Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1885-10-24
A CHARMED BOWL.

beginning to dream without being
entirely without consciousness oil
surroundings, when the door of ON
long, low, whitewashed room opened
and a lady entered. She was a wo.
man OF dark eyes and golden hair
and a cream-white skin. Her dress
was white, with a bit of blue about
it somewhere. She carried a bowl
in her hand. The bowl a thin, trans.
parent china, rarely seen, painted
with leaves, and buds of bright col
or, and here and there ii gorgeous
sort of butterfly. 1t was full Of wa.
ter, the purest and clearest that
ever saw.
Are you thirsty 90 she asked as
simply as a mother might ask the
question of her child.
Yes, madam / answered, "and
the doctor will not let me drink"
But | will" she SAID.
She put the bowl to my lips; ere
she withdrew it was empty.
"Good night and pleasant Dreams
she said, and smiled and left me.
L slept then, sweetly, dreamlessly,
for | know not how many hours.
When | awoke the fever was gone
and | rapidly recovered strength.
One morning | SAID: "She cured
me with a pretty bowl Of water"
There's been no woman here for
MONTHS" enc OF them said. "That was
a dream-one of your fever dreams
q~uinine did the business for you.u
1t was hard to convince me, but at
last they proved to me that at least
they had seen no woman; that no
one gave me anything to drink to
their knowledge and / began to be-
lieve in ministering angels. 1t was
as certain to me that | had seen this
fair. dark-eyed lady, with her blue
veined hands holding that curious
china bowl, as it was certain that I
had been Ill.
However, many other matters en-
crossed my thoughts. / ceased at
last to tell the story, since the reg
ular answer was that in a fever one
everything and ten years
from that time | was in Virginia, in
Prince Edward county, not far from
the Court House. | had been driv-
with a friend, and we were riding
past a fine old mansion with a beau.
tiiul array of flowers in its garden,
a woman walked slowly down
the path and paused to pick a rose.
Her figure was tall, her hair golden,
her eyes black. Her motions were
graceful. With a little exclamation
of establishment | recognized the
of my dream, if dream it we're.
She looked a little older-nay, a
ten years older but otherwise
unaltered.
[ know not in what words | com
municated this fact to my friend but
know | ended by saying:
81 must speak to her. She will
remember
"She would think you madman,n
he said. Come on. You get your.
self shot forstaring at another mans
wife. They do those things prompt
Iy at the South. | will find out who
she is if you like.
/ assented eagerly. We rode on.
"Talk to me as much as YOU like,u
he said, " but never expose yourself
to strangers. 1t is possible that this
lady was in Brazil in IS, and
brought you something to drink
when you were left alone. In that
case a doubt that troubles you will
be satisfied. You can with all pro.
call on her and thank her.
But though he spoke in this way,
| knew he did not imagine it could
be so. That evening we smoked our
in Col. LIS company and
my friends automatically introduced
the subject.
That beautiful house with the
large garden,n he said. quite a fea-
tire of the place. Who owns itr
"a lonely woman, widow Of Mr..
said the Colonel. +" She
was II belle in her girlhood. She
might still be one if she chose.n
Perhaps we saw her in the gar
den," said my friend, beginning a
minute description.
Exactly. 1t was no one %else,"
said the Colonel.
My friend paused a moment and
then said:
"She reminded B-ofsome one
he met in Brazil. In fact he almost
believed her the same person."
mo, no." said the old Colonel,
" Mrs. V-has never left Virginia.