The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1869-01-13
The depth of

ne knew from former visits ana ooServa-
tions. Suddenly he looked mp, and saw
little girl of six or seven years old, in
bonnet and cloak, with basket on her arm,
standing quite alone, on the summit of the
island She remained for some time, and
he continued to look steadily on the unex-
pected object, wondering how she got
there, as, without boat, access to the
place where she stood was utterly impossi-
ble He had his fishing boots on, and tried
to wade across TO her, but the river was too
deep. Determined to satisfy himself, he
moved further down until he reached O
fordable point, and crossed over to the
other side. There, to his increased sur
prise, he saw the child standing, having left
the island No vestage of n boat, or raft,
or any contrivance by which her passage
could have been effected, presented itself.
and he walked towards her. When within
o short distance, she moved across field or
two, In the direction of n cottage on an
eminence, backed by wood; assembled
some steps on the side of the hill, opened
the door and disappeared within. There
could be no mistake He was certain of
the fact and identity of the person. for he
noted her dress and appearance with minute
attention. He followed quickly, reached
the cottage, knocked at the door and was
told to come in. he did so, and saw man
and woman, apparently his wife, sitting by
the kitchen fire. The attitude of the man
was responding; his head on his hand,
while his elbow rested on his knee The
visitor asked where the little girl was who
had just preceded him into the cottage
The reply from the man was: mo little
girl has entered here; we had but one, and
we lost her some months ago-she is dead"
He then pointed to q cloak, bonnet and
basket on the wall. and said: ''Those were
hers, and there she always left them" The
stranger instantly recognized them as those
he had seem ''Then,'' replied the man,
solemnly, "you have seen her fetch! She
was our only child, most dear to us, and
allowed by all to be the best girl in the
school she attended"
After little more conversation, he
pressed gratuity on them, which they
were unwilling to take, and not liking his
own reflections, left the cottage He then
went to the school in the immediate neigh
borhood, to obtain further particulars.
Everything he had been told was corrobo-
rated by the school mistress, who also took
him to the childs grave in the village
church yard. Here the incident ended
Nothing more ensued, nor had the person
to whom the vision appeared the slightest
connection with or interest in the parties
concerned. He cannot persuade himself
that it was bona .ftle ghost, and to this
hour remains undecided as to what it really
was. Of this he is certain, that he was not
asleep, and that what he saw and did were
not the yapors of dream.
Sleep overpowers people in strange posi-
tlons, and it is quite possible to be SO over
taken when fishing on the banks of river;
but to retain salmon rod in hand, and not
drop or lose it, under such conditions, ex-
ceeds the category of possibilities. Be-
sides, where was the money that had been
given on this particular occasion, and GER
tainly no longer in the bestower's pocket?
We ourselves have distinct recollection of
walking a considerable distance, during q
night march, in state of perfect somno-
empty, and nothing dropped OF lost. On
another occasion, going up Mount Etna by
night, so as to reach the summit for sun rise,
one of the party dropped from his mule
asleep; whereupon the dumb quadruped
halted till he should get up again. Being
missed, two of his companions, with the
guide, came back to look for the absentee,
and found him locked in deep repose on
the pathway, and the mule standing by him,
in the same state of happy obliviousness.
strange incident, which has been in
print before, occurred in the life of Gen.
Sir John Sherbrooke, who died in the year
1880 He was another man with as little
romance in his composition as could posi-
bly, be imagined. A good executive officer,
but hot and peppery as cayenne pepper; his
temper not being improved by deranged
liver. the result of long service under the
scorching sun of India:
In the year 1855, he and Gen. Wynyard,
then very young men, were officers in the
same regiment, stationed in Canada. On
the 10Th of October, in that year, about
o'clock p. NJ, before dusk came on, they
were seated in Wynyard's quarters, engaged
in study 1t was q room in q block house,
with two doors, the ono opening on un