North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1865-03-15

| faces of those who waited for what was com
| ing.
saw, as I watched the crowd, that the
people all seemed te be Catholics, and the
man who spoke to me, a priest. Catching
roy eye, he came close to my side, and said
| solemnly:
"This woman who is to die has violated her
faith in manner which forces the Church
to strangle her. Death is attached to her
crime as its sole penalty, and there is no help
for her this side of Heaven"
He bowed his head and groaned so bitterly
that asked in pity,
SIS she anything to you:"
"My mother! Ohsmy mother ;"'was the
reply uttered through sobt like an appeal,
and then saw the tears falling like rain over
his pale cheeks
The next moment he advanced toward a
platform around which clustered some nuns,
and one or two priests, Between two of the
nuns stood woman robed in white, and as
she turned in mounting the platform, saw
the features Of Mrs, Grey.
. A cry Of disnay died IN my throat, and
tried to spring forward, but could not. Her
eyes were fixed upon mine for one moment,
with an expression of terror and agony, as if
she would imp'ore my aid, but the next in
slant, the distress all faded and gave place to
that same sweet smile which had fingered
around her lips in parting only little while
before, and she knelt meekly to receive her
doom.
was conscious of surprise in my dream,
for until that moment | had not known that
she was Catholic. She had never said
anything to lead me to suppose she belong
ed to the church, end [ wondered at It for
had known her long time. Afterwards in
my waking hours, the same surprise seized
me when | learned that she was a Catholic
in truth, and had been for many years.
After kneeling with her face still turned to
me, she folded the fair little hands quietly
over her bosom, while TWO of the nuns placed
a long white scarf about her neck, crossing
the ends and each holding one at the side
while they began slowly to tighten it.
As the pressure became stronger, cries of
agony escaped her. can never forget the
horrors Of that deata struggle, SO fearfuly
distinct in every detail. To me an eternity
of misery was embodied in it. while was
utterly incapable Of moving from the spot.
Gradually her struggles ceased, and her
face grew pale as marble. l wondered at
that, for thought in strangulation the face
must grow black but her features We're as
pallld as snow, while no trace of the agony
seemed to linger upon it.
Slowly her form began to sink backward
then the nuns would loose the scarf with a
refinement Of cruelty, until life began to re
turn, when they would again tighten it with
savage pleasure shining from their glittering
eyes.
AL length it was over. l stepped forward
to look upon her dead face, wearing that
sweet smile at the last, so winning, so touch
ing in its gentle beauty, that my tears fell
fast over the mass of dark hair scattered over
her bosom. With loving intensity of feel
ing never exceeded in waking moments,
pressed the dark frirged lids over the blue
eyes, and stopped to kiss her as she had
kissed me, with full heart. AS raised my
head, all the crowd had vanished, and The
dark browed stranger stood alone by the
dead woman's side.
'May God bless you !" he said, in low,
husky voice, and with his pitlfully sorrowful
eyes haunting me- I stole quietly away, leav
ing him alone. had just passed beyond a
wide gate, under solemn looking arch, when
the horror of the scene 1 had witnessed
seemed to rush upon me with redoubled
power, and | awoke to find myself cold, trem
bling, and drenched with the dews of agony.
For some time after waking, sat still and
thought over this singularly fearful dream
| had not been reading anything to suggest it
before sleeping. Nor was there word in
Mrs. Grants story of an hour previous, to
superln,end anything $ frrghtful in connec-
ton with it. Nothing had occurred within
my recollection to give rise 10 such freak
of the imagination; SO as | sat pondering
this dream. my heart heavy to aching, dis
carded my old theory of dreams in which
insisted they were but reproductions of
former events or carrying out of that on
which the mind was previously occupied in
the hours Of sleep.
1t was quite late when retired, and, nat
uraily enough, | slept badly. When morn
ing dawned, rose quite weary, and went
out for walk by sunrise in the hope of shak
ing eff the imp esslons which hung so heavily
upon my mind.
The snow lay Whitley over roof and pave
ment as I walked, but did not heed The
bracing, frosty air and bright sunlight upon
cleaning icices fringing the caves of each
house, seemed to give me new life and |