The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1883-12-14
THE HOUSE IN THE MIRROR.

1t was late one winter evening The
snow was falling in thick, fast-coming
flakes, making white curtain that was
|. "erpetually being let down between
s.reaven and earth. The storm was car
ryiBg on wild sport round the house,
shaking the windows, beating against
the thick walls, and murmuring in
deep, hollow tones in the chimneys. 1t
was a night for warm, cozy, substantial
indoor comfort, and such resolved to
make it.
At the period of which am writing I
was still young man, and was practic-
ing successfully as doctor in town in
the west of England-a tolerably large,
busy country town which lies very near
the borders of both Devonshire and
Somersetshire l was unmarried, and
was living with an old housekeeper and
one servant girl, who helped her by
turns, now above stairs. now below,
with complacent submission, because
the semi-blindness end deafness of the
good lady made interviews with her
true swain, the butchers boy, in the
scullery not only practicable but easy.
On the evening in question L had come
in what we medical men call ..healthily
tired after a hard DAYS work in my
professional duties, and was now sit
ting costly by the blazing fire in my
dining-room, with a glass of good claret
on the little round table at my side.
My thoughts went wandering to and
fro lazily, now resting upon some of the
most interesting cases among my pa
tients, now tiuttering around pretty
picture of my only sister and her first
baby. which her letter, received this
morning from India. had called up,
now straying into the stable to visit my
bay horse--a new purchase, which i
fiattered myself did no small honor to
my judgmentin horse-fiesh. Gradually.
however, all these subjects of pleasant
reflection slipped into a mass and got
confusedly mixed Together. l found
myself gazing, without feeling the least
surprised, at an odd vision, which
showed me my sister mounted on my
pet bay with the baby in her arms, who,
instead of a baby's face, had the face of
my neighbor and patient, old MIR.
Spicer, the grocer, and soon after that
i was sunk into a peaceful slumber,
where no dream even came to disturb
me.
How long l slept I do not exactly
know, but L 'reeollect woke with a
start, reused by the clock on the Chin
ney-piece. which had peculiar ring
ing, clear sound striking eight. l sat
upright with a ierk and looked with
that vaguely uncomfortable feeling
which often follows sudden waking.
My glance happened to wander up to
the mirror which was over the chimney
piece. Why was it that, as / gazed at
il | uttered low exclamation, and
then shut my eyes, thinking that sleep
must still be retaining its power over
NE. and that ! must be dreaming a
strange, fantastic dream?
But no,I certainly was not dreaming,
for there il was, Just as it had been be-
fore. Fix my eyes as steadily as might
upon the mirror: with all my wakeful
TSnlties concentrated upon it in eager
earnestnesS. it was still there. Hooked
away, and fastened my. look for min
ute or more upon my mothers picture,
which hung over the sideboard. Then
my eyes were allowed to return to the
glass; but this maneuyer was useless
also-it would not 90, do what / would.
What saw was certainly no alarm
ing vision, though its appearances, there
In the mirror, over my .dining-room
chimney-pieee, was remarkable and
startling enough. to say the least of it.
In the middle of the class, which in its
other parts reflected simply and natur-
ally the commonplace objects in the
room, chairs and tables and window
curtains, there appeared a small but
yindly distinct picture of house and
garden 1t was very pretty house, its
front covered on one side with Ia green