The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1867-10-23
sTAUNTQN VIRGINIA WEDNESDAY MORNING OCTOBER g. 1861

| Ill tlWe, sue, LOO, SpFaHS IoTWaTu dt LIE sam
time the ponies came smash on the gate
Shehad made her spring too late, and fel
heavily, to the ground on her head. TIL
| heavy, old fashioped combof the period, witt
which her hair was looped up, was driven il
to her skull by the force Of the fall. TIL
Duke of Richmond, a witness to the acct
dent, ran to her assistance, lifted her up ant
rested her head upon his knees. The onl,
words Mrs NJ. had spoken. were uttered a
that time: Good God, my children" By
direction Of the Duke she was Immediately
conveyed to neighboring inn, where every
assistance, medical and otherwise, that fore
thought or kindness could suggest, was afford
ed her, ..
AT six o'clock in the evening, the time al
which my wife had gone into the stable ane
seen what we both now knew had been,fhel
spirit, Mrs. NJ, in her sole interval of re
turning consciousness, had made a violent bu
unsuccessful attempt to speak. From hel
glance having wandered round the room, in
solemn, awful usefulness, it had been conjec
tured she wished to see some relative OF friend
not then present. 80. -.q.... ...s
went to Goodwood in the gig with Mr.
Pinnock, and arrived in time to see my sister.
in-iaw die at two o'clock in the morning.
Her only conscious moments had been those
in which she labored unsuecesstully tospeak
which had occurred at SIX clock She wore
black silk dress
When we come to dispose of her business,
and to wind up her affairs, there was scarce
ly anything left for the two orphan girls
Mrs Is father however being well to do;toek
them to bring them up. At his death, which
happened soon afterward, his property went
to his eldest son, who speedily dissipated the
Inheritance. During a, space Of two years
the. children were taken as visitors by various
relations in turn, and lived an unhappy life
with no settled home.
For some time I had. been debating with
myself how to help these children, having
many girls and boys of my own to provide
for. had almost settled to take them my
self, bad as trade was with me at the time,
and bring them p.with my own family, when
one day business called me to Brighton. The
business SO urgent that it necessitated my
travelling at night.
[ set out from Bognor in close-headed
gig on beautiful moonlight winters night,
when the crisp, frozen snow lay deep over the
earth, and its fine lglittering dust was whsrled
about in little eddies on the bleak night wiud
driven now and then in singing powder
against my tingling cheek, warm and glow
ing in the sharp air. / had taken my great
dog ''Bose" (short for "Boatswin" y for COM
pany. He lay blinking wakefully, sprawled
out on the spare seat Of the gig, beneath a
mass of warm rugs. -
Between Little Hampton and Worthing is
lonely piece Of road, long and .dreary.
through bleak and bare open country, where
the snow lay knee, deep, sparkling in: the
moonlight It was SO cherries that l turned
round to speak to my dog, more for the sake
of hearing the soundof a voice than any thing
else "Good Bose,,' I said, patting him !;
''there's good dog p Then suddenly / no
ticed he shivered, and skunk under the wraps
Then the horse required my attention, for
he gave start and was going wrong, and
had nearly taken me into the ditch.
Then Hooked up. Walking at my horses
head; dressed in "a sweeping robe, so white
that it. shoae dazzling against the white snow,
| saw lady, her back turned to me, her head
bare her hair dishevellel and strayed, show
ing sharp and black against her white dress
/ was at first so much surprised at seeing d
lady, SO dressed, exposed to the open night
and such a night as this, that scarcely knew
what to do. Recovering myself called out
to know if could render assistence-if she
wished to ride r. Noanswer 1 drove faster
the horse blinking and shying and trembling
the while, his ears laid back in abjeet terror
Still the figure maintained its position; close
to my horses head. Then | thought thai
what lsaw was no woman. but pcrchanct
a man disguised for the purpose of robbing
me, seeking an opportunity to seize the bride
and stop the horse. Filled with this id a, !
said, "Good Bose hi look. at it, boy !" bu
the dog only shivered as it in fright. Thel
we came to q place where four cross roads met
Determined to know the worst, pulled III
| the horse. l. fetched Bose, unwilling, ou
| by the ears. He was a good dog at. an ,hiu,
| from rat to a man, but he skunk away tina
night into the hedge, and lay there, his heac
between his paws, whining and bowling.
| walked streight up to the figure, still stand
ing by the horse head As i walked, tn.
figure. turned, and saw Harrmfs fuce al
plainly as see you now-white and calm
placid, as ideallzed aid beautiful by DEATH
l must own that, though not nervous man
| in that instant felt sick and faint. sHarrie
! looked me full in the face with a long, eager
silent look. 4 knew then it was her spirit
and felt a strange calm come over me, for
| knew it was nothing to harm ME When
couldsspeak, asked what troubled her Sh.
| looked at ME still-never changed that col,
| fixed stare. Then felt in my mind it Wal
her children, and Isaid - sv.fsiri~ siig
Harriet, is it for your children you are
| troubled p ...e -...... ~ s..o.
| No answer.
I 'sHarriet," continued I, "if for these 70,
are troubled, be assured they shall never wan
while | have power to help them. Rest il
peace y - .7.s..,o,' = ~ao..e -,s ..,,5,...
| Still no answer. -
Irut up my hand to wipe from my fore
head the cold perspiration which had gather
edthere When / took my hand away from
shading my eyes, She figure was gone. l Wa
alone on the bleak, snow covered ground
The breeze, that had been hushed before
breathed coolly and gratefully on my face
and the cold stars gimmered and spanked i,
| Al, g.. I,,o Lo,uo,n NJ, jo,. o,n,,+ .,