Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1864-12-17


The horror was upon him after he woke
to know it was dream, and opening the
door he looked in upon the table. No
change there of any kind. The long
sheeted figure lay in the halflight Of dawn
as he had seen it 10 the lamp light, very
straight and still.
1t was not until nearly noon that Ashley
raised the covering to look once again
upon the beautiful dead face, and when
he did so he saw with wonder, not un
mixed with terror, that q change had
come upon it. He could not tell what it
might be; the deattly pallor was there
still, but in some way the face was not The
same. He looked into it long and cur
iousiy. Surely change had passed over
the eyes, fcT though they were still fast
shut they looked now as though closed in
sleep rather than in death. He lifted an
eyeid tcnderIy with his fugir; there was
not death in the eye uusciousness, trance,
there might be, but not death
He was certain now that she was not
dead, though he could find 10 life in her
pulses. For hours, be strove 10 call back
the spirit until at length color returned
aud warmth, and life, and she lay before
him sleeping TRANQUILITY like child. He
had placed her on his bed, and now sat by
h"r side with a throbbing cart TO await
her awakening.
She slept SO long, aud in the waning
isht looked so pale that he feared she
was. again about 10 fall into the strange
dcalhly trance from which he had with so
much difficulty recovered her. In bis ter
FOR of that he cried out for her to awake
and the sound of his cry awcke her with
Il start
lie had prepared speech that was tc
calm and re-assurs ber when she wok,
bewildered TO find herself so strapgel,
clothed and lodged but she no NOR,
needed calming and reassurpg than al
iriant too young to know its mother from
any other Woman. She looked rount
with wondering gaze that was almos
iufantinc. and her eye resting upon AISLE =
she sat up in the bed and asked him in hi
own language for food. 1t was evideo
that she had no recollection of illness ,ant
neither anxiety nor curiosity as to he
present position.
! She ate the food which was brought t
her with appetite, aud would have rise
from the bed parently unconscious tha
she wore no garment but shroud, ha
not Ashley persuaded her to lie down an
sleep again.
lie left her again sleeping, and went t
another room profoundly puzzled. Her
was this beautiful woman, ignorant, an
almost helple as child, thrown upo
him for pr election, as it was clear that SD
did not remember anything which woul
lead to the discovery OF her friends.
was possible that her senses had left be
altogether, never to returni the lovel
feature might be harmless idiot all IL
rest of her days. Her speaking Engls
was another puzzls. She might be a
England woman-her beauty was certain
ly of the Saxon type-or she might onl
have learnt the English language; but
so. how came that knowledge to have bee
retained when all else seemed gonel
Her perplexi4y was interrupted by Il
, entrance of the cause Of it. She stood
the door wrapt round in one Of the b.
r coverings, looking at him with swe'
$ childish, vacant expression, that was touc
9 ing in its belplesSness, II must call h
something" thought he, as she Stood a
parently waiting for him to speak, "h
4 name shall be Mary"
+ "Are you better, Mary, aud will y
4 sit in this chair"
She paid no attention to the inquir
but took the offered seat, and begun s
emily rocking herself to and fro. 1t h
. such ghostly effect to see her there
!. the lamplight, robed in the long VIII
y. drapery, with her beautiful face still pa
O though no longer deathly, rocking hers
!. in silence, that Ashley felt sensation We
e like fear through him. He must do som
n thing for he could not bear this. He to
Il up book, the first that camc to hand
it was an England one-and offered it
$ her, asking if she would like to read.
!. She took it with cbidlike smile, a
laying it upon her knees, began to hut
/, Its leaves backward and forward, play
|. dly with them
A, "Good heavens ~ said Ashley to hi
,e salf, "sho is mad, imbecile at any rate;
:. u,nst A., komethipg with her "