Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-01-01
TaIes ano Skettkes.
THE HOUSE IN TIE MIRROR.

snow was fdlilng IN tnlck. IaSt-cOminS
flakes making white curtain that was
perpetually being let down between heaven
and earth. The storm was carrying 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 night for warm.
COSY, substantial indoor comfort, and such
| resolved to make it.
At the period of which | am writing,
was still younng man, and was practic-
ing successfully as doctor in a town in
the west of England tolerably large,
busy country town which lies very near
the borders of both Devonshire and Som
ersetshire. | was unmarried, and was
living with an old housekeeper and one
servant girl who helped her by turns,
now above stairs. now below, with COM
placent submission, because the semi
blindness and deafness OF the good lady
made interviews with her true swain, the
butchers boy. in the scullery not only prac-
ticable but easy. On the evening in ques-
-tion had come in what we medical men
call ..healthily tired after hard day s
work in my professional duties, and | was
now sitting 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 patients, now
fluttering around pretty picture of my
sister and her first baby, which her let
ter, received this morning from India.
had called up; now straying into the sta
BILE to visit my bay horse-a new purchase,
which flattered myself did no small honor
to my judgment in horse flesh. Gradual
ly, however, all these subjects of pleasant
reflection slipped into mass, and got
confusedly mixed together. found my
self gazing, without feeling the least sur
prised, at odd vision, which showed
me my sister mounted ON my pet bay with
the badly in her arms, who, instead of
baby's face had the face of my neighbor
and patient, old Mr.. Spicer, the grocer,
and soon after that | was sunk into a
peaceful slumber. where no dream even
came to disturb me.
How long slept do not exactly know,
but recollect | woke with start, reused
by the clock on the chimney piece, which
had Il peculiarly ringing, clear sound,
striking eight. sat upright with jerk
and looked around with that vaguely un-
comfortable feeling which often follows
sudden waking. My glance happened to
wander up the mirror which was over the
chimney piece Why was it that. as
gazed at it. uttered low exclamation,
and then shut my eyes, thinking that sleep
must still be retaining its power over me,
and that must be dreaming strange,
fantastic dream?
But no, certainly was not dreaming,
for there it was Just as it had been before.
Fix my eyes as steadily as | might Upon
the mirror, with all my wakeful faculties
concentrated upon it in eager earnestness.
it was still there. | looked away, and
fastened nv look, for a minute or more
upon my mothers picture which hung
over the sideboard. Then my eyes were
allowed to return to the glass; but this
manpuvre was useless also-it would not
90, do what | would.
What saw was certainly no alarming
vision, though its appearance, there in the
mirror, over my dining room chimney
piece, was remarkable and startling
enough, to say the Leaf of it. In the mid
die of the glass, which in its other parts
reflected simply and naturally the COM
monplace objects in the room, chairs and
tables and window curtains, there appear
ed small but wildly distinct picture of
a house and garden. 1t was a very pref
ty house, its front covered on one side
with green creeper. which was
spangled with starry white blossoms,
and on the other with iresco such as |
had heard described as existing on the
walls OF houses in Italy, where l had
never been-a tresco representing an old
woman sitting with a basket of oranges at
her feet. There were four windows, two
upstairs two down, exactly over each
other; they were all halt shaded with
blinds. and | could see that the top one,
on the right hand side, was slightly open.
Up the garden there ran a broad, gravel
walk. with soft fresh turf, hemmed with
flower beds on either side of it. The in
closure was fenced round with a rather
high wooden paliug. and in one corner
of it there stood summer-h0use, with a
quantity shaped roof. that had something
of pagoda about it. Over the whole
there was spread a soft, silvery light, as
though bright, full moon was shining
down upon it. A yellow CLEAN, as of a
lamp burning within, stole through the
open window, and mingled with the white
rays without.
laid my fingers on my pulse. Was l
going fast into raging fever. My pulses
were as steady as when | rose that morn
ing after nights sound sleep. l tested
my brain by going through, in my mind.
all the symptoms and features in diff
cult and perplexing case which had been
lately under my care: my mind acted as
cody and calmly and regularly as it had
ever done. | repeated to myself several
passages of poetry from different authors
in different languages; they came as
quickly and easily to my tongue as if
had been reading them from printed
book. | gazed around. and fixed my
eyes on various objects in the room to see
whether should be sujected to other opti-
cal illusions; but in all other points my
eyes were as reasonable as they usually
were; they showed me nothing but the
familiar chairs and table, and the well.
known pattern of the paper on the wall
Then looked back at the mirror. The