The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1875-08-07
A TRIFLE SCARED.

| Imam all earthDorn ecstasy.
Tinslcy's Magazine.
A TRIFLE SCARED.
Early in the Fall of 1860, was travelling
for sour house," of which l was junior
partner, in a certain portion of middle
Tennessee. l had necessarily abandoned
railroad routes, and was passing through
the country, sometimes by incidental modes
of conveyance.
| On Journey for orders and collections,
it will seem strange that l should have
been accompanied by my wife. I'll tell
you how that happened. Lucy-that's my
darling's name-had been in poor health
for several months in Baltimore. She had
grieved sadly over the loss of our only
child, year before, by scarlet fever, and |
had sufficient cause for apprehension in her
case-startling, indeed, to the love with
which l cherished the bereaved and sor-
rowing mother. l had accordingly pre-
vailed upon her the preceding May to visit
her parents near Nashville, to pass the
Summer there, wait for my Autumn trip
and return with me.
This ought to relieve me from a suspicion
of nervousness or improperly in making
my business tour accompanied by my wife.
l happily recovered possession of her in
SO improved state Of health that had no
hesitation in consenting to her wish to
share with me the incenvoniences of our
country travel, country fare and accommo-
dations generally. She bravely insisted
that it would do her good and perfect her
recovery. And it was very soon manifest
that it was doing so. She seemed to bloom
with renewed youth and constitutional
vigor, and enjoyed "roughing it =" in Ten
nessee, verify believe, much more than /
did, apart from the dear companionship l
had in her, and which made every place
paradise. But if l talk this fashion some
lady readers will suspect me, in spite of
my disclaimer.
l think it was somewhere in the lower
part of Wilson county that we stopped at
a wayside tavern one night, and suffered
the wagon we had hired at the town above
to return. l knew had to go off to
customer in neighboring village on the
next day; and that was the reason We
brought up to this rather out of the way
place. 1t was quite comfortable though;
and 1 remember we had very excellent
supper, which 1 enjoyed more than usual,
for l had just obtained relief from a
troublesome tooth, after having saturated
the nerve and gums with laudanum fire.
quently during the day. Indeed l was not
insensible to narcotic effect, and antici-
pated good, sound sleep, whatever might
be the dormitory accommodations of the
house.
We went to bed soon after iliAe o'clock.
Lucy had previously been up in the room
and accordingly we retired unattended. l
just remember that upon reaching land
ing at the top of the stair, we turned along
a passage and entered an apartment which
seemed to extend beyond the framework Of
the original house. Nothing, however, had
transpired to cause the slightest apprehen-
sion on our part of danger of any sort; and
l betook myself to bed with perfect conf
dence threw off my clothes with great
alacrity, and was soon between the nice
clean Sheets have an indistinct recollec-
ton of hearing Lucy murmuring her pray
ers, dear girl, but 1 am sure that before
she came to ssAmen," 1 was fast asleep.
All! if l had never awoke from that
sleep should now be telling you the hor-
rors of that night, or, rather of the morn
ing which dawned in that room-should l ?
But here am. So it is not so bad as it
might have been.
awoke-I had a consciousness of
being awakened by something unusual
just in the gray of dawn. 1t was light
enough to observe all objects in the room
with sufficient distinctness to make them
out very well. was first struck with the
fact, which 1 had failed to notice on the
preceding night, that there was an open
loft directly opposite the side of the bed
on which l laid, receding from the apart
ment at height of about eight feet from
the floor, as if extending over the ceiling
of a room of lower pitch than ours, adjoin-
ing. To this dim recess my attention was
attracted, and presently rivited, by the
, glare and fash of two large cat-like eyes;
and Immediately was thoroughly alarmed
, by the appearance of the entire head of
some animal, which was cautiously lifted,
IS if for the purpose of watching its prey.
1t was not difficult for me to discover at
> nee that was the object of its unremit-
, ling gaze; but it is impossible to describe
le strange fascination with which those
azing orbs seemed to thrill every nerve in
: " body, and engage every faculty of my
Ind. l never in my life before realized
Inv intimately and inseparably the agen-
cs of the physical and mental attributes of
mbeing were interviewed and reciprocated.
Tire was a subtitle diffusion of the sense
of fe, by which one seemed to sympathize
wit the other-the flesh to culver with
shuler with an appalling dread for the
trenling flesh. l had the deliberation to
thinhpon the strange, emotional, distinc-
tive Ienomena which my senses perceived,
and s,med almost disposed to philosophize
upon hem, when it occurred to me as
solutie of the whole matter that this was
: my fir experience of rank cowardce.
IndeedI had felt pale at the first percep-
ton of danger, but was now sensible of
, profu' perspiration oozing from every
pore. lis was strangely and partially
arrested " my thoughts wandering after
all that had read in Cooper's novels, of
, ''catamoats," "painters," and other "var-
mint ofhe " Leather stocking" expert
ences; and longed for that same sure rifle
which hadone such good and timely SER
vice upon he fictitious occasions so brilli-
antly married. by that fertile genius
, Then fought Of Lacy-strange that I
! had not cosidered her danger before. l