Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-06-17

( through the hollow arches of my
tomb. A cold preparation broke out
over my body my heart beat so loud
" that l could hear it humping
against my ribs. Again-again-that
weird shrek, followed by a whir and
! flap OF wings. l breathed again.
( 1t is an OWL" l said to myself
! ashamed of my fears; "a poor innocent
/ biTd-a companion and watcher of the
| dead, and therefore its voice is full of
| sorrowful lamentation-but it is harm
less" and l crept on with increased
| caution. Suddenly out of the dense
! darkness there stared two large yell
| low eyes, glittering with fiendish hun
ger and cruelty. For moment l was
startled, and stepped back; the crea-
/ ture few at me with the ferocity of n
| tiger-cat! l fought with the horrible
! thing in all directions; it Wheeled
round my head, it bounced toward my
face, it beat me with its large wings
wings that l could feel but not see: the
| yellow eyes alone shone in the thick
gloom like the eyes of some vindictive
demon. l struck at it right and left
the revolving combat lasted some
| noments-I grew sick and dizzy, yet
| battled on recklessly. At last, thank
Heaven! the huge owl was vanQuished:
it f1uttered backward and downward.
apparently exhausted. giving one wild
screech of baffled fury, as its lamp
like eyes disappeared in the darkness.
BTeathless, but not subdued-every
nerve in my body quivering with ex-
citement-I pursued my way, as |
thought, toward the stone staircase.
feeling the air with my Outstretched
hands as | CROPPED along. In a little
while | met with al ObstructiOn-it
was hard and cold-a stone wall,
surely? | felt it up and down and found
a hollow in twas this the first step
of the stair? l wondered; it seemed
very high. I touched it cautiously
suddenly came in contact with some
thing soft and clammy to the touch
like moss or wet velvet. lingering
this with a kind of repulsion, | soon
traced out the oblong shape of coffin
Curiously enough, l was not affected
uluSu NY Tic ulSCONSly. IOuuu my
self monotonously counting the bits
of raised metal which served as I
judged, for it's ornamentation Eight
bits lengthwise-and the soft wet stuff
between-four bits across; then a
pang shot through me, and I drew
my hand away quickly, as 1 considered
whose coffin was this? My fathers
Or was | thus plucking, like man in
delirium, at the fragments of velvet on
that cumbTOus oaken casket wherein
lay the sacred ashes of my mothers
persisted beauty? [ reused myself
from the apathy into which I had
fallen. All the pains I had taken to
find my way through the vault were
wasted; l was lost in the profound
gloom, and knew not where to turn.
The horror Of my situation presented
itself to me with redoubled force I
began to be tormented with thirst, I
fell on my knees and groaned aloud
God Of infinite mercy" | cried
"Sayior of the world. By the souls of
the sacred dead whom Thou hast in
Thy holy keeping, have pity upon me!
Oh, my motheri if indeed thine earth
ly remains are near me-think of me,
sweet angel in that heaven where thy
spirit dwells at rest-plead for me and
save me, or let me die now and be
tortured no mcre."
I uttered these words aloud, and the
sound of my wailing voice ringing
through the sombre arches of the vault
was strange and full of fantastic
terror to my own ears. I knew that
were my agony much further prolonged
[ should go mad And I dared not
picture to myself the fTightful things
of which a maniac might be capable
of, shut up in such a place of death
and darkness, with mOldering cOrps2s
for companions! [ remained on my
knees, my face buried in my hands I
forced myself into comparatively calm
ness, and strOve to preserve the equii- |
ibrium Of my distracted mind. husnI
What exquisite far-off floating voice
of cheer was that? I raised my head
and listened, entranced!
jug, jug, jug! lodola, lodola! trilI-
IL III oNSOCC, o"CCI, o"CSC'
1t was a nightingale Familiar,
delicious, angel-throated bird! How
blessed thee in that dark hour OF
despair! How I praised God for thine
innocent existence! How I sprung up
and laughed and Wept for joy, as, 2ll |
unconscious Of me, thou didst shake /!
cut a shower Of pearly warblings On |
breast of the soothed air! Heavenly !
messenger of consolation now |
think of thee with tenderness |
thy sweet sake all birds possess me as !
their wCrshiper; humanity has grown |
hiGeGus in my sight, but the singing |
life OF the woods and hiIls-how pure, |
how fresh!-the nearest thing to hap |
piness or this side of heavenl
A rush of strength and courage in |
vigorated me. A new idea entered my |
brain. [ determined to follow the !
voice of the nightingale. 1t sung on
sweetly, encOuragingly-and / be- |
gan afresh my journeyings through the |
darkness. I fancied that the bird was |
perched on one of the trees outside !
the entrance of the vault, and that if |
tried to get within closer hearing |
of its voice, l should most likely be !
thus guided to the very staircase [ had |
been so painfully seeking. l stumbled |
along slowly. 1 felt feeble, and my |
limbs shook under me- This time |
impeding my progress; the |
liquid notes foated !