Year: 1862




been suffering much from an innsmmatory
disease, which would allow me to eat no.
thing, and, consequently, left me quite fee-
ble and weak. One evening, feeling more
than usually unwell, and anxious to divert
my attention from myself in some way,
found an attentive audience in the little
family circle, and read aloud to them q
strange, sad story, in the Home Journal
that was weird enough to come from the
pen of Edgar A. Poe. The story, as you
know, related to nobeman, who, becom.
ing jealous Of his wife, murdered her; and
afterwards, finding 4 At she was innocent
imagined that single drop Of blood which
oozed from her lips as he strangled her, had
burned into his hand. He suffered the in
tensest agony. Twice within few weeks
the spot in his hand was cut out by skill.
ful surgeon; but each time the pain came
again as soon as the wound healed, and
finally, unable to endure it any longer, the
unhappy victim shot himself.


At first we all laughed a. the utter ex-
,ravagance Of this story. But from ridi-
culing We were led TO quite long discus
sion, and finally, came to the conclusion
that, judging from our limited knowledge
of the power of imagination, it WAS not only
possible, but probably, founded on fact.
I


AT ten o'clock, bade my friends good
night, and retired but, tortured by severe
pain, it was two hours before sank into a
troubled and uneasy sleep. As the clock
was striking three, / seemed TO awake very
suddenly, and heard some one step from the
stairs at the top of the entry into which my
room opened, pass by my open door on tip
toe, and go down stairs into the dining
room beneath me. The youngest dau ghter
of my host, to whom was much attached,
slept over me in the third story. And this
must be she.


/ wondered if she was sick. When /
left her in the evening, she seemed perfect
ly well. l listened, and heard her step
lightly across the floor, take a match from
the box on the Shelf and light CANDLE
Then heard her 60 down into the cellar
and return, and then she opened the back
room door, and went out. Here l began
to be anxious. | had made up my mind
that if was s., that she was i'll, and that she
was seeking tor medicine; or, possibly, be-
ing too i'll to sleep, had determined to sit up
till morning. But what possible reason
could there be for her going out of doors at
this hour of the night? was alarmed
listened attentively to hear her return,
but everything was terribly still. Present
ly heard footsteps in the door r-yard-up
and down, now near, now far. | heard
every step distinctly. Surely this was
strange. ] had known my friend for years
but never as a somnambulist. Was it pos
sible she had been stricken with that fearful
disease? l listened more attentively, with
every sense strained to its utmost, my head
raised from my pillow, my eyes wide open,
and still | heard the light step under my
window, seeming to move up and down
with mechanical precision.


sprans from my bed, unable to endure
the anxiety longer. 1t was not dark, and /
could see everything in the yard very plain
ly from my window but the footsteps were
heard no more; no human being was in
sight, there was not the slightest sound to
break the stiffness. The silence was ter
ribly oppressive. trembled violently.
What had become of S. For five minutes,
think, l supported myself by the window
sill, and kept my eyes riveted upon the
yard but my watch was in vain, and too
weak to stand a moment longer, crept in
to bed again. At this stage began to an
alyze my senses carefully and thoroughly,
and to ask myself if were not giving too
free rein TO my imagination. tried to
think calmly, and decided that my imagi-
nation was not unwarrantably active. /
could swear that had heard some person go
down stairs, light lamp, descend to the
cellar, return, and go out of doors. i was
absolutely positive had heard steps in the
yard. / knew that ] could not fail to hear
the person come back into the house, for
the door rubbed against its casing, and OPEN
ed hard. Finally, was morally certain
that was wide awake-tbat had not been
dreaming, and as my fIiend S. was the only
occupant of the third story, 1 had every
reason TO believe that she it was who had
passed my door as the clock was striking
three. Where was she now? / decided
she must be in somnambulistic state, and
feared some dreadful accident had besallen |
her. There was deep pond only a few
steps from the house; what if she had un-
gone there and had been drown
ed !? forgot my pain in my intense anxiety.
and sprang from my bed again, full of de-
to dress myself and go in per-
suit of her. Hardly had l touched the
floor, when heard the footsteps in the yard
again, and, exhausted both by excitement
and reaction, had just strength enough left /
IN throw myself on the he'd sunnos;nsr thar