Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-01-24
From the New York Mercury.
From the New lCrk MerCury
SPECTRAL, SHADOWS

Without, the wind howled dismally
and the rain beat upon the window
frames; within, the fire burned cheer
fully, and the Pickering flames cast
.gaunt shadows upon the wall.
Seated beside the glowing embers, q
young man Of twenty-five with his face
buried in his hands, rocked softly to
and fro. To him the irelight's warm
glow was nothing, for the bowling wind
without was in accord with the heart
in his breast.
As Walter Melmer sat thus tonight,
he was thinking over his life. Orphaned
at an early age, he had been thrown
upon the bounty of stern uncle. So
long as the small amount left by his
father lasted, he was welcome beneath
Hugh Catheric's roof; but when the last
penny had passed in the schoolmaster's
hands, his uncle gave him to understand
his welcome went with it.
Thus he went out upon the world q
youth of nineteen, and str0ve to WOO
the tickle goddess-Fortune. Enter
prisipg and bright, he had secured q
position and occupied it for the space
of three years. But now he had lost it.
The firm was about to give up business,
and SO Walter found himself penniless
and alone in the great city, amid win
ter's chill, and with hundreds Of able
bodied men thrown out Of work and i'd
ling away their time while their families
starved. He had written to his firm
friend and former schoolmate, Frank
Lyle, and implorec him to secure him
a position among his fathers many
factories.
When he left school Frank had said
"When you are in trouble, Walter,
come to me-" and so he had written
-Four days had gone past and still no
answer came.
Night after night Walter had ripped
upon the landlady's door and inquired
fox letters; but none-always that one
cry.
True, this night he had seen only the
niece of the housekeeper, but she
would know surely if there were any
and she shook her head when he asked.
Somewhat sadly, be thought, as if she,
child as she was, were sorry for him.
During the idle time he had passed
all his ready money few, and now he
could see before only grave in the
snow-bank with the bleak December
wind bowling above him.
Was it to be wondered, then, that his
heart lay like lead in his bosom; that
despair filled his soul, and a thousand
horrible thoughts filed his mind?
Every gust of wind, every drop of
rain seemed to murmur in his ears:
"Kill! kill"
No, no! He could not do that; he
would starve, die, rot in the streets ere
his hand should shed the blood of a
fellow creature, to keep life within
himself.
Then the ghostly shadows imned
by the freight upon the plaster
seemed to take voice and murmur in
turn. Die! die!"
All, but how? True, there was the
river, beneath whose icy surface for
getfulness and oblivion held sway. A
dozen times had he turned toward the
swollen stream, and a dozen times, as
he beheld the great blocks Of ice hurled
hither and thither by the raging tide,
he had turned away again.
No; he could not drown himself
Life was too sweet a nnorsel to cast
aside, even then. Lower and lower sank
the fire, and now only a f >rked tongue of
flame, now and then shooting upward
from between the blackened logs,
showed that the wood still burned.
"What shall I do?" he asked, as he
raised his head. Gam I to die thus?
Am to starve in this great city,"
Over and over again he asked him
self the question, until his brain was on
fire.
With sudden resolve, born of ex-
element, he rose from his seat and
glided from the rickety wash-stand in
the corner of the room. Pulling out the
sliding drawer, he took out a massive,
elegantly mounted revolver. and turned
it over.
"God forgive me !'' he calculated, 81
can no longer endure It,"
He had raised the deadly weapon to
mis- head, when a knock upon the door
sapprized him of some ones approach
With pale face and cleaning eyes he
hastily concealed the pistol, and an
.swered the summons by Come I'M"
The door swung open and the pom
derous form of Mrs. Murphy, the land
lady, stepped into the room.
OFF yez PLACE, sur" she began,
"wh;n yez kim in this blissid avening
yez did ak little Mary Ellen, as IS me
sister's-rist her sowl own daughter,
as eff there waz ony letther for yes; and
the child-bless her purity eyes-says
no, says she. Av coorse she didn't
know ony betther, seem as ! vast in
whin yez arrived yezeP. Here it Is,
lapze yez, sur; an eff yez is goin' ter
stay ony longer, yer rint must be PAID
to-morry
She banged the door after her and
waddled down the carpetless stairway.
Hastily tearing open the envelope,
Walter scanned the well-remembered
writing.
"Bless the dear old fellow!" he cried.
81 knew he wouldn't forget me. What's
this? another paper-a money order
for twenty-five dollars lie advance God
bless his dear old hearth" Casting on
the remaining log it soon caught fire,