The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-01-01
MRS. STOVES CHILDHOOD.
&ho Saw Visions, tho Moving Creatures Of
4 tho Vivid Imagination.

&ho Saw Visions, tho Moving Creatures Of
A tho Vivid Imagination.
1t was plain-looking little one, with
thin face and largo brown eyes, and
tangled curls of brown hair, that soon
began to run around in the minister
home at Litchfold. But her baby roign
continued only short time, for scarce
Ay two years lator Master Horny Ward
arrived upon tho sceno Harriet was
naturally gentlo and aGoctionate and
very quick to learn. She has said she
know how to read as soon as sho could
walk, and she was SO observing that it
was common remark in the family:
That child is all oar" Not so active
as Catherine. tho eldest OF tho daugh
GERS, she was still lar from INDECENT, but
was dreamy and Imaginative, with nerv-
Gus system thatwas quickly and deoply
impressed by all that she saw and
heard. In word. hor brain and ncrves
wero tho scnsitizcd plato on which
genius took pictures OF all lifc's move
menti. SO marsod was this quality or
mprossionabilty in her that sho always
lived. even long after childhood. d kind
of double lilo, in which tho moving
creatures thrown by imagination and
reflection from tho vivid fancy and
nervous ideality Of her consciousness
moved like n mirage before and around
her, in evor-returning professions.
These familiar beings wcro just rs real
to her as tho people in the house; tho
old white-headcd man that played on
violin, the tall majestic woman who
wore q high fur cap Of peculiar form
and danced to the old mans music
these shifting shapes seemed ever to
haunt certain scenes and 60 appear only
IN connection with them. There, too,
was an image OF a green meadow and
calm lake, and coming from grove on
one side Of it, a tiny woman clothed
in white, with wido golden girdlo
around her waist. followed by mis-
shapon dwarf. Regularly at night tho
air around hor bed seemed like that
which Raphael has Swallowed forth
around his Madonna di San Sisto, pal
pitating crowd of faces and forms chang
ing in dim and gliding quietude." The
reader of "Oldtown Folks" will recall.
700, that Horace Holyoko saw tho shad-
owy figure OF y sad lady standing among
the evergreons, as they drove up to a
house wholly unknown TO him, within
which they found the picture Of tho
same lady. That these apparitions wcro.
in some unexplained way, tho 'retlox of
her own sensitive and powerful imagi-
nation is seon in this. that thoy ZAP
peared to cause vibration OF tho great
central nerves of tho body, rs
when harp-string is struck" Onco
OF twice, whom She was older.
she began to tell of what sho saw.
but was quickly shut up with: Mon
sense, child! there hasn't boon any
body in the room. You shouldn't talk
So" Thus reprosscd, she ceased to
speak Of these apparitons. but mono tho
less did she believe in thom as daily
friends. whose presence had tho offeot
to inspire hor with o fearless confidence
IN all things supernatural For tho
rest, She was quiet, Rmiable little
girl, but moro inclinod to outdoor
sports with her brothers than to thread
and needles or even TO dolls, and she
was often hccdloss and careless. This
last trait drew down upon hor many q
disciplinary sorrow. especially from
Aunt Harriet who. having n tender
place In hcr heart for her small namo-
sake from the first, took hand In hor
education and training, often keeping
nor for months at Nutplains. Eleanor
T. Allcn, in LippincoLt's