The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1880-01-01

ford brought two daughters. after which,
in consequence Of the prof1igacy of his
condact, she insisted on separation.
They parted for several years, when so
great was the contrition which he ex-
pressed for his former behavior, that,
overcome by his persuasions and prom
ises, she was induced to pardon and once
more reside with him, and some time
after she became the mother of another
son. The very day month after the
birth of her child, being the anniversary
of her own birthday, she sent for her
daughter, Lady Riverston, and a few
other friends, to request them to spend
the day with her. "For," said she, II
am a to-day" "No," answered the
clergyman, "you are mistaken; your
mother and have had many disputes
concerning your age. So, happening to
go into the parish church where you
were baptized, was resolved to put an
end to my doubts by searching the reg
lister, and I find that you are but AZ this
day." "You have signed my death
warrant" replied she, II have not
much longer to live; I must, therefore,
entreat you to leave me Immediately,
as have something of Importance to
settle before dieI'' When the clergy
man had left Lady Beresford she sent
to put off her company, and at the
same time to request Lady Betty Cobbe
and her son, of whom Sir Tristram was
the father, and who was then about IL
years of age, to come to her apartment
Immediately. Upon their arrival she
desired her attendants to quit the room.
II have something of Importance to
communicate to you both," she said,
''before die, for my end is not far
distant. You, Lady Betty Cobbe, are
no stranger TO the friendship that
always subsisted 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 un-
certainty we made 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 in 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 I, by
what means and for what purpose
came you here at this time of night ?
Have you forgotten our. promise, then7'
said he. Il died last Saturday at 4 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 a son which is decreed shall grow
up and marry my niece. Not
many years after the child's birth Sir
Tristram will die, and you, his widow,
will be married again to man by
whose ill'treatm ent your life will be
rendered miserable. You will bring
him two daughters, and afterwards a
son; you will die in childbed of that son
on completing your forty-seventh year.
Just heavens!' exclaimed I. land can
not prevent this:' Undoubtedly said
he, you can; you are a free agent, and
may prevent it by resisting every tempt
alton to q second marriage. More I am
not permitted to say. But if, after these
warnings, you persist in your infdelity,
you will be miserable indeed May
ask said I, IF you are happy? Had I
been otherwise said he, L should not
have been permitted to appear to you
thus Il may therefore infer that you
are happy? He smiled. But how
said l, when tomorrow morning comes,
shall I 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-
6cient to convince your said he. No.
said !; Il might have had such a dream,
and that dream accordingly come to
pass. I wish to have some strong proof
of its 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
I; but as we sleep we are often possess
ed Of greater strength than when awake
asleep I might have done it, and
shall still doubt it, He then said: You
have pocket-book here, in which I will
write; you know my handwriting p
I replied Yes He then wrote with q
pencil on one side of the leaves. STILL
said I, Il may doubt it; though waking
I could not initiate your handwriting,
asleep might you are hard of be-
lief, said he. must not touch you;
it would injure you irreparably. It is
not for spirits to touch mortal's flesh.