The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1885-11-03


monotonous and uniute-esting. What
subtle influence prompts me to tell my
tale I know not, unless it he the half.un
conscious wish to communicate to others
that which must ever be connected in my
own mind with SC much that is weird
and inexplica s -sre--ss-ssssss'-- 4
Even now, when It all lies behind me
like ga tale that is told," fast receding and
fading awav into the outlived past; when
my blood flows coldly through my veins
and nv heart, like q wearled, wasted
thing, drags slowly on till the chill hand
of death shall stay it forever-even now
I shrink with studdering repugnance
and would fain draw back from my SELF
imposed task.
/ doubt if, under Gods heaven, two
human souls ever loved each other more
devotedlv than did my husband and nv
self. We had been married but short
twelvemonths when he came home one
night With haggard, absorbed look on
bis face that told me instantly something
Of importance must have happened
What it was soon learned. Business
of the utmost importance required him
to start for Brazil We we're to be sepa.
rated, be and l, for six long months-he
to journey across world OF wild, angrv
waters / to drag out the weary days in
lonely waiting and watching for his re
turn.
or the desolate weeks that followed
my husbands departure l will notspeak !:
the days dragged slowly on, one by one,
and at last the time arrived when I might
expect to hear from him.
The mail from Brazil-,he one he had
prom'se to write bv-came IN, but the
letter / bad watched for, longed for, and
prayed for through so many weary days
and restless nights, came not. nor had
any tidings OF his ship heen received. /
went into his Office where knew they
would hear directly she arrived. They
told me there was no cause for anxiety,
the ship was overdue. bat that was
common occurrence; some accid, ut had
probably delayed her; they would lele
graph directly che was advised"
Days grew into weeks and weeks into.
months, and yet no news OF the "Os.
prey" How lived through that awful
time God only knows. Night after night
| lsv awake thinking, thinking, thinking,
until, utterly exhausted, fell into rest
less, dream-haunted sleep, only TO toss
to and fro on a wild heaving ocean, over
which Twas wandering in search of my
lost husband. Day after dav would shut
myself in my room to lie PROSTATE on
the floor sobhing, 90, mv husband |! my
brave, noble husband! God give him
back to me! give him back to mel
=
l will not weary the reader and.wring
my own heart afresh by dwelling upon
the black misery and hopeless agony o.
that fearful time. Two long years had
gone by. and nothing being heard of the
Osprey" it was considered as settled
beyond doubt that she had gone down
and all on board perished. M
Just at this. time an old maiden aunt OF
nv husbands, who had been very i'll,
took it into her head that she would like
me to 90 and stay few days with her.
As the doctors said abe could not posi-
bly, live more than month or two l had
not the heart to refuse; and so, for the
6rst time since my marriage. l found
myself sleeping under strange roof. 1t
was little country farmhouse away up
10 the midland coun'ies. / bad never
been there beforehand as The journey was
long one, and / was very tired, / went
to bed soon after my arrival.
Thst night dreamed dream OF such
intense vividness and reality that even
now | can recall il to mind, fresh and
unfading as il it bad happened but yes
terdsy. l found myself. know not how,
standing alone at midnight on hare.
bleak heath, lit only by the weird light
of low-lying moon far away in the
starless south. Across her wan face
stretched ragged skirt OF black, angry
cloud, on either side OF which the inter-
cepted ravs broke into two long hszv
beams Of light--one shooting far across
the calm heavens, the other bending down
toward earth till II was lost in the shad-
owy horizon. All around me, as far as
the eye could reach spread the wild waste
of moorland save that away to the right,
| saw the dark outline OF some building
apparently deserted shed or cottage.
As | stood there, numb and trembling
in the chill night air, q strange. irresistj.
BILE impulse-I know not whst-seiz,d
me, by which l was impelled.as by some
unseen power, 10 the direction OF this
object. I drew closer and closer, my
heart wrenching in wild, uneven effort
10 my bosom, my breath coming in short
quick gasps. and nv ears so unnaturaIly
strained for. the slightest sound, that
could hear the blood kissing and rushing
through the veins in my temples.
Suddenly heard sound as OF some
human being in pain and then wild,
wailipg cry: "Ha,rv, Harry, Harry!
God helm me!' and then 10 Y moan
again. With one bound rushed for
ward and there, in the shadow OF the
shed, crouched up against the wall, / saw
he form of woman apparently dying.
l knelt at her side, raised her IN my arms,
and as the pale light of the moon fell on
her face recogniz I'd the features OF my
lost husband
recollect a wild. unearthly CRY ring
ing in my ears, whether uttered by N.Y.
self or not I cannot say, and then-I
awoke TO find myself lying there in that
silent house with the cold light of
cloudless moon falling full on nv face
through the uEcurtained window. Sleep,
with the recollection of tbst dream haunt.
ing my mind, was impossible; 40 rose
and, looking out, found that nv window
opened on pair of stairs reaching down
TO garden In dull, mechanical way
I dressed, slipped shawl over nv head
and stepped out. passed through the
garden. unlatched gate and found my
self in an open road bordersd on either
side by tall bedgerows; in the. front the
road rose in kind of hill until it met
the line Of the sky. beyond which could
see nothing.
As l stepped burriedly onwards the
moop uhich fill then had hoou oht min n,