Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1879-12-26

olaeI ltlenuS, 10 request tOem 20 Spenu
the day with her. For" said she, II
am Is to-day" No. answered tie
clergyman, "you are mistaken; yout
mother and have had many disputes
concerning your age. SO, happening 10
go into the parish church where you
were baptized, l was resolved TO put an
end to my doubts by searching tho reg.
lister, anu | find that you are but II this
day" You have signed my death
warrant replied she. Il have not
much longer 10 live; must, therefore,
entreat you 10 leave me immediately,
rs have something OF Importance to
settle before l die," When the clergy
man had left Lady Berestord she sent
70 put of her company, and at the
same time 10 request Lady Betty Cobbe
and her son, of whom SIR Tristram was
the father, and who was then about II
years otage, to come to her apartment
immediately. Upon their arrival she
desired her attendants to quit the room.
Il have something of Importance to
communicate to you hoth,' she said,
before die, for my end is not far
distant. You, Lady Betty Cohbe, are
no stranger 10 the friendship that
always suhsisted between Lord Tyrone
and myself. We were educated under
the same roof in the principles of
deism, when the friends into whose
hands we afterwards fell endeavored TO
persuade us to embrace revealed relig-
ion; their arguments, though they
failed to convince us, were powerful
enough to stagger our faith and to leave
us wavering between two opinions. IN
this perplexing state OF doubt and I'M
certainty we made y solemn promise
to each other that whichever should
die first would, if permitted by the Al
mighty, appear to the other to declare
what religion was most acceptable to
him. Accordingly one night when Sir
Tristram and | were i'll bed | walked
and discovered Lord Tyrone sitting by
my bedside. | screamed out and en-
deavored to awake Sir Tristram. For
heavens sake, Lord Tyrone, said |, by
what means and for what purpose
came you here at this time OF night p
Have you forgotten our promise, them
said he. L died last Saturday nj t O'Clock
and am permitted by the Supreme
Being TO appear to you to assure you
that revealed religion is the true and
the only one by which you can be
saved. am further permitted to in
form you that you are now with child
of II son which is decreed shall grow
up and marry my niece. Not
many years after the child's birth Sir
1ristram will die, and you, hls widow,
Will be married again to Il man by
whose i'll treatment your life will be
rendered miserable. You will bring
him two daughters, and afterwards y
son you will die in childbed of that son
on completing your torty-seventh year
Just heavensp exclaimed |, and can
not prevent this 'Unaoubtedly,' said
he, you can; YOU are FREQ agent, and
may prevent it by resisting every tempt
alton to second marriage. More ] am
not permitted to say. But if, after these
warnings, you persist in your iniidelity,
you will be miserable indeed May
ask, said l, If you are happy? Had |
been otherwise said he i should not
have been permitted to appear 10 you
thus Il may therefore infer that you
are happy He smiled. But how,
said |, when tomorrow morning comes,
shall | be convinced that your appear
ance thus to me has been real, and not
the mere phantom of my imagination?
will not the news OF my death be suf-
fcient to convince your said he. No,
said /; i might have had such dream,
and that dream accordingly come to
pass. | wish to have some strong proof
of it's reality You shall, said he;
then he waved his hands, and the bed
curtains, which were of crimson velvet,
were instantly drawn up through large
iron hook. by which the tester of the
bed, which was of an oval form, was
suspended. In that, said he, you
cannot be mistaken, for no mortal arm
could have performed it, True said
/ but as we sleep we are often possess.
ed of greater strength than when awake
asleep | might have done it, and
shall still doubt it, He then said: You
have pocket-book here, in which | will
write; you know my handwriting p
| replied 'Yes.' He then wrote with a
pencil on one side of the leaves. Still,
said !, / may doubt it; though waking
| could not initiate your handwriting,
asleep might You are hard Of be-
lief, said he. ! must not touch you;
it would injure you irreparably. 1t is
not for spirits to touch mortal's flesh.
j do not regard, said |, a slight blem-
ish.' You are a woman Of courage
said he. so hold out your hand did
SO aud he struck my wrist; his hand
was as cold as marble. In moment
the sinews shrunk up--every nerve
withered! Now said ne, while you
live let no mortal eye see that wrist
II would be sacrilege.' He stopped:
turned to him again, but lie was gone.
| felt chilled with horror. ! endeavor-
ed to awake Sir Tristram, but in vain;
all my efforts were Intellectual, and in
this state Of agitation and horror lay
for some time, wnen, shower Of tears
coming to my relief, dropped asleep.
In the morning Sir Tristram rose and
dressed himself as usualwithout perceiv.
ing, or at all events without noticing, the
state in which the curtains remained.
When l awoke / found Sir Tristram had
gone down stairs. | arose, and having
put on my clothes, went into the gallery