Weekly Trinity journal., 1877-06-09
A PHYSICIAN S WIFE S STORY

was whitrnrd through excessive fear. but,
a> never saw, mv>elt, any one so affect
ed, nm disposed To be incrcdulouS on
the subject" The ahovr rema k wa>
mnde to Dr. Mavnnld. rs we sat ON the
pipzza of his pretty villa discussing the
different effects of terror ON di>>imilar
temppramrntS. Without replying Ia me
the doctor turned To his wi'e aud said
Helen. will you please relate To my
old friend the incident within vour own
experience. 1t is the IN 'St convincing
argument can advance"
h,nkrd ut Mrs Mavn"d in surprise.
| had observed that her hair. which wa
luxu' 'innt nrd d'es,,d very brcomingly.
was purely rulorless /; hut, n she was II
young woman, aud nl,na very pretty one,
| >urInl-rd that it was powdered to
hightrn the brillmucy ut her line dark
eyes.
The doctor aud had been fellow stu
dents, but, after leaving college, we h"f
driltrd-I tu commence Practice IN an
eastern city, he to pursue his pr"'rN>h n
in growing town in the West. l was
now on visit 10 him for the first time
since his n.arrmge.
Mrs. Maynald, no doubt, reading my
superstition 10y my took OF incrrdulltv,
smiled as he shn"k her snowy tre-seS
over her shoulders, and seating herself
hv her husbands side. related the follow
ing interesting episode:
1t wa npnrly iva years ago since my
husband wns called on one evening Ia
vi-iI patient several miles away. Our
domestic had all gone to n wake IN the
vicinity, the dead man heing relative o;
one ol our serving women. Thu> was
left ainue. But iet ma fear, Tor We
oi dc- pc, ADDE'S in our quiet village, then
consisting ut n .ew scattering houses. The
windows le,diug ut un lhe pinHu were
open ~ now, nut secured the blnd- be.
fore my husband'> departure, aud locked
the out lde doors, all except the front one,
which / left for the doctor tn lock after
going out, 80 that, it should fall asleep
before his return, hr cnud enter without
nruu ing me-. | heard the doc,nr'S ,apid
footsteps ON the g'avri, quckrnrd 10y the
urgent tones Ot II messenger who awaited
him and, n tor Inc sharp mtto OF lh,
cnrlng,, wheels hnd bccome but an echo
| seated myself ~ lhf mrInr astral, aud
very soon brcnne absorbed in the book
had been reading before being disturbed
hy the summons.
But after Limr my interest succumhct
tn crowsiness, aud thought OF retiring
when he clock in the dhclur'> study
struck twelve, So determined 10 wnit
few mrmrnt~ more, telling that he wnul(
be home very soon. closed my book
d,uned robe de- chnmhle, let down ny
hnir, aud then returned IT, my seat t" pa
tiently wait and li-ten. Net the tnnle-
sound d-tu bed the stiffness OF The night
Not breath ot air sli red the leat. TIL,
| Siitict wis ST. p'o'''uHu 'h'e ~ ''N"''
oppressive. Iongrd tor the sharp cliel
ot the gnte-lslch and the we'll known st,
nn the gravel walk. did not dare /,
break the hush myself by moving %
singing, ] was So oppressed hy the deel
stiffness. The human mind j., >irang'
tnrlurer of itself. began To conjure ~
vivid Iaucies about ghn,tlv vi>ilnnts, II
the mId,t of which occurred 10 me tn,
stories | had heard from sup-r-liiou
prupir about the troubled ,plil- of lhns,
who had died suddenly, like the MAJ
whum my st, wants had gone 10 wake,
who had been killed byan accident at til,
saw mill. In the midst of these terrily
ing rrhrctiOn~, was ,tartled hy st'nlthl
fmtlail on the piazla. ll-tenrd belwoel
fear aud hope. 1t might be the doctor
Bat nu, he would not tread ike that til,
step was too sod aud cautihis for any
thing less willy than cat. A. listened
again, my eyes were fixed on the window
hind, ,aw the slnt- move slow aud
cnuinu-ly, aud then The rny- OI the mo II
DISCUSSED Thin cadavcluuS lace, and
bright glilcIing eyes, lIrerIDg NJ mt
| elt the cold per>pirutinn start at every
pore, serIned To 10 frozen in my chair
| could not move | could not cry out
my tongue seemed glued Ia the root ol
my IN 'ulh, while the dsa:hly white iat I
pressed CO e and the great 'unkrn eyes
wandered IN their gaze about the rruIn
In n few N 'uient> The blind closed noise
lessly as il had been opened, and The
CauLiutIs footsteps came toward tho d mr
Mercitl Heaven - | cried, ia n hDr
ror stricken whi-per, a- | heald the key
lu,n in the lock. the dIatpr N li- haste
must have lorg ,Lt,'n H. wlthdmw The key.
q ID 10 give me T. ,jncuatel Dr.. May
nnrd, inlerrupling his wln', and looking
far IN Jr" excited than she. can nev
or fIrgivo myself for such II thnughtles,
act. Plra-e procerd, my dear"
heard the frnnl door opsn, the step in
the hail, and. helpless II. n ,Ialur, | sat
rveled to my chair. The purlor dpoI
was open, aud in il -t'od tall, thin man
whom | never beheid. IIe was dressed
in ~ long. loose robe, "a sort Ot gnbeidlne
and ~ back velvet skull emp, partially
cnncesilrd, broad forehead, under which
CLEANED black eyes, bright as living
Goals, aud placed 81 near logether lha
their gtle wa preterlittural IN it, direct
ness heavy grizzled eya bruws hung
over them like the tangled name of ii
ON the nose was slmrL and prnInlnent