Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1871-07-26
Going Thronrh the Tunnel.

Journey. I started one morning as
usual, getting into acarriage in which
were some half-dOzen persons besides
myself. We were not q very COM
municative party. Two gentlemen,
I recOllect, slept nearly all the way 70
London and one, who sat opposite
10 me, was buried In his newspaper.
Though reading Is no doubt solace 70
many railway travellers, Il ls not often
that I take either q book or news
paper into the carriage with me. i
like to look out of the window, anu
watch the panorama of hill and val
lev; and il Is therefore my custom,
instead of sitting in the middle or the
carriage, always, If possible, 20 choose
an outside seat. I did so on this oeca-
sion, and the day being glorlonsly
fine, 1 indulged my propensity 70 my
hearts content It Is wonderiul
what lovely landscapes lie on eaeh
side OF our English Railways anu
when YOU are travelling fast, ana oo-
iects come in sight, the next instant
20 be whirled away, the fieeing char
aeter Of the picture elevates the COM
monest details. Our train did not
stop at many points; but at one ofthe
principal stations which the line pass
es. lust before entering n tunnel OF
some length, lamps were put into all
the carriages. I recOllect, after we
started. watching the sides Of the cut
ting. which rose higher and higher as
we went on, till, with a shrek, the
engine rushed into the tunnel, and all
outside the carriage was darkness.
People who are not in the habit OF
journeying much by railway, have
oftena dislike 10 tunnels, am aware
but, being a constant traveller, l had
no such feeling, and I eOuldnOt there
fore, account for an unpleasant sensa-
ton which I experienced on entering
the tunnel on this OCCASIONS chilly,
uneasy feeling, which increased rath-
er than diminished as we sped on. L
did not feel lonely. for the light OF our
lamp fell brightly on the faces Of my
/ could see two OF
them were still sleeping. My friend
opDosite had, for the first time during
the Journey, put down his newspaper
and of two ladies in the carriage with
US, one was stroking the head OF lit
tie girl, who appeared to be the only
person at all uneasy except myself.
Mechanically, fell to looking at the
reflection of my face upon the window
which the outer darkness hal chang
ed intoa mirror, giving back the whole
Interior of the carriage. The uneasy
feeling increased, and / suddenly be-
came Impressed with the idea that the
reflection was not that Of my face,
but Of some one else's! As l looked
the conviction strengthened. lt was
not my face. 1t was the face OF a man
of about my own age; but the hair
was light, and the features were total
" different from my own. / can see
the face now: it was looking intent
Iy at me, the thin lips were pressed
tightly together; and arouad the
mouth there played peculiarly sin
lister smile. The reflection OF the
whole inside of the carriage was plain
enouCh, but besides this figure, there
was only one more occupant: L saw
the reflection of none of my fellow
travellers sitting by me. The other
figure was that Of q woman, who was
standing up behind the first figure.
The light from above seemed to fall
upon her face, which was one OF great
beauty, but disfigured by look OF in
tense hatred and scOrn, which she
darted out Of her dark eyes upon her
companion. My only sensation now,
] I recollect, was curiosity all fear had
vanished; I saw them as plainly as
I now see my hand, and noticed that
the woman was smagnifieently dressed,
wearing, in particular, blaze OF Jew
eifery, that sparkled strangely IN mar
nOnY with the lurid light OF her dark
and terrible eyes. She seemed tor
/ one moment to hesitate in some pur-
pose; the next her hands were flung
up, and saw q red cord wind ttseli
round her companions throat, II
was clltehed with fearful fury. i saw
two rows of cruel cleaning teeth gilt.
tering in concert with those eyes,
But the victimi l shall never forget
the ghOstly grin Of agony upon that
visage, that deepened and deePened,
and then went out from the face that
fell prone, the face Of a dead man.
saw for a moment the woman's cruel
ewes dart forth look Of fiendish tri-
umph, her cruel hands smitten to-
Rether, her mouth moulded into q
cruel laugh. Then we Whirled out
into the daylight, and saw my
friend opposite quietly taking up his
newspaper again. =.
Nv emotions while witnessing the
| terrible spectacle 1 have just describ-
! ed, gave place to lethargy which
| lasted while ] remained in the train.
nv recollections al seemed Imperfect
! Nv business, my destination, the
place I had started from, the time o.
/ day-I seemed confused on all these
points and it was only when step,
ped into the street, and felt the coo!
! breeze on my face, that 1 recovered
self-possessiOn. These disagreeablC
effects, however, passed of, as my
thoughts were diverted into fresh
channels. The real and tangible
world in which was moving sOoI
got the better of the terrible vision II
my mind and being naturally i'm
patient Of morbid and superstition
notions, I soon persuaded myself tha
I must have been sleeping in the rail
way carriage, and that had beer
livery much frightened with dream
u due probably to Indigestion. Practi
cal man as l profess to be, l was no
going to expose myself to the ridicul
Of other practical individuals by tax
ing them into my confidence. Tim
went on; I dieted myself little:
travelled home by another route, saw
no visions: and. in the course Of
month, l only recollected the in
cident Of the tunnel as I should an.
other peculiar dream, the impression
of which the circumstances Of a bus.
working life had not obliterated.
A few months after my journeyin
, 10 London, I had occasion to max
another journey Of some length, in
different direction. I got into tn
train, passed through the tunnel
unscathed, and found myselfat night
fall in q country town, to which j wa
a perfect stranger. took lodging 70
the night at large, Old-fashionedin-
which, in the eoaehing-days. mus
have been a place Of some Importance
, The town 1 speak OF was situated 1
: annRricultural district, had an OF
portunity or seeing that glory had nc
all departed from the old house
score or so Of farmers fingered aboJ
4 the place, and for some time after m
! arrival ali seemed life and bustl'
Having viewed the lions Of the towI
which consisted Of a eireular marke
place and an architectural pump, an
2 having elambered over an old bridg'
; in a fashion suggestive Of journe
=. over q hOuse-roof, I returned to min
inn to find farmers gone and the DlaC
STEPPED in queit. ..r..-f-.
> How often one meets with acquaiI
. tances in the most unlikely place
I recognized in the host man whoI
Il + 4 l., 4