San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1879-01-25

L do not know whether ii was owing
to the anxiety Of my mind, or what, but
this afternoon, Is was sitting at this
very table, engaged in preparing dis
patch. something in the apartment
seemed to disturb me. Looking up I
beheld, standing exactly opposite to
me, a singularly beautiful female. So
astonished was /, for I had given strict
orders not to be disturbed, that it was
some time before I found voice to in
quire the cause Of her presence.
"A second, third and even q fourth
time did I repeat the question, but re-
ceived NO other answer from my mystic
rious visitor than slight raising of her
eyes.
"By this time felt strange sensa-
ton spreading throughout me. I would
have risen, but the riveted gaze of the
being before me rendered volition i'm
possible. ! essayed once more to ad-
dress her, but my tongue had become
powerless Even thought itself pres
emily became paralyzed.
"a new influence, mysterious, potent,
irresistible, took possession of me.
"All I could do was to gaze steadily,
vacantly, at my unknown visitor. Grad
ually the surrounding atmosphere SEEM
ed as though filed with sensations, and
grew luminous. Everything about me
seemed to rarity, the mysterious visitor
herself becoming more airy, and yet
more distinct to my sight than before.
I now began to feel as one dying; or,
rather, to experience the sensations
which I sometimes imagine accompany
dissolution. I did not think; I did not
reason; did not move. All were alike
impossible. I was only conscious of
gazing, fixedly, vacantly OF my compan-
ion.
Presently I heard voice saying:
Son of the Republic, look and learn,
while at the same time my visitor ex-
tended her arm and forefnger east
wardly. I now beheld heavy white
vapor at some distance, rising fold upon
fold. This gradually dissipated, and I
looked upon q strange scene. Before
me lay, spread out in one vast plain, all
the countries of the world-Europe,
Asia, Africa and America. I saw, roll
ing and tossing between Europe and
America, the pillows of the Atlantic,
and between Asia and America lay the
Pacific. Son of the Republic said
the same mysterious voice as before,
+ look and learn .t
"At that moment I beheld a dark and
|shadowy being, like an angel, standing,
or rather floating, in mid air, between
Europe and America. Dipping water
out of the ocean in the hollow of each
hand, he sprinkled some upon America
with his right hand, while he cast upon
Europe some with his left.
Immediately dark cloud arose from
each of these countries, and joined in
mid ocean. For awhile it remained sta
tionary, and then moved slowly west
ward until it enveloped America in its
murky folds. Sharp flashes of light
ming now cleaned throughout it at in
tervals, and I heard the smothered
groans and cries of the American peo-
pie. A second time the angel dipped
water from the ocean, and sprinkled it
out as before. The dark cloud was then
drawn back over the ocean, into whose
heaving waves it soon sank out of sight.
A third time I heard the mysterious
voice saying, Son Of the Republic, look
and learn
II cast my eyes upon America and
beheld villages, towns and cities spring
ing up one after another, until the whole
land, from the Atlantic to the Pacific,
was dotted with them. Again I heard
the mysterious voice say, Son of the
Republic, look and learn
"At this the dark, shadowy angel
turned his face southwark, and from
Africa 1 saw an i'll omen, a spectre APP
preaching our land. It fitted slowly
and heavily over every village, town
and city of the latter, the inhabitants
of which presently set themselves in
battle array, one against the other. 1