The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1889-11-08
THE HOUSE IN THE MIRROR

II was late one winter evening. The snow
was falling in thick, fast coming flakes, max.
ing white curtain that was perpetually be-
ing let down between heaven and earth. The
storm was carrying on wild sport around the
house, shaking the windows, beating against
the thick walls and murmuring in deep hol.
low tones in the chimneys. IL was night
for warm, cosy, substantial indoor comfort,
aud such resolved % make il.
At the period of which am writing was
still "A young man, and was practicing sue
cessfully IA doctor IN a town in the west II
England-a tolerably large busy country
town which lies very near the borders OF both
Deyonshre and Somersetshire | was un-
married, and was living with an old house
keeper and one servant girl, who helped her
in turns, now above stairs, now below, with
complacent 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 practicable but
aasy. On the evening In question had come
IN what we medical men call healthy tired
after hard days work in my professional
iuticS, and | was now sitting costly 10y the
blazing fire in my dining room, with glass
Of good caret on the little round table at my
side.
Ny thoughts went wandering TO and fro
lazlly, now resting upon some of the most in
,ercstlng eases among my patients, now fut-
tetlug around IA pretty picture OF my only
,.-;er and her first baby, which her letter, re
reyed this morning from India had called
up; now straying into the stable 10 visit my
lay horse-a new purchase, which hattered
myself did no small honor 10 my judgment in
horse flesh. Gradually, however, all thest
subjects Of pleasant reflection slipped into
mass, and not coufusedly mixed together.
found myself gazing, without feeling the
least surprised, at an odd vision, which
showed me my sister mu1ntcd uu my pet bay
with the baby in her arms, who, instead OF a
bahy's face, had the face of my neighbor
and patient, Mr. Splcer, the grocer, and
soon after that | was sunk into peaceful
slumber, where no dream even came To dis
turb me-
How long / slept | do not exactly know,
but recollcct | woke with "A start, reused
10y the clock on the chimney piece, which
bad peculiar ringing clear sound, strik-
ing = | sat upward with jerk and looked
around with that vaguely uncomfortable
feeling which often follows sudden waking
Ny glance happened To wander up 10 the
mirror which was over the chimney piece
Why was IL that, as gazed at IL, uttered "A
low exclamation, and then shut my eyes,
thinking that sleep must still be retaining its
power over me- ard that must be dreaming
"A strange, fantastic drcam'
But no, certainly was not dreaming, for
there il was just as il had been before Fix
my eyes as steadily as ] night upon the mir
ror, with all my w,.Leful energies concen
tratei upon IL ln eaccrneSs, IL was still there
looked away, and fastened my look for IA
minute or more upon my mothers picture
which hung over the sdeboard. Then my
eyes were allowed 10 return TO the glass, but
this ma eUvcr was useless also-t would not
60. do what | would.
What / saw was certainly no alarming
"ision though il, appearance there in the
mirror. over my diuiag room chimney piece,
was remarkable aud startling enough, 10 say
the least of a.. Ia the middle OF the glass
which in ~, other pnrts reflected simply and
naturally tine commonplace objects in the
room, caairs and tables aud window curtain
there appeared a small but vivldly distinct
picture pf house aud garden. II was a very
pretty house, its front covered on ono side
with a green crecpcr, which was spangled
with starry white blossoms, and on the other
with a fr,sco sucn as | had heard described
a. existing un the walls Of houses Of Italy,
whore | had never bUen-a freScD represent
ing an oil woman sitting with basket Of
oranges at her feet.
There were four windows, two upstairs and
two down. exactly over each other, they
were all half shaded with green blinds, and
rouii sos that the top one, on the right band
side, was slightly op.n. Up the garden
there ran broad gravel walk, with soft
1 r.aaFN l.s..fs
either side Of IT, The nclo,ure was fenced
round with a rather high wooden paling and
in one corner of IL there stood a summer
house with quantity shaped roof, that had
something Of pagoda about IL. over the
whole there was spread a soft, siiyery light,
a. though a bright, full moon was shining
down upon il. \ yellow CLEAN, a. Of lamp
burning within, stole through the open win
dows aud mingled with the white rays with
ont.
laid my fingers on my pulse. Was going
fast into n raging feyeri My pulses were as
steady as they were when / rose that morn
ing after nights sound sleep. | tested my
braiu by going through, in my mind, all the
symptoms and feature, in a difficult and per.
picking case which had been lately under my
care: my mind acted as cy,lly and calmly and
regularly a. IL had ever done.
Il repeated 70 myself several passages of
poetry from different authors in different
languages they came rs quickly and easily
% my tongue a. II had ben reading froa.
a printed book. / gazed around and fixed
my eyes on various ob5e-ts In the room 10 see
whether should bs subjected 10 other
optical illusions, but in other points my eyes
were a. reasonable as they usually were
they showed me nothing but the familiar
chair and table, and the well known pattern
OF the paper On the wall Then ! lnOked
back at the mirror The house was still
there.
Hal be "a reading lately description u
such a house OF had lately socn anywhere
picture like iti Either of thess things might
possibly have left a vivid impression upon
nv mind which might have accounted fOr the
strange delusion ! was nO., however. able
% recollect, search my memory as ! would,
that a book Or painting had brought such a
house and garden before my thoughts. was
naturally neither excitAble nor imaginative.
indeed, was generally regarded by every
one who knew me, ,'and myself into the bar
gain. a. one u the most prosaic, rational
beings in the world
Nv fancy had rever before play-d me the
smallest trick. even a. rode home, worn out
with watching by a sick bed, on the darkest
night: even In the many painful scenes full
of death and through which my professional
iife hal led me Ira the dissecting room, In
the severest operation, my hand had always
been a. steady as II l were peeling an orange.
All this made the present incDmprebeusibls
vIsion yet more utterly inerplicable. Be