Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1870-02-10

who dismissed their fears while nv cat
was absent on courting expeditions.
The feeble light Of the waning moon
directly in front Of my apartment pene-
trated through the frosty panes of the
window. The Moon! What romantic
youth has not devoted hours Of silent
conversation to the shining virgin of
night Who feels the penetrating cold
Of January il the goddess Of unhappy
lovers is not sparing Of her piercing
and languid glances! Reclining against
the window ! found consolation in her
rays. and still more in the coolness
that tempered the heat of my brow.
Before me lowered black and gigantic
ediiice crowned with magnificent towers
and Gothic spires, which. feebly iln-
minated by the moon veiled in trans.
parent clouds. produced fantas tic and
capricious shadows. The profound
ohscurity Of the narrow street gave the
structure the appearance of resting on
an abyss. Owls were fitting around
utteung their hoarse, ominous cry.-
never. never. had the cathedral pre-
sented itself to nv ewes with an aspect
SO lugubrious, with a more sublime
melancholy.
What Tecollections it excited within
me l contemplated that mysterious
building with profound emotion. In
my memory were floating the heroes of
the dramas; with them their daggcrs,
their adulterous amours, the tragic
ends Of some. flung over lofty preci-
piccs. Engulfcd in such swee, Illusions
had not noticed the moon. which. not
caring farthing for all these matters.
was now touching the summit OF the
cathedral. The shadows projected bv
the towers upon the roof Of the church
were more prolonged clock in one
OF them Mt that instant gave two loud
strokes which threw the air into reso-
nant vibrations a moment aftcrward
all WAS mute and even time seemed to
slumbcr. did not then know that there
are no narcotics for frenzicd passions,
which, taking possession OF mans
heart. wage with reason a resolute.
unwesricd strife. An event which
that night witnessed causcl me never
Ia forget il.
Two dark objects appeared on the
roof Of the cathedral. and slowly and
mysteriously moved toward the shad-
ow of cupola, | could not repress n
momen; Of curiosity and pleasure. A
thorough lover OF romance. was about
Ia witness a novel adventure. for those
were not the illusions Of my dramas. |
heard the noise made by the tiles. under
the feet of the objects, saw the figures
move, and though needed glass to
distinguish them with exactness. how
could | lose them from sight for
moment, in order TO search for it, when
l hardly dared to breathe.
The two persons meanwhile came
nearer. and being confounded with
their shadows which were distor ted by
the curving cutters, took extravagant
shapes that inspired me with certain
feeling Of awe. The place, the hour,
a sufficient dose of fear, which must
frankly confess, gave them supernat-
ural and mysterious look, trembled
at hearing little farther off horrible
cry, furious as the echo Of vengeance,
raised by third figure. Certainly it
was not human, that frightful howl;
there was something in it Of the roar
ofa tiger wandering furious through
the desert in search Of its lost cubs
The two objects first seen took shelter
under buttress of the tower and their
eyes sparkled in the Obscurity like
phosphoric light, or like an ignist tatuns
among the tombs Of people. Those
glowing eyes brought to my remem-
brance an incident and left me il no
doubt with respect to the personages
Of the fierce drama that was to be rep
resented on the roof Of the cat hedral.
In this same church was born a
child to whom they gave the name of
EsquilOn, the son Of q bellman who
died satisfied with seeing his son in
possession Of his own station. His
dwelling was the tower. He rarely
left the belfry and when he ventured
farther it was through the neighboring
galleries and balustrades Of the spa
cious cathedral. He was by nature
gloomy, rough, and naughty, though
not destitute Of every fond and tender
affection. A handsome and gentle cat
was the priviledged being that could
remove the clouds from his sornbre
face, and the only one that had share
Of the sparrows collected by the dex-
ferrous bellman, the most terrible enc
my known to the chsttering birds.
One day, after ringing for vesper,
Esquilon, leaning over the balustrade
below the tower directly above the