Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1869-01-21

and sat bolt upright in bed and the
same moment there flashed into nv
brain. as vividly as though the words
had been written on the black wall in
letters of flame, this quaint old old local
distich. which the woman of whom l
have spoken to you bcfore-she who
was at once so cruel and so kind to me.
when. as child, she and her husband
had me in their charge-used some
times To Groom TO herself as she went
about her labours in the house:
We ring IN the dark, say the ellis OF Saint Marx.
We ring You 70 heaven, say tbs bells Of sain; sew
We RIM. rou to bed. say the bells Of sain, Ned
Ncy, day, verified. by personal in
quiry in the neighborhood. the fact.
that he old countryside rhyme which
have set down above. was not mere
fgment of my own brain: but
that il has real existence. probably q
very old one. and is still locally popu-
lar among the housewives and chill
lrcn Of the labouring-men living with
in sound Of the bells Of the three
churches of which ii makes mention.
z
apart from the others.
l. this another step. Frank. on that
dark road along which am apparently
being led without any volition Of my
own. and which | cannot but hope will
ultimately bring me to goal where |
shall find a solution Of the great mys-
tcry Of my lifc-a!though as vet the
path before mc-if. indeed. there be a
path al all-i- hidden in dcnsest cloud,
from which neither hand nor voice
comes forth Ia guide me on nv way:
have thought much during the past
three weeks on what passed between
Mrs Winch and myself. but. 10 all ap-
pearancc. | am still A. far a. ever from
gra>ping the key Of the enigma. Had
the widows warning lettcr reached
Lady >peucelaugh. | might perhaps
have gathered, from the conduct or
conversation of ihc latter. some faint
clue which would have guided me on;
Of the maze Of pcrpleNi,y in which
ann still wandering But the landlady
ha- not VT come back, and her Lady
shlp evidently knows no reason Why
should H. considered by her n danger
ou-. await the return ~ Mrs.
Winch auxiously.
While think of il. let mo tell YOU q
curious little circumstance which hap.
pcncd 10 mc the other day and vet il
seems almost tou tiny lial to set down
But life j. made up ~ iriilc-, and this
one may have IT, significance a. well a.
others.
( had ordered l.oN Of chemicals
from London, but not receiving IL ID
---'i---i .tv..r kino..
thorpe. th. nearest railway stats--
Normaniord. % inquire respecting III,
delay. Afcr getting the information
| needed. | turned to leave the booking
Office hut halted fnr . moment neal
the door ID consult the monthly time
table The afternoon was darkenlng
bN this time. and while was pccring
AT the figures, apoTter came and light
ci a lamp close before my face and
next moment the door of some innei
room was opened, and middlc-aged
plainly dressed woman, whom | had
brushing hastily past nc, when hap
pcning To look up, her eyes met mine
! for moment. and in that moment sh,
flung up one of her arms. as though t6
defend herself against an invisible foe
and staggered back like one stricken
by some resistless terror. |. too, fell
back pace or two in surprise and ths
, next instant the woman rushed pas
me and ont of the Office, eNclairring a.
. she did so Come back from tn,
dead and so disappeared in the dark
ness outside. followed her out on Il
the platform, but she was gone al
ready. Who was that woman that
went out just now asked the lam,
porter. Didn't see any woman, sir
therefore can't say. he replied.
wandered up and down the platform
for some time. but without seeing any
. thing more of the woman. whom | al
, once set down rs crazy; so YOU must
. take my narrative for what it is worth
On quitting Belair yesterday after
. noon. l took road through the park
that | had never traversed before
road which led direct from Norman
! ford. and which brought me. after 8
| time, To the southernmost point Of the
park. and to the little church of Belair
where. for centuries past, the chiel
. members Of the Spencelaugh family
have found their last resting-place.-
r This church is a very humble and un
pretending ediiice. OF the early Norman
period, repaired and renovated ut va
rious times since its erection. The
little place abounds with records of the
, great family at the Hall. The oldest
, monument. and one that is much defac.
ed. is that of a certain Sir Geofirey
Spencelaugh. celebrated Crusader
I who lies there in efiigy. with crossed
, legs. and a hound at his feet. From
, the time of this hero, the records OF
the lords of Relair and their wives fol
low for several centuries in regular
succession. some of them being writ.
ten in medieval Latin, and some il
grabbed Old English; some of then
being simple records of births and deaf
while others wander off into eulogistit
: strains Of turgid prose. or still worse in
; to limping stanzas of watery verse.
| had nearly got TO the end of the series
, when my studies were interrupted by
, the entrance of little bustling mar
, in black, with bunch of noisy keys
) and an asthmatic cough, who introduc
ed himself as the clerk Of the church
and volunteered any information re-
spectinp the edifice and its monuments