger warning
* ly and walled
a "Bury me with my mother, or l wi
m haunt you" r49
Sc But, though it was gone instantly, tt
ry effect upon the strong man was SO gre
i'd that he tainted.
or When he came to himself it was broa
of day, and there was running to and fro, ar
- the sound of troubled voices in the hous
ed Miss Haywood had been taken ill-so
as that she could not speak to him, or I
lg anything but toss and moan. 70 Ira s-l
So ill that before night she lay dead
re the room where she had slept for fifl
d. years, looking in death as queen-hke
Id she had in life, with her rippling viii
/" hair smoethed back from her .forehea
llf and the full lids dropping softly as thoue
he she lay asleep. They laid her TO rest
-, the .church-yard. -'. ~, .- ~.
N. Irving Haywood became master of Il
it; dwelling, and brought his mother from b
he city home to live there with him. Yet
on prosperity he was more miserable than i
Is. ] had. been in adversity, for the vision whI
of had appeared to him ON. that first mi
of night was his nightly visitor---sleep whe
i he would and still, assit appeared, it ]
nms ~ peated that one wailing cry las saay
nd oc'Lay me by my mother = .oeviw
it, 4. AT last, goaded to desperation, he arc
eseI one night and followed it along the b
ieh and down the stone steps, and saw it va
not ish as it had done before But not as
/ / fore did he leave it, With might 3
ess main he set himself TO lifting the bro
for stone from its place, a 1t was weary Ia
r but he succeeded at last, and it stood !