Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1872-10-10

fantastic sHdpeb. as L "aeehSN va 1919
ing and quivering CLEANS, now shooting
in rapid succession from one luminous
center, and anon spreading and rolling
wave after wave across the starry heavens,
began to think of the disastrous omens OF
war, placue, famine which the older times
men drew from such sights. Somewhat OF
the same emotion felt in my own mind,
and, reason as would, felt it impossible
to shake off the growing sense OF I'M
ea4iness and gloom which had taken pos
session of me. On entering the Telegraph
station, the clerk whom had come to re-
lieve was ready TO depart.
"Yo. won't have much to do tonight,
.ir,u said he. "The instruments are quite
unvorkable no signal. have been received
here FOR the last three hours Good
night"
When | was left alone, found that it
was as he had said. The electric currents,
which arc developed in the atmosphere
DUNG most meteorological changes, had
rendered the wires quit useless; and,
although the needles swayed ceaselessly
backwards and forwards, they made no
sign which the wisdom of man could in
terpret Seeing that my Office was likely
to be slnecure, drew my chair to the
stove, and taking down book which |
saw upon shelf | tried to interest my
self in the story. The volume which |
had discovered was "Jane Eyre !" and
although, since that time, | have read, with
tears and laughter, it and other works
which came from the same true and loving
pen, yet, on that night, the spell other who
is so powerful to awaken our interest and
enlist our sympathy,-who has given us
Block Rochester, and chronicled with no
unkindly hand the yagarics Of the three
eccentric curates, and won hearts for Prof
Emmanuel Carl Paul had no power to
quiet my wild, wandering thoughts.
While | was turning li,tlessly over the
leaves, the stiffness was startled by the
sharp, quick changing Of the electric bell,
the usual signal to prepare to read off
message. With SILVER of alarm, !
turned quickey to the instrument, but
soon perceived that the bell had been rung
by no earthly power, for the vibrating
needles made no Ineligible sign, and |
know that the sound had been produced
by current of atmospheric electricity
acting upon the wires.
Smiling at the nervousness which caused
me to start at so ordinary an occurrence,
| turned from my desk and sat down by
he fire But smile as would, and reason
as ! might, l felt that ! was fast succum-
bing to the vague, foundationless fears.
Thinking that the atmosphere of the room,
which felt close and hot. might have
something to do with my peculiar copdi
ton of mind, flung open the door, and
stepped outside, in hope that the cool air
might scare away the phantoms OK my
brain. AS | crossed the threshold, the
midnight express crashed past With II speed
and force wich shook every timberi in the
building, and uttering loud shrek diSap-
pearcd IN the tunnel at the end of the steep
gradient, on the Sumit of which my station
was placed When it was ne there was
Stiffness, stiffness broken--if car call is
broken---only by the peculiar signing Of
the air passing across the wires which is
heard even III the calmest night. | stood
and listened to the strange, melancholy
Eolian harp-like sound, now SO faint as to
DO almost inaudible, and anon swelling
INTO wild, low wailing. | looked up
and saw Orion and the Pleiades, aud
/ thought how often on nights, not long ago,
when | had watched for Maggie in the
wood, | had gazed up through the tall,
sombre pmes and watched their trembling
/ fires. From that my mind reverted TO the
eunesmcss with which my wife had asked
me to remain al home that night, and the
! unusut ueusiymGSs ef her manner when
+ she babe m, good bye. What could be
+ the meaning of it all ? As "A general rule,
had IL most profound disbelief ia omens,
prcscutiments,un and all sorts of supcrsttions;
/ but, in spite Of it, felt that ! would have
given a good deal, at that time, to be
/ transported Just for one moment to my
home, to see wcther all was there. |
/ might have called upon my assistant, who
/ lodged IN a farmhouse not tar distant, and
4 gone home but, as | could give no good
reason fer going away, resolved to stay
+ where | was, and get through the night as
/ best | could If this goes on much
/ longcr,n said to myself, as | turned m-
side again, and poked up the Goals with
rather more noise and vigor than was alb
/ solutely necessary" If this goes on much
/ longer, shall have to consult u doctor,
! that's plain For knew that the cause
/ less approximations which had exporien-
ced were often only the symptoms Of an
unsound state OF bodily health, | filed
my pipe and lii it, but the weed had lost
its usual uauquih2ing power. As the
wreaths curled slowly upward, | saw my
wile's face looking at me teaitully as when
| had left her. Again the bell rang
F.. sharply, but, a. before no intelligence was
made by the needles. | leaned my elbows
on the desk, and, with my head between
my hands watched their unending motions,
An hour might have passed thus, when
! nnnn moro WIS stnrtled hy the clnng of