, 1877-04-28
THE SERPENT-OHARM.
IA SEQUEL TO 7Hn "pRATH.cLooK" IN THE
Tribune or APRIL ell
Trftisn for TAs Tribune.

So you thought mo 'tqutte dead. :" my dear Doc.
tor, and done forever with The caro- ard fret, tho
work and worry Of. this mossal wofld,-lhs great
antc.room 10 the spiritual lIfei visit. we'll.
There's many = soul slips out OF human view
| for space that would como back to its old
tenement acatn II you wctc not In such hatto to ut
Ter over II the solenn sounding ceromonlAls Of tho
grave; TO pronounce. with awful &mpresatveness,
between tho hollow ccholng Of falling ctoda upon
tho conln.iid. tho slow, shndderng sentence Of
doom-"Earth to earth. ashes to ashes, dust to
| dukt!"
How long I lay in The deep trance which you
called death, you arc better able 10 tell than !,
who had therein no perception Of time Or space, ID
humanity comprchendcd.
ntstng cut Of tho dead, stasuant wntcts Of fos-
retfulness,-thc tabled River Of Death In which
seemed 10 havo been utterly submerged, ~ was
conscious trst OF dull throb Of pain, nneeeeded
by slow, creeping, delicious scnsc Of peace and
content, Tho eonrcd Of which I did not even have
thought 10 wonder about, much 1css care 10 know.
Gradually there grow upon mo an impression Of
living presence to which my senEo Of sight was
sealed. heard, az In dream, roit, thrilling,
woEllcss strains Of song. ! drink. with lauguld
BLISS tho sweet inspiration Of a subty. perfumcd
breath; fclt with stirring 1ifa, tho fan.
ming Of cold electric currents OF air, A.
OF haults floating In meamerio waves over my hcad.
Though consciously IN the body, all power Of mo.
tlon seemed suspended, or rather under the control
Of a will outside my own. which was wholly dor.
tnant. Suddenly, without warning or effort, my
eyes opened on vision Of woman1y grace and
beauty bonding over mo with q smile OF fascination
thatdr my soul llko lightning from tho cloud
which had imprisoned It. Involuntntl1y I rosc up,
gazing with the entro absorption OF every faculty
Of my being Into tho ocp lusttous eyes which held
INC by some subtle chnrnl hai no care 10 analyzo
tor wish 10 reasat. Wltched BY tho glow and scin-
s,'latlon Of those wondrous orbs, did not
-
llko transformation OF tho beautiful weman
into serpent form, nor did feel any
'esh'y shrinking when the lortly, shining head,
slowly losing its distinctive human contour dat
tene d to tnako.lks mold, With aoft vibratory,
Fascinating movement keeping time to The musmnr
rss @ M % my
vague impscsson Of horror that seemed to havo be.
10 e e ts 1so o9 hn
Tho jewei eyes whose soft ifldeaccnt ,aames wav.
tho slow, swsy'n9. magnetic motion Of tho ho1d.
s.a "@Y l.,te lexs ssa not that yoa would cone
Was It serpent or woman that spoke! Tho form
.eGn.ed to snit from @ ono 70 tho other before ny
like n burr In tho tissues OF my thon8ht. II that
RI urtenco wero urged upon ny bclaf, might not
tonXuo Of my sofpent'charmer DO accredited a.
''My loroi my 1ord:" murmurea ssduetlvely my
beautiful cnch9nter, showing me now the fagal
head and glortoaa face Of vlrginia, which was
nevcr absent from my dreams.
with e,e:, ,es sas tas'sa. oa
qntste outline Of check and chin, tho tender cuFva
G's : s' s vie 1ne,
You have comei A. ut you hare eomo"-,.
S'goSs s wsad. sss, %yss
,ng 20 hand had llitoa to stroko nj darling.
hesa %Nay, e.tr<,-moro absolutely and ,,u,v ,,t,,
than oyet before, though not In the earth" an.
swcred tho sweet inatsuctresa.
AH . ths ssy.n ..kea sssn with
In no vlao to d!aar from those long. familiar.
Tho beautiful ono. slipping back into tho sogpsu.
mole s.sed On nc smiie i's wlso - and psif"i. o'''
'fou bring With You the gross ignorance and
~ .spss: n. ko1 e Ss' , n
no plscs. but spiritual condition, which you have
no need 70 cross ths river ot death 70 nd. which
sii.s y iieassns. my idel," 4A'''u ''a o'''. 'a'
Of tho Antilles, when you al with. mo 6esids tho
aa ..nS e tsa II eI s
faint thrill Of tho remembered ecstacy.
The serpent. woman seemed 10 glow and oxpand
with iaex prcssibla delight. .'Thcn. 1o you shajj
and Hoasen again, my lore. " sue said with e1ult-
:. i cann0t toll II we moved from our place, but
tho %ih s3sn:Sn q thought appsafsa
sa ass "s '.tssaF .sss sf :sssS :sssssS
.s wom y .psseh Me owoa '.ss t,en
ehe tonxus Of ny eo1sost. WIG. when she loaned
Sn II ss VII Il. Ct Lot
penis gl!tlerng in sealy. gold on neck and wnsts,
I'D dstt1nx m wicked .plsaos tron ths laatrous
arpss,sa Y Gomo.fully to ny !ntsllsetua! faeullles
fyIk GnTfSif At Withdrawn