The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1868-03-13

! OF that time, staggered out of my littl
closet in the roof scarcely sure Of my
own identity, and too weak to car,
4 for anything except my patient dow
/ stairs. His face had haunted me al
/ these two dreadful days
| went down stairs slowly. clinging {,
1 the balusters. The door of my room
/ was halt-Open, the curtains were drawn
and the wind came freely in at the opeI
+ window. / looked in, and started back
/ Was the room deserted? But l woulC
not believe the uncertain twilight
went nearer The bed was empty.
stood still in utter consternati0n Pres
emily somebody touched my shoulder
DR.. Mallory's kind face bent down t,
me.
Poor child it was vain, you see.
] stood speechless a moment.
W hen did he de- smittcn with &
strange pain.
This afternoon"
When viii he be buried -
Tomorrow al daylight. Now my
dear Guild
Never mind me-" I Interrupted
Where have you laid him ."
In the little room adjoining the dis
penaatory. There was no room else
where-dcath mas been busy with Us
thc last forty-cight hoursn
Doctor, I should like to see him
once more
See him! No, no. 1t would be too
much for you. He was hurrying me
up stairs towards my room.
But must see him. - | persisted
% You mustn't think Of such Il thing.
You lie not iii to stir nOw-and We can [
r,...Narg s.nt, ..f., ~, Won 90
ILL., Now take the powders regularly.
and don't omit the beef tea, and you'll
be all right i'm a day or two - and with
this, the kind, busy doctor hustled me
into he little bedroom, and was off.
| stood still, and thought q moment.
Ny unfulfilled promises stared me in the
face. But / shank from il in terror.
W eak as | was, the nervous dread al
most OVermastered me. But | remem-
bered the pitcous eagerness with which
he besought mel had given a sacred
promise-the dead claimed its fulfill
ment. must 90 down there-dreadful
as il was. Gould ] speak to the doctor
| had already done so, to no purpose.
Could / ask Miss Morrison. or any other
of the nurses No, for some would be
terrified, and some would think nae fool
ish
There was no help for it, Unjust 20
down there alone. But put it Off from
moment 10 moment. and finally lay
down on my bed | was SO weak that
quickly fell asleep-a terrible sleep,
haunted 10y such fearful dreams
\ white face bent over me, stony eyes
looked into mine; an icy hand clutched
me-thcn q shrouded figure retreated to
the door, reckoning me. That dream
passed. and then ] seemed to wander
among thousand strange scenes-gay.
beautiful, alluring, fantastic by turns,
always shifting, Interchangeable only in
the weird shape with pallid face, and
eyes of glittering stony calm, that pre-
coded and beckOned me on
AT last, | sprang up with "a cry broad
awake, remembering everything in "a
moment. itisnO wonder that he haunts
me, I thought, coward that ann
made few quick preparations, lighted
q, small lamp, and stole softly down
stairs. The great house was very still
/ could hear the quick bcatings of my
own heart. The halls were empty and
dark here and there through partly
open door q dim light streamed out
weut down Sight afterhighi. very softly
ald ~ last reached. the rOoIn / sought
Tho key was i'm the lock on the outside.
J turned L. opened the door and went
in
The room was small-a mere closet.
A. | turned TO shut the door, | almost
touched the still shape that lay there.
The window was lowered at the top; a
strong current Of air rushed in, and my
poor light went out IN moment. /
sank down TO the iI0Or-my courage had
suddenly deserted me. I was q miser-
able coward after all-and / seemed to
fall down, down, far, measureless depths,
and then the whole world faded away
into utter oblivion.
And so hours-I do not know how
many-passed. Unjust have been long,
for when / came back to myself, the
moon had risen, and was throwing
flood OF white, CHASTITY light into the
little room I dragged myself up from
the floor YEARLY. | bad forgotten no.
thing. No need to recall where | was.
| knew too well. All alone with the
dead. Only the moon pale presence to
come between Us, and calm and cold,
walking serenely along the far blue
spaces. she scarcely "comforted the
night But the wind blew in at the
open window, fresh and cool, blew with
an energy and power which was life.
1t cheered and renovated me, gave me
strength. by-and-by, TO move and look
about me.
Atattered flag covered him-the CLEAN
of its stars was around his head. | drew
it away, laid the noble face bare to the
white moonlight. 0, then / was glad l
had come. The sight of the beautiful
peaceful face soOthed and calmed me,
my perturbation died. away, my fear
was quite gone.
This was Death, the beautifer, and
standing in that imperial presence, |
forgot what sad and terrible things he
could do. Here he had taken away the
pain and left only this beautiful repose.
Some dear, heavenly vision must have
come to him at the last, and left its light
lingering around the deserted temple.
| stood a long time by him. One shred
of dark, shining hair l might take i'll
remembrance of those days and nights
OF watching; one kiss | might give him
for mis- mothers sake. There was no
one else to caress him or weep for him.
| did not think how fast my tears were
flowing at the thought. 1t was hard
that death should claim so much that
was sgood and noble so hard that the
grave must cover so much beauty, and
brave. young life. And looking at him
50, the warm rain of my tears on his
face, all at once my heart stood still, and
my voice rose in wild shrek. For
while | looked, he turned his head, the
eyes unclosed-the man was alive!
| have dim remembrance of sinking
down to the floor, of something sitting
upright above me, and looking down up
on me of hand stretched down to lift
me up; of shrinking away in unspeak
able fright Of hurrying feet in the cor
ridor; of tumult of EXPLANATIONS and
q world of confusion. All the rest is
phantasmagoria of bewildering sights
and sounds. 1t lasted for many weeks.
Every one was inexpressibly kind.
By-and-by / began to get little better,
but my nerves are in a strange state still.
Occasionally somebody comes to see me,
laws fruit and flowers on my table, looks
at me with yearning pity, and when
he goes away, | ask my nurse who he
is. She SAYS it is Colonel MOntcalm,
but that of course cannot be true, be-
cause | remember that he died. 1t is
very puzzling, and / try not to think
about it.
After time l am pronounced con-
valescent. One day the mystery about
Colonel Montcalm is explained, and that
very day brother Robert comes to take
me home. Colonel MOntcalm stands OH
the steps of the Gladiolus House and
waves his hand as parting salute, and
as we drive away, ! wonder il L shall
ever see him again. To be sure, ne SAID
but / cannot think of that now. Ro-
y - +. l. I'd