The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-12-31

DICKENS's CHRISTMAS STORY.
Dickcnss usual Christmas story appeared
in al the Fear Round. 1t is miniature
imitation of Wilkie Coliins's The Woman
IN White, only in this case there are num-
Der of stories composed by different wri-
tiers, while Collins wrote all the various
parts which lie so happily wove into "ne
| whole. One of the tales composing Dick
cnSs Christmas story is called "The Sigma!
Man" The following extract will give
good idea Of the entire story. The writer
represents that he became acquainted with
a signal man on railroad who informed
| him that On two occasions an apparition
had made ghoStly signs to him from near
the mouth Of the tunnel he watched, and
the signs had in both instances been fol-
lowed by terrible accidents and loss of
life on the trains. All arguments TO con-
vince him that these were mere CoinCi-
dences and the apparitions imaginary had
no effect upon him. He was then in great
trouble because the ghost had appeared 10
him on the third occasion at the mouth Of
the tunnel with bis left sleeve across his
ewes, passonatcly waving his right arm, as
if to say, For Gods sake clear the way !"
At this moment we introduce d" The Signal
Man" TO the reader:
"By this time you will fully understand,
sir" be said, "that what troubles me 50
,,Il, La, Il
the spectre mean p"
I vas not sure, told him, that l did
fully understand.
"What is ilswarning against" he said,
Illuminating. with his eyes on the fire, and
only by times turning them on me. What
is Ihe danger? Where is the danger :
There !, dagger oycrhangiug somewhere
ON the line. Some dreadful calamity Will
happen. II is not TO be doubted this third
tim, after what has gone before. But
surely This is cruel haunting OF me. VIA.
can do to &"crt ,"
lie pulled ont his handkerchief and
wiped the drops from his heated forehead.
q Il | telegraph danger Oh either side OF
me. or on both, ! can give 80 reason for 1t"
ne went on, Wi, ing the palms OF his hands.
II Should Get ito trouble and do no good
+ Taer wyuId think was mad. This is the
way it would work: Message Danger.
! TlEc care Answer y hat daugcrE
I Where Message Don't know. But tor
Gods sakc tal,e care" They would dis
,lacc me. What else could they do"
His pain Of mind was most pitjable 10
sec. Il was the mental torture OF con-
scientiouS man, suppressed beyond endu-
rance ~ an UuiltclIigib!e responsibility
involving life.
when it first stood under the Danger
TcLt, he went on, putting his dark hair back
. from his forehead and drawing his hands
outward across and across his temples IN
an extremity OF feyeriSh distress, "why
not tell me where that accident was t.
: happcn--ii il must happen? Why not tell
me how il could he aycrted-it Ii could
have been aycrted. When on its second
coming it hid its face, why not tell me in
stead 'Shc is going to die. Let them
keen her at hOmcn If il came on those
two occasions only to show me that It's
warnings were true, and 50 to prepare me
for the third, Why not warn me plainly
and |, Lord help me. y mere poor signal
man on this solitary station. Why not 60
to somebody with credit to be believed
and power 10 act p
when | saw hm in this state | saw that
for the poor mans sake, as we'll as for the
public safety, what | had to do for the
time was to compose his mind. Therefore,
setting aside all question Of reality OF un-
reality between MS, | represented to him
that whoever thoroughly discharged his
duty must do well, and that at least it was
| his comfort that lie understood his duty,
though he did not understand these con-
! founding appearances. In this effort sue
ceeded Ear better than in the attempt to
reason him out of his conviction. He be-
came calm; the occupations incidental TO
| his post, as the night advanced, began to
make larger demands on his attention and
I left him at in the morning. had Of
tcred to stay through the night, but he
would not hear of it.
That | moro than once looked back at
the red light as | assembled the pathway,
that | did not like the red light, and that
should have slept but poorly II my bed had
| been under ii, | see no reason to conceal.
| Nor did ! like the two sequences OF the
accident and the dead girl. | see no rca-
son TO conceal that either.
! But what ran most in my thought was
the consideration how | ought 10 act,
| having become the recipient Of this dlSclo-
sure ! had proved the man to be intel
ligent, vigilant, painS-taking, and exact !;
| but how long might he remain so, in his
state of mind! Though i'll a subordinate
position, still he held most important
trust, and would |, for instance, like to
stake nv own life on the chances OF his
continuing to execute i! with precision.
Unable to overcome a feeling that there
would be something treacherous in COM
municating what lie had told me to his
supcriors in the company without first
being plain with himself and proposing a
middle course 10 him, ultimately resolved
to offer to accompany him otherwise
| keeping lis secret for the presently to the
wiSest medical practitioner we could near
of in those parts, and To take his opinion.
A change in his time Of duty would come
round next night, he had appriSed me, and
he would be off an hour on two after sun
set. / had appointed TO return accord
ipgly.
Next evening was lovely evening, and
| walked out early to enjoy it. The sun
was not yet quite down when | traversed
The field-path near the top of the deep cut
ting. ] would extend my walk for an hour,
| said TO myself, half an hour on and half
an hour back, and it would then be time
| To 90 to my signalman's box.
Before pursuing my stroll stepped to
the brink, and mechanically looked down
from the point from which ! had first seen
him. | cannot describe the thrill that