The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1881-08-27
THE COFFEE-POT.
A Story From the Preach, by ThsOphIi,
Gnuttcr.

-
Gruticr.
Last year [ was invited, with two of
my studio companions, Arrigo Cohic and
Pedrino Borgnioli, to pass few days at
O country house in the heart of Nor
mandy. The weather, which at the time
Of our departure promised to be suberb,
changed suddenly, and 80 much rain fell
that The roads which we passed were like
the bed of torrent. We sank in the
mud up to our knees, the soles of our
boots were clogged with thick coating
Cd clayey mud. the weight of which re-
tarded our steps so much that we did
not arrive at our destination until an
hour after sunset
We were harassed, and so our host,
seeing the efforts that we had to make
In order to repress our yawns and to keep
our eyes open, had us shown each to our
chamber as SOON rs supper WAS over.
Ny chamber was vast felt, Us I en-
tered it, as it were, shudder OF fever,
for 1t seemed to me that / was entering
new world. Indeed, you might have be-
ieved yonrself in the days OF the Re-
eencv, To se-e above the panels by
Boucher. representing the four seasons,
the furniture overloaded with rocoilie
ornaments ia the worst taste, and the
heavily carved locking glass frames.
Nothing had been disturbed The toilet
table, covered with combs, brushes and
powder box'S, seemed 10 have been in
use All hotu ago Two Or three dresses
III changing colors, n fan covered with
silver spangles, lay cGrelessly on the pol
ished oak floor, and to my great aston
ishment tortoiso-sheU snuff box, open
on the o.iilnne. piece, was full OF fresh
tobacco.
I did not notice these things until the
servant. uttor placing the can,llestick on
the table, had wished mo good night,
aud l ctsfcse, I began to tremble like q
lea4. addressed myself promptly, went
to bed, and in order to have done with
my foolish fears, soon closed my eyes
and tnrued my face toward the wall.
But II Was impossible for me to remain
in this position the bed began to move
beneath me like a wave, my eyelids were
drawn violently back. was obliged to
turn and see.
The blazing fire cast red reflection in
tho apartment, 30 that the figures Of the
tapestry, aud Of the smoky portraits that
hung on the walls, could be easily dis
tinguisllid. They were the ancestors Of
our host, chevaliers swathed in iron,
councillors in periwigs, and fair ladies
With painted faces and white-powdered
hair, holding a rose in their hand.
Suddenly, the fire became strangely
active, bleared light illuminated the
chamber, and saw clearly what had
taken for vain paintings, was reality,
for the eyes of the framed beings began
to move and to sparkle in a strange man
ner, their lips opened and closed like the
lips OF people speaking, but I heard
nothing but the ticktick Of the clock and
the whistling of the autumn wind An
insuperable terror seized me, my hair
stood on end, my teeth chartered, my
body was bathed in cold sweat.
The clock struck eleven. The vibration
OF the last stroke sang long in the air,
and when 1t died away entire
Oh! no! / dare not say what happened;
no one would believe me. I should be
taken for a mailman. The candles light
ed of themselves; the bellows, without
any visible being touching them. began
to blow the fire, rafting like an ssth-
matte old man, while the toEgs stirred
the billets Of wood and the shovel gath
cred up the ashes. Then coffee-pot
bounded from the table on which it had
been placed, and went hobbing along
toward the fire brands A few min
utes afteward the arm-chnirs began to
move, and, agitating their twisted feet
in surprising manner, came and ranged
themselves around the fire.
/ did not know what to think OF what
/ saw, but what remained for to see was
still more extraordinary.
One of the portraits the oldest of all,
that of a fat, chubby, gray-bearded man,
resembling remarkably the idea / had
formed to myself Of Sir John Falstaff,
pushed his head out of the frame with a
grimace, and after having, with great eff
fort, forced his shoulders and his fair,
round belly between the marrow gilded
border, he jumped down heavily.
He had no sooner taken breath than
he drew from the pocket of his doublet a
wonderfully small key; he blew on it to
see that the hole was clear, and then APP
piled it to all the frames, one after the
ether: and all the frames became en-
larged, SO as to allow the figures which
they contained to pass through with ease.
Little, doll-like babies, dry and yellow
dowagers, grave magistrates buried in
large black robes, petits maitres In silk
stockings prunelio breeches- all these
personages presented such ON old specta-,
Gle that in s.'ite Ct my fright. | ccrld not