The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1890-07-04
A Palace of Silence.

There is in New York, upon one of the
most fashionable thoroughfares, a magnificent
house, veritable palace, which can never be
looked at by the sentimental woman without
a tear coming to her eye because of the story
attached TO it.
1t was designed and built by one of the
richest men in New York-the head of an
old Dutch family-for the woman he loved.
Throughout the whole house, which might
have been called THE House Beautiful"
were the colors, furnishings, ornaments and
dainty touches that were the young brides
taste. The ball room, in which she expected
to trip so many merry measures, was walled
and ceiled in many-colored marbles but the
lover himself directed the building of the
porte cochere under which her carriage was
to roll so that, stepping out, she would not
be touched by drop of rain or flake of
snow. Everything was ready the horses
were paving in the stable, waiting for the
day to come when they would carry their
new mistress out the coachman and the
footman had their big, white rosettes at
hand 10 wear on the wedding day; the house
was full of fragrance, for beautiful flowers
were massed to please the coming mistress,
and everything seemed to he in harmony
with all this thoughtful, loving care; for the
sun shone bright, and it was somebody's we'd
ding day.
Yes; but it wasn't an earthly wedding, for
when, with quick footsteps her mother went
to wake the expectant bride, she found her
dead. The last kiss she had given had been
to her lover the night before. The last kiss
he ever gave to any human being he gave 10
her as she rested in her coffin. But be lives
on in the beautiful house and does with his
great fortune deal of good, all in the name
of the woman he loved. The shutters are
never opened in that wonderful house, the
carriage has never been used. no feet have
danced in the ball room but it and the soil
tary man are there as evidences of the fact
that love can so completely fill the heart
that all life is nothing without it,
-~-o>
Moon Influences.
The Italians, and in fact all the inhabitants
OF lands bordering on or adjacent to the Med
terranean Sea, are firm believers in the
moon influences. In this country we look
for changes for better or worse in the condi-
ton of sick persons TO take place immediate
ly after midnight; in Persia they look for
such changes as the moon appears above
the horizon. In America, during a critical
period, we say that the patient will not survive
longer than till midnight; in India they say
| he will never see the moon rise again. Dur
ing the time of the plague, 1860 to 1885, ply
| slclans noted aDnOrmal changes 1Or the Orse
Just preceding and following each full moon.
Dimerbroeck says: 1.-TWO or three days be-
fore and after each full moon there were
twice as many deaths as there were during
any other four or six days."
The influenza epidemic which has teen
raging in every civilized land, presented some
excellent chances to test the moon influence
theories and to settle for all time the ques-
! ton as to whether the word 'nfuenza," as
applied by the Italians, is a misnomer or
| otherwise.
Moon blindness" is another condition
brought about-exacily how the most scien-
| tific of all the scientists cannot say-by the
direct influence of the moon. Whole armies
have been affected by this curious psycholo-
gical condition at once
In Southern seas sailors warn intrepid
Gland lubbers." who persist in sleeping in the
open air, to always WOO the dreamy god un-
der an awning; otherwise what might have
been refreshing sleep may terminate in tenn
porary loss of sleep. I say Temporary" for
the reason that it has never turned out to be
permanent calamity, although frequently
causes much trouble and gives the victim a
scare he remembers the remainder of his life.