The Plymouth Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1869-1941, 1869-11-25

IN cOnValcSccnt state, alter q serious
illness that had rendered me wholly inca
pable of mental exertion, sat in my arm
chair by the fire, while on the table near
me lay volume of Eugene Sues Wan
dering jew; and another containing a
portion of the history of the renowned
Pantagrucl | had been drcamily turn
ing over the leaves of both, and had been
much impressed by a chapter in the one
last named, that described how Alcofribas
(as Rabelais called himselD ascended the
giants outstretched tongue, and thus en-
tering his mouth, discovered therein a
new world, the inhabitants of which had
the vagucst notions of everything that
passed beyond their own sphere.
us not every one in London" asked
myself, "much in the condition of the
man who planted cabbages within the pre-
cincts of Pantagruers jaws, and only had
the fiintest knowledge that there was
another world illumined by sun and
moon? | have lived at least six years in
this house, and what do | know of a GER
tain Miss Thugleigh, who lives next door,
and of whose ugly name l should never
have heard, had not a letter, directed to
her, been brought to me accidentally by
the pOstman? She has never left home at
any time when have been looking out of
the window; she is never in her garden,
which, by the way, is in most neglected
state. | am only reminded of her exist
cnce by an occasional noise In London
and its suburbs, save by some rare acci-
dent, is not every one in pretty nearly the
same position as | am with respect to Miss
Thugleigh? | know rather more of the
man who is her next-dOOr neighbOr on
the other side, and whose name seems to
be BubbleswOrth, for the artist who comes
to shave me tells me that he has his hair
curled every morning, evidently intending
To hold up good example before my eyes.
But knowledge like this is the very re-
verse of exhaustive"
The pursuit of this foolish train of
thought had caused me to rise from my
chair, and was staring vacantly into the
glass on my mantel-piece, when my atten-
ton was suddenly arrested by remarka-
Bile phenomenon. The movements of the
reflected figure did not correspond to my
own. If | stirred 1T remained still, or
moved IL different manner The eyes
alone, which were fixed on mine, obeyed
the ordinary laws of reflection. Presently,
my own arms being folded, the figure ex-
tended one of its hands. | extended a
hand too, and the figure, slightly inclining
forward grasped it firmly. Instinctively
/ endeavored to extricate myself, but so
far was | from succeeding, that felt my
self pulled towards the glass. The figure,
then, was reality, and very muscular
reality too, for [ could not resist it.
Whittier Was | going? 1t was soon EVIL
dent that there was no glass at all, but an
aperture in the wall surrounded by gilt
frame, behind which was room precisely
To
was alarming.
On-on | was pulled, and for few Sec
onds found myself enveloped in darkness
/ seemed conscious of nothing but vacuity,
when suddenly the grasp ceased, and /
was once more in the light, seated at a
table, opposite to venerable old lady,
whose white hair, neatly parted from the
middle OF the forehead, was surmOunted
by the most respectable of caps. She was
absorbed i'll the perusal of large book,
which lay open before her. Not knowing
how L should be received, 1 refrained
from lnterruptlng her studies, and took a
lelsurely survey Ofthe room.
In shape it was a prism. The ceiling
and floor were cquilateral triangles, and the
walls were consequently three in number
The table too, was triangular, so were the
sc2ts of the chairs, each of which had
three legs, and a huge birdcage containing
a vulturc, was in keeping with the furni
ture Door, window, or fireplace, there
was lone; the only admission to fresh all
being afforded by triangular ventilator
Immediately under the ceiling. On the
few shelves, which broke the mOnotOny O
the walls, were placed some old books
two or three bottles, and several knives OF
daggers of Oriental fashion. But tht
most singular object was hideOus IndiaI
idol, like those that represent the horribl,
wife of silva, which stood in corner, ano
before which was a prismatic stone, exact
ly similar in its proportions to the room
We'll, George" said the old lady, sud
denly raising her eyes from her book, ant
looking at me full in the face, $50 yol
have condescended to visit me at last"
Though my name is not George, fel
that L was the person addressed, so / be
gan politely to deny the cendecension.
Po0h-hOoh never mind compliments
You are here, and that is the great matter
i see you are rather astOnished; but the
it's very snug, and quite good enough 70
simple'body like me-" rse
Unique in IFS structure, at any rate"
said, endeavoring- to admire Il an
rather curious to know how one enters it.
yourself found your way SD readily" sh
replied, with slight laugh.
felt uneasy, for / did not care to dc
scribe my passage through the glass, bu
the old lady did not seem anxious for al
explanation, since she Immediately addcd
1t would not do to have room too cas-
OF access, when things of this sort are fly
ing about"
With these words, she opened drawe
in her table and took out printed hand
bill with the formidable heading, "On
Hundred Pounds Reward" This sh
placed In my hands, and / learned frOr
its contents that butcher-boy had bee
missed by his employers, under circum
stances that led to- the suspicion of mll
der, and that the reward was offered f.
the apprehension of the supposed ASA.
SINS
Luckily he did not live in the neigf
bOrhoOd- But on the whole it is bette
not to venture beyond beggars and ticke
Of-leave men"
venture what?" / inquired.
Immolation! was the reply.
.lmmO-" | faltered. "Then IL
your opinion that the unhappy boy wa
really murdered ~
Really immolateds OF course / d,
III would be very absurd if thought othe1
wise, when i performed the sacrifice wit
my own hands"
Atrocious wretch -" began.
Hoity y-toityv interposed the old lad,
Don't let US lose our tempers."
And really when L looked at her cal,
face, felt that wrath was impossible. Sb
was some harmless lunatic, who owned /
crimes she had never committed.
bore the boy no ill-will;" she mr.,
ceeded, he was as well behaved a lad ,
one would wish to see. / would oladl
nave given the preference to a miscbie,
ious little vagabond, who rings NV he
regularly every Saturday afternoon, i
celebration, | suppose, of his half-holida,
but the butcherboy came handy. an
when one can't have what one wants. or
must take what one can get"
But why mur-that is, immediate an