Year: 1872

MY NIGHT IN A BOX.

 "And must you really go away, and remain all night in that nasty old box of yours, and leave your Little Rosebud, as you call her, all alone here, to imagine all sorts of horrid things happening to her poor old boy2 Couldn't you stay at home just for this one night?"

 'Couldn't possibly do it, my love-" said l, struggling into my greatcoat, and pos sessing myself at the same time of my big driving gloves, which my little wife was absently trying to fit on her own little hands.

 "Not if l very much wished it, Willie Do you know, Efelt so strange and lonely last night, when you were away, that I could hardly make up my mind to go to bed at all and tonight can scarcely bear the thought that you should be so long absent. You know what a timid, foolish little thing I am. ss~s- -.-,

 Her arm quietly stole round me, and she looked up to my face with wistful, anxious look. while tear stood glistening in the corners of her sweet, blue eyes.

 "Why, you wee goose," said I, kissing away the bright token of her earnestness, "what has put such absurd thoughts into that wise little noddle of yours2 Are you afraid that the fairies will waylay me and spirit me away to their elfin-landa If they do, shall tell them that have left a fairy at home, and not even the blandish- ments of the queen herself shall tempt me into their uncanny country. But se- riously, Maggie, there is nothing to be alarmed about. 1 shall be at home by seven o'clock, at the latest; but since you are so eerie, will call at fathers as I pass, and send up my brother Bob to keep you company and stay in the house all night. Will that content you, little wo- mani" f sgfzs1-s

 "No; don't do that; it would look foolish, and Bob would only laugh at me when he came. He does not understand me. think no one does understand me except you, dear Will"

 "Thank you, Mag; think I do un- derstand you. But here comes the gig so good bye, and don't fret for the short time am away. I shall be back long be- fore you are done dreaming"

 So saying, mounted the gig and drove rapidly along the frozen road. But my wife fingered by the porch, following me with her eyes; and so long as the house was in sight, could, on leaning back, see her white dress shimmering ghost-like in the light which streamed through the open door.

 At the time of which I write, I was telegraph superintendent on the Wilton and Longbank line of railway. One oi the clerks, who was on nfght-duty, had been taken suddenly i'll, and being unable to find suitable substitute, l had taken his work myself until such time as he should recover. had only been married few months, and was by no means re. conciled to the necessity of leaving my wife and home to pass the night in that "nasty old box" as Mag called it-and she was perfectly right in her description But knew that it was a necessity, and l knew likewise that no grumbling of mine could mend the matter. r s- HS

 A drive of about eight miles brought me to my post. There was nothing very extraordinary in the duty to which hai been called away, nor was it any new ex perience to me but on that night my mind was filled with vague, indefnablt fears, for which tried in vain to account The night was clear and windless, anC away to the northwestern sky the auror, borealis was fitting to and fro in thous and strange fantistic shapes. As I watch ed the shifting and quivering gleams, now shooting in rapid succession from on' luminous center, and anon spreading ani rolling wave after wave across the starry heavens, l began to think of the disas trous omens of war, plague and famine which in the olden times men drew iron such sights. Somewhat of the same emo ton felt in my own mind, and reason a would, felt it impossible to shake of the growing sense of uneasiness and gloom which had taken possession of me. Ol entering the telegraph station, the clerl whom 1 had come to relieve was read, to depart.

 You won't have much to do to- night sir" said he. "The instruments ar quite unavoidable; no signals have beel received for the last three hours. Goo, night"

 When I was left alone, found that i was as he had said. The electric currents which are developed in the atmospher during most meteorological changes, ha, rendered the wires quite useless and al though the needles swayed ceaselessl backwards and forwards, they made n sign which the wisdom of man could in terpret. Seeing that my office was likel to be @ sinecure, drew my chair to tn stove, and taking down a book which saw on shelf, tried to interest myseI in the story. The volume I had discov cred was "Jane Eyre;" and although since that time, have read with tear and laughter, it and the other works tha came from the same true and loving pen yet on that night the spell of her who i so powerful to awaken our interest an, enlist our sympathy-who has given u Black Rochester and chronicled with n unkindly hand the vagaries of the thre eccentric curates, and won our hearts fo Professor Emanuel Carl Paul-had n power to auiet my wild,s wanderin thoughts. While was turning listlessl over the the leaves, the stiffness was star tied by the sharp. quick changing of tn electric bell, the usual signal to prepare t read off a message. With shiver c alarm, I turned quickly to the instrument but soon perceived that that bell had bee rung by no earthly power, for the vibrs ting needles made no jntelligible sign, an I knew that the sound had been produce by current of atmospheric electricit acting upon the wires,