The Benton weekly record., 1883-03-24

| baaed chicken, an 0melette, some bread,
and one or TWO vegetables. These viands
were rot laid upon plates; they were
merely laid upon the mirFored floor of the
chamber. Near them, in a hollow in the
flor, was perhaps pint Of what proved
to be an excellent claret. The exciting
events of the day had made me forget that
[ had been without nourishment for at
least tWenty-four hours. The sight of the
food instantly recalled the fact, and with
appearance of my meal, | began to eat.
The food was excellent i'll quality and
cooked with skill that surprised me.
s'Truly,' 2 | said, as | enjoyed my repast,
9Th ugh they 90 deny me such convent
ences as knives, forks, napkins and dishes.
they show no indications Of an intention to
starye me-"
| soon finished my meal and was some
what surprised to find that the food sup
piled had Just been sufficient to satisfy my
appetite, so that there was not a morsel of
it left. | now again fell to pacing the
chamber wondering at the curious nature
of my surroundings. Soon, however,
droWsy feeling warned me that / required
sleep, and so, stretching myself upon the
polished floor, soon, in spite of its hard
ness was fast asleep.
When [ awoke it was with that peculiar,
indescribable impression that | had slept
long time-hoW long, Of course, it was inn
possible for me to tell. There had been
40 change in my cell. The light streamed
in as brilliantly as ever. The mirrors
multiplied my form as before. More food
had been introduced While | slept, and of
this | now made Il breakfast. As before,
there was barely enough to satisfy my ap
petite and left not fragment Of it.
In this manner passed some time-sev-
erAl days | should think. My food was
furnished me always in the same mysteri
Gus way, and there was always stenough
Of it--not a morsel more. [ saw no per-
son. My time was spent wholly in pom
dering upon schemes OF escape, and i'll
amusing myself with the mirrors. At the
end Of the period named, however, [
found the presence Of the mirrors Initiated
me- I was insufferably bored to see always
!, nothing but myself, with always the same
!, expression, always with the same figure,
and gate and similar attitudes. | began
therefore to grmace and scowl, to smile
and grin III tie glasses. | acted tragedies
: and farces, which had seen the players
act during the Carnival, with every ex-
trayagance Of expression and gesture. |
danced, leapt, and strntted. [ initiated
the persons and bearing OF many men of
my acquaintance. | played a thousand
pranks before the mirrors, and laughed
again and again as they were repeated,
multiplied and controlled by the faithful
glasses.
"Ah ha, - cried 81 foresee an endless
source of amusement in these same mir
, rors.'
: found, however, on oeasing these an
J tics, fatigued with my exertions, that the
+ sightof my face with its ordinary express
} ion was intolerably irksome. | therefore
; continued my pranks as long as | could,
: and then, sleeping restored my exhausted
strength. On aWaking | resumed my
: trolic. Whenever | ceased, the grave,
almost saturnine expression Of my face,
j gazing at me from a hundred places in the
wall, would make me shudder and resume
the occupation which | had begun as an
amusement, but which [ now continued
from necessity. AZ last, however, there
came into my mind the question: SIS it
t not madness ?" [ shuddered. | discon-
tinued my absurd gestures and grima-
: ces, and resolved to resume them no
!, more.
TRIED to gaze upon the reflection of my
; natural expression and accustomed bear
ing, with composure. The ordeal was
terrible. Strange, unknown passions, of
: which had hitherto been ignorant, burn
: ed in the lineaments of my face. Shades
of expression, fierce and dark as the night
: tempest, chased each other over my fea-
: lures, and, multiplied and magnified by
the mirrroed walls, assumed hideousness
f horrible to behold. My figure became
more hateful in my eyes than that of sa-
: tyr A horrible fear came over me, that |
was not like other men, but the only one
of some monstrous species long extinct
! perhaps the yampire-perhap the man
f wolf. The thought almost drove me mad.
| tried to look upon some other object. /
g could not. There acas nothing else upon
: aohich the eye could faU. There was moth
ing but cleaning mirrors in which naught
but myself could be seen. The food which
: was furnished me was only sufficient tC
4 satisfy hunger, otherwise should have
: retained some Of it to look upon. / tore
: out handfuls of my hair and scattered il
0 upon the floor; but they reminded me OF
: nothing but myself, and the head from
e which they were torn.
: All with what a horror for myself was
4 now seized. How longed to fly from
: myself. How, hurting myself against the
5 glittering wall in weak endeavors to burst
, it and be free, did reeoil in horror at the
: sight of my own form rushing towards me
i in reflection. How prayed for the death