The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1869-10-22
living Tapestry.

living Tapestry.
TIE following adventure happened in
the year 49,, and tho lady who narrat-
cd it to the writer was lin those days)
young girl staying in the house. 1t
was in the palmy days of Bath, when
that now fallen city rivalled London in
brilliancy and dissipation, and when all
the rich, the gay, and the high.born of
England congregated there in the season
and graced the balls and assemblies.
Mrs. RI, once the belle of the court
of George H., but at that period grad
ually retiring from society, possessed
one of the largest of the old houses, and
gave in it entertainments which were
the most popular of the day. She was
celebrated for three things (oncc for
four, but the fourth-her beauty was
of the days gone by:) these things were
her fascination, her beneN olencc, and
a set Of the most matchlcss and perfect
amethysts. Her house contained tapes
| tried chambers. The walls Of the one
in which She slept were hung around
with designs from heathen mythology,
and the finest piece in the room was
! that which hung over her dressing table
! 1t represented Phubus driving the
chariot Of the sun. Tho figures and
horses being life-size, it filed up the
space between the two windows, and
the horses were concealed behind the
! high old-lashioncd Venetian looking
glass, while Phoebus himself, six feet
| 4 In Inv niTht
on his mistress at her toilet. one even
ing Mrs R had an unusually large
party at home. She wore all her anne
thysts. On retiring to her ON, about
O'Clock in the morning, she took oil
her Jewels, laid them on the table, and
dismiseng the weary maid, intended
to put them away herself but, before
doing so, knelt down, as usual, TO her
prayers. While engaged in her devo-
tions, it was habit with her to look
inward, and the face Of Phcbus was
generally her point of sight, us it were,
and the object ON which her eyes most
easily rested. On this particular night,
as usual, she raised her eyes toPh@bus.
What does she see? Has Pygmalian
been at work? Has he filled those dull
silk ewes with vital fire? Or is sho
dreaming? No. Possessed naturally
wonderful courage and calmness,
continued to move her lip as fin silcn
uraver, and never once Withdrew her
raze, ana stu the eyes looked down
upon hers. The ligm OF her cahuieS
shone distinctly on living orDs, anid iler
good keen sight enabled her, after a
ceverly managed scrutiny, to sec that
the tapestry eyes Of Phebus had been
cut out, and that, with her door locked
- and every servant in bed in their dis
=, tant apartments, and all her jewels
spread out before her, she was not alone
in the room. She concluded her pray
- ers with her face sunk in her hands
=, We can well imagine what those pray
ers must have been! She knew there
was some one behind that tapestry;
y she knew that bells and screams were
equally useless and she lay down in her
y bed as usual and waited the issue, her
only omission being that she did not
Il put away her jewels "They may savu
y my life," she said to herself, and shO
= closed her eyes. The clock struck hv1
before sound was heard, and then tho
! moment arrived. She heard a rustic, u
y descent from behind the tapestry, anda
II man stood at her dressing table. lla
Il took Off his coat, and one by one ho
II secured the jewels beneath his waist
t coat. What would be his next mover
5 Would it be to the bedside or TO the
l. window? He turned and approached
n her bedside, but by that time she hal
;, seen enough, and again closing her eyes
" resigned her, elfto the Providence whose
'e protection she had just been craving.
s. The Han Was her cOachnan. Appar-
h emily satisfied by a brioi glance under
o his dark lantern that he had NOT dis
a turDed her, he quietly unlocked tho
Il door and left her. For two hours-they
must have seemed two days--sho allow.
g cd the house to remain una'arM d, her
d only movement having been i9 9reloclS
,, the door which her living ra.3Us had
h left ajar AT seven in tine morning she
= rang her bell, and ordered the rarriaga
t. round just after brouEl.-,. Al ,tis wa,
J. according TO her usual habits ON tho
1, box was the man who hll n, her !.
N nigh'5 rest, and most probably all her
lc Jewels. However, she drove oil; shD
went slraigh, to tha house ol - magis-
70 trato. "Scizc my Cclghma8," " said she;
e secure him and saTth him. | have
:, been robbed, uud [ hardly think he has
Il had time to di-Mcumber himself of tho
] OIL