Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-05-20
Gales aud Sketfhes.
from All the Year Round.
fUI FACE IN fHE GLASS.

There are some practical-minded per-
sons with strong constitutions, who deny
roundly that their fellow creatures are, or
can be, affected, in mind or body, by at
mospheric influences l am not disciple
of that school, simply because cannot be-
lieve those changes of weather which have
90 much effect upon animals, and even on
| inanimate objects, can fail to have some
| influence on a piece of machinery so sensi-
tive and intricate as the human frame.
think. then, that it was in part owing to
the disturbed state of the atmosphere that,
on this particular evening. felt nervous
and depressed. When my new friend
Strange and parted for the night, ! felt
as little disposed to 90 to rest as | ever did
| in nv life The thunder was still linger-
/ ing around the mountains in the midst OF
which our inn was placed. Sometimes 1t
seemed nearer, and at other times farther
of but it never left off altogether, except
for few minutes at a time. / was quite
unable to shake off succession OF painful
ideas which persistently besieged my
mind.
ut is hardly necessary to add that |
thought from time to time of my travel
ling companion in the next room. His
He had been dull and depressed all the
evening and when we parted for the night
there was a look in his eyes which could
not get out of my memory.
There was q door between our rooms,
and the petition dividing them was not
yery solid; and vet had heard no sound
since parted from him which would indi-
cate that he was there at ALL much less
81 10 and cfirr;nn / in
a mood, si., which made this silence ter
rible to me and so many foolish fancies
as that he was lying there dead, or in
fit, or what not-took possession of me
that could bear it no longer. | went to
the door, and after listening very atten-
lively but quite in vain. for any sound,
at last knocked pretty sharply. There
was no answer. Feeling that longer sus-
pense would be uncomfortable. |. without
ceremony. turned the handle and went in.
at was great bare room, and so i'm
perfectly lighted by single candle that it
was almost mpossible-except when the
lightning flashed-to see into its great
dark corners A small rickety bedstead
stood against one of the walls. shrouded
by yellow cotton curtains, passed through
great iron ring in the ceiling, There
was, tor all other furniture. an old chest
of drawers which served also as wash
ing stand, having small basin and ever
and single towel arranged on the top OF
it. There were, moreover, two ancient
chairs and dressing-table. On this last
stood large old fashioned looking-glass
with carved frame.
81 must have seen all these things, be-
cause remember them so well now; but
| do not know how | could have seen
them, tor it seems to me that, from the
moment OF my entering that room, the
action of my senses and the faculties of
my mind was held fast by that CHASTITY
figure which stood motionless before the
looking glass in the middle of the empty
room.
"How terrible it was! The weak light
of one candle standing on the table shone
upon Strange's face, lighting it from be-
low. and throwing Gas now remember)
his shadow, vast and black. upon the wall
behind him and upon the ceiling overhead.
He was leaning rather forward, with his
hands upon the table supporting him, and
gazing into the glass which stood before
him with a horrible fixity. The sweat
was on his white face his rigid features
and his pale lips. shown in that feeble
light, were horrible, more than words can
tell to look at. He was so completely
stupefed and lost that the noise l had
made in knocking and entering the room
was unobserved by him. Not even when
called him loudly by name did he move
or did his face change.
What vision of horror that was. IN
the great dark empty room, a silence that
was something more than negative,-that
ghastlv figure frozen into stone by some
unexplained terror! And the silence and
Stiffness The very thunder had ceased.
NV heart stood still with fear Then
meved by some instructive feeling under
whose influence acted mechanically. |
crept with slow steps nearer the table.
and at last. half expecting to see some
spectre even more horrible than this which
| saw already, looked over his shoulder
into the looking glass. | happened to
touch his arm. though only in the lightest
manner. In that one moment the spell
which had held him-who knows how
long ?-enchained. seemed broken, and
he lived in this world again. He turned
round upon me, as suddenly as a tiger
makes its spring, and seized me bv the
arm.
III have told you, that, even before I
entered my freiend's room had felt. all
that night. depressed and nervous. The
necessity for action at this time was. how
ever. so obvious, and this mans agony
made all that had felt appear so trifiing,
that much of my own discomfort seemed
to leave me. felt that must be strong.
The tace before me almost unnamed
me. The eyes which looked into mine
were SCARED with terror, the lips-if |
may so say-looked so speechess. The
wretched man gazed long into nv face,
and then, still holding me by the arm,
slowly. very slowly. turned his head.
had gently tried to move him away from
the looking glass. but he would not stir.
and now he was looking at it as fixedlv as
ever. l could bear this no longer. and.
using such force as was necessary. | drew
him gradually away. and got him to one
OF the chairs at the foot of the bed.
Gomez | said-after the long silence
my voice, even to myself. sounded strange
and hollow-"come! you are over tired
and you feel the weather Don't YOU think
you ought to be in bed? Suppose You lie
down, Let me trv nv medical skill in
mixing you composing draught.'
HE held nv hand. and looked eagerly