Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1874-02-07
rHE WHITE-HILL PIT.
From, Appleton's journal.

At early twilight on a June
evening there sat at tea-table il
one OF the lofty parlors of a fine OLD
country house among the ESSEX
hills, a party of four persons, one of
whom was detailing an experience
that had befallen him that day,
while the others were attentively
listening.
The, host, an aged gentleman, sat
opposite the relator. On his right
hand, silent and motionless, was
Godfrey Nassau, the young rector
of the parish, and on his left was
his daughter, with her pretty head
resting upon her hand and with her
face, softly illuminated by the fail
ing light, turned, like her fathers
full upon the story-teller.
This story-teller was a handsome
and powerfully-built man of thirty,
or thereabout, and he addressed
what he said solely to his Uis-avis
and to the girl, seemingly ignoring
the presence of the rector. His
voice was strong and sympathetic,
and he modulated it artfully. 1t
appeared from what he said that he
had that day, while in search for
subjects for sketching, come sud
denly and without warning upon
an immense, terrible, and dangerous
pit, deserted marble-quarry, the
edges of which were secreted bv a
fringe of under-brush.
This the host had explained, was
the White-Hill Pit.
The narrator went on and de-
scribed the place, vividly setting
forth its sinister features, and dwell
ling at great length upon the horrors
of falling into it.
At this peint, the sensitive girl
moved little, and the two young
men perceived, even in the faint
light, that she had become pale
Nassau saw that the speaker observ-
ed it, but still he hesitated to inter
fere.
The other, fiattered at the effect
he had produced heartlessly went
on, and with subtitle skill enlarged
upon the agonies of a downward
fight through the air, and dwelt
with painful minuteness upon the
final shock, and the accompanying
dismemberment of the body.
Miss Alice, heavy-eyed, pallid, and
trembling from head to foot, here
fell forward in faint, in the midst
of great confusion.
She was Immediately carried
from the room with the aid of SER
wants, and after a short absence,
the host hastily returned to assure
his guests that they need feel no ap-
prehension in regard to her.
He found them in the midst of a
hot dispute. He listened for a mo-
ment in astonishment.
Said Nassau in a half suppressed,
but still penetrating, voice:
81 am certain that was a deliber-
ate and calculated attempt on your
part to produce an effect. 1t was
not at all necessary to the proper
description of that terrible spot
that you should couple shocking
experiences upon it. You are wan
ton and cruell''
II do not admit that you are
Judge"
POSSIBLY then, you do not admit
that we have had evidenee?'
''It seems to me that you are
showing temper in this matter
that does not become a rector"
at is as much the duty of a rec
tor, sir, to declare his antipathy to
an i'll as it is to show his love for
a virtue, and, when the crime that
he DISCOVERIES has been a covert one,
ne is bound to let it be known that
he has not been blind. /"
'Nassau! Nassau! Sir!" The host
here hastened forward-"Nassau, l
am surprised-I-you-thisi is a sud
den outbreak! /"
at has a sudden provocation,
sir?''
'fBut you are too hasty. You
jump at conclusions. Now, l did
not see anything of the fault you
mention. You must remember that
Willis is a giant in physique, and
that he has, naturally, the feelings
of a giant. His mind is active and
vigorous, and his inauguration
paints in strong colors. You who
are slighter and thinner-bIooded
man, are acute, and perhaps NOR
bidly alive, to shades of meaning
that for him do not exist. As for
Alice, do not doubt that she was
tierd, or nervous and"
"But even" eagerly interposed
Nassau.
'Stop interrupted the other. Gal
low me for d moment, l beg of you.
L wanted to say, that if she Yields
so readily to such mild attacks up
on her fancy, | think it is high time
that she and all the household were
infused with some strong and hearty
sensations. Perhaps we all need
the influence of an active and ami,
mated spirit, and if I am not greatly
mistaken, Mr.. Willis is to prove our
reformer. | am sure, Nassau, that
you will, after little cool thought,
agree with me, Perhaps you are
somewhat overstrung yourself. =
You know that your labors have
been severe, of late-perhaps you
are a little sensitive-who knows?''
There was moments silence. The
three men stood motionlesss in the
gathering gloom, and were hardly
discemable to each other.
"Come, Nassau" said the host
finally, in a gently urgent-tone-
"come, let me make your peace; per-
NIT me to express your goodwill for
my guest-may l not?"
Parhana fhprA yuoS so,,,o.L;