Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1883-12-28
THE sHuUsE in THE MIRROR.

1t waH late one winter evening. III he SHOW
was falling III thick, fast coming flakes, max
ing whits curtain that was perpetually being
let down between heaYan and earth. The
storm was carrying on wild sport around the
house, shaking the windows, beating against
the thick walls, and murmuring in deep hol-
low tones in the chimneys It was a night for
warm, cosy, substantial indoor comfort, and
such resolved to make it. rs. Il 4s> L
At the period of which T attn writing am
still young man, and was practieing success
fully as doctor in 8 town 10 the west Of En-
gland-a tolerably large. busy county town
which lies near the borders of both Devonshire
and Somersetshlre / was unmarried, and was
living with an old housekeeper and ons servant
girl, who helped her by turns, now above
stairs, now below, with complacent submits
sion, because the semi blindness and deafness
of the good lady made interviews with her true
swain, the butchers boy, In the scullery not
practicable but easy. On the evening in ques-
ton had come in what we medical men call
''healthily tired after hard days work in
my professional duties,- and was now sitting
eozily BY the blazing fire in my dining room,
with glass Of good claret on the little round
table at my side. " " r. #tN4
lazily, now resting upon some Of the most in
terestiug cases among my patients. now autter-
ing around pretty picture Of my only sister
and her first baby, which her letter, received
this morning from India had called uD; now
straying into the stable to visit my bay horse
n new purchase, which l fiattered myself did
mo- small honor to my Judgment in horse flesh.
Gradually, however, all these subjects Of
pleasant reflection slipped into q mass, and got
eonfusedly mixed together. ! found myself
gazing, without feeling the least surprised, at
an odd vision, which showed me my sister
mounted on my pct bay with the baby in her
arms, who, instead Of a baby's face had the
face of my neighbor and patient old Mr.. Spi-
Ger, the grocer, aud soon after that was sunk
into peaceful sl,1mber, where no dream even
came to disturb me. o., -.
How long slept Go not exactly know. but
] recollect woke with 2 start, reused By the
clock on the chimneypiece, which had b pc
oulisrly ringing, clear sound, striking 3.
sat upright with jerk and looked around With
that vaguely uncomfortable feeling which often
follows sudden waking. Ny glance happened
10 wander up to the mirror which was over the
the chimneypiece. Why was 1t that, as gazsd
at it, uttered low exclamation, and then
shut my eyes, thinking that sleep must still be
retaining its power over me, and that I must
be dreaming strange, fantastic dream.
But no, certainly was not dreaming, for
there it was just as'it had been before. Fix nv
eyes as steadily as I might upon the mirror
with oil my wakeful faculties concentrated
npon it in eager earnestness, it was still there.
1 looked away, aud fastened my look, for q
which hung over the sidebosrd Then nv
eyes were allowed to return to the glass: but
this vancouver was useless also-it would not
70, do what would. It"
What cav was certainly no alarming vision,
though its appearance, there in the mirror.
markahle and startling enough, to say the least
OF it. In the middle Of the glass, which, in its
other parts, reflected simply and naturally the
commonplace objects in the room, chairs and
tables and window curtains, there appeared q
small but wildly distinct picture of q house
front covered Oh one: side with a green
creeper, which was spangled with starry
white blossoms, and on the other j with y
fresco such as had heard described as exist,
ing on the walls Of houses 10 Italy, where I
had never been-a fresco representing an old
woman sitting with a basket Of oranges Ut bar
feet There were four windows. two upstairs.
two down, exactly over each other; they we're
all half shaded with green blinds, and I couli
see that the top one. on the right hand side,
was slightly open. Up the garden there ran
broa1 gravel walk, with soft fresh turf.
semmed with flower beds on either side Of il.
The Enclosure was fenced round with o rather
high wooden pa'inG. and in one corner OF It
ahere stood summer house, with quaiutly-
shaped roof, that had something Of a pagoda
aboutis Over the whole there was SPREAD \
soft, silyery light. as though q bright, full
moon vas shining down upon IT. A yeliof
CLEAN stole through the open window, an!
mingled with the white rays without. ~
I laid my finger on my pulse. Was 1 goi. =
fast into raging fever. NY pulses were as
steady as they wera when rose that morning
After 8 nights sound sleep. tested my brsi,s
toms and features in difficult ana psrplexin.
case which had been lately under my care; nv
mind acted as cooly and calmly aud regularly
as it had ever done, repeated to myself sew.
eral passages Of poetry from different authors
in different languages; they came as quickly
and easily to my tongue a. If had been read
ing them from printed book. Igazsd around,
and fixed my eyes on various objects in the
room to see whether I should be subjected to
other optical illusions: bnt in all other points
My eyes were a. reasonable as they usually
were: they showed me nothing but tho familiar
chairs and table, aud the well-known patsernof
the paper on the wall. Then ! looked back at
the mirror, The house was still there. = Z
Had been reading lately description OF
such a house, or had lately seen anywhere a
picture like it, Either OF these things might
possibly have left vivid impression on my
mind, which might have accounted for the
strange deusioD Twas not, however, able to
recolect, search my memory as would, thata
book or painting had brought such honae
and garden before nv thoughts. / was nat
urally neither excitable nor imaginative; in
deed. was generally regarded BY every one
who knew me, and by myself into the bargain,
as one of the most urosaic, rational beings in
III M,- ia ho1 nav ~ hat cra nj adj
me the smallest trick, even as rode home,
worn out with watching by a sick bed, on the
darkest night: even in the many painful scenes.
full Of death and gloom through which my.
professional life had led me- In the dssecting
room, in the severest operation, my hand had
always been as steady as if ! were peeling a,i
orange: All this made the present incompre-
henaible vision yet more utterly inexplicable
Besides, even White gszed at il, knew thai 4
had never, felt more calm and collected and
more in an ordinary condition Of body ard
mind throughout my very commonplace, very
busy history. a :9{ H izJJ5 q. "a.
Would smother pair Of eyes see The house il
the mirror? wondered. With q hurried hand
I rang the bell to test this point, and SUM
moned my housekeeper, who generally herself
waited on me. This good lady's name was
Mrs. Trickey II is = common Devonshire
name, let it be at once understood by those
who are not aware Of the fact, and is In no way
meant to hint at any unpleasant proclyities OF
whims On the worthy danes
part: abe was as honest and sinpl e-minded .
woman as ever handled 8 bunch OF keys.
Mrs. Tricky, I have rupg for YOU TO AK.
you to do avery simple thing, said hesitaf- s.
ing how to begin; for = felt. il a. spoke out
plainly, my housekeeper must infallibiy think!
that had suddenly taken Leave OF my senses.
THAT will Zee please have, sir ~ replied
Mrs. Trickey, in true evonshire faehion.