I

occasion were almost too painful to bear. begged my friend to desist, for I saw the attemp was hopeless, and I would not allow her tender frame to be agitated to no purpose. My mind misgave me for ever making the attempt. What, thought I, if we have fatally disturbed the nervous system, and prostrated the small remains of strength she had left? While I was torturing myself with such fears as these, Dr. down the rod, with a melancholy air, exclaiming "Well! what is to be done now? I cannot tell you how sanguine I was about the success of this experiment! * Do you know whether she ever had a fit of epilepsy ?" he enquired.

*

*

*

laid

"No-not that 1 am aware of. I never heard of it, if she had.".

Had she generally a horror of thunder and lightning?"

"Oh-quite the contrary! she felt a sort of ecstacy on such occasions, and has written some beautiful verses during their continuance. Such seemed rather her hour of inspiration than otherwise!"

"Do you think the lightning has affected her? -Do you think her sight is destroyed?"

"I have no means of knowing whether the immobility of the pupils arises from blindness, or is only one of the temporary effects of catalepsy." "Then she believed the prophecy, you think, of the world's destruction on Tuesday?"

"No.-I don't think she exactly believed it; but I am sure that day brought with it awful apprehensions-or at least, a fearful degree of uncertainty."

there was

"Well-between ourselves, something very strange in the coincidence, was not there? Nothing in life ever shook my firmness as it was shaken yesterday! I almost fancied the earth was quivering in its sphere!"

"It was a dreadful day! One I shall never forget!―That is the image of it," I exclaimed, pointing to the poor sufferer-" which will be engraven on my mind as long as I live!-But the worst is, perhaps, yet to be told you: Mr. N— her lover to whom she was very soon to have been married, HE will be here shortly to see her".

My God!" exclaimed Dr. D-- clasping his hands, eyeing Miss P-, with intense commiseration-" What a fearful bride for him!"Twill drive him mad!"

"I dread his coming-1 know not what we shall do!-And, then, there's her mother-poor old lady!-her I have written to, and expect almost hourly!"

tively brought the man back to life; for he suddenly sprung up into a sitting posture-his arms waved wildiy—the colour rushed into his cheeks-his lips were drawn apart, so as to show all his teeth--and his eyes glared at us with apparent fury. One young man, a medical student, shrieked violently, and was carried out in a swoon. One gentleman present, who happened to be nearest to the upper part of the body, was almost knocked down with the violent blow he received from the left arm. It was some time before any of us could recover presence of mind sufficient to proceed with the experiments.

<< Why-what an accumulation of shocks and miseries! it will be upsetting you !”—said my friend, seeing me pale and agitated.

"Well!"-he continued-"I cannot now stay here longer-your misery is catching; and, besides, I am most pressingly engaged: but you may rely on my services, if you should require them in any way."

My friend took his departure, leaving me more disconsolate than ever. Before retiring to bed, I rubbed in mustard upon the chief surfaces of the body, hoping-though faintly—that it might have some effect in rousing the system. I kneeled down, before stepping into bed, and earnestly prayed, that as all human efforts seemed baffled, the Almighty would set her free from the mortal thraldom in which she lay, and restore her to life, and those who loved her more than life! Morning came-it found me by her bedside as usual, and her, in no wise altered-apparently neither better nor worse! If the unvarying monotony of my descriptions should fatigue the reader-what must the actual monotony and hopelessness have been to me!

While I was sitting beside Miss P-, I heard my youngest boy come down stairs, and ask to be let into the room. He was a little fair-haired youngster, about three years of age-and had always been an especial favourite of Miss P—'s -her" own sweet pet”—as the poor girl herself called him. Determined to throw no chance away, I beckoned him in and took him on my knee. He called to Miss P-, as if he thought her asleep; patted her face with his little hands, and kissed her. "Wake, wake!-Cousin Aggy -get up!"-he cried-" Papa say, 'tis time to get up!-Do you sleep with eyes open ?*-Eh ?— Cousin Aggy?" He looked at her intently for some moments-and seemed frightened. He turned pale, and struggled to get off my knee. I allowed him to go—and he ran to his mother, who was standing at the foot of the bed-and hid his face behind her.

I passed breakfast time in great apprehension, expecting the two arrivals 1 have mentioned. I knew not how to prepare either the mother or the betrothed husband for the scene that awaited them, and which I had not particularly described to them. It was with no little trepidation that I heard the startling knock of the general postman; and with infinite astonishment and doubt that I took out of the servant's hands, a letter from Mr. N- for poor Agnes!-For a while I knew not what to make of it. Had he received the alarming express I had forwarded to him; and did he write to Miss P-! Or was he unexpectedly absent from Oxford, when it arrived? -The latter supposition was corroborated by the post mark, which I observed was Lincoln. I felt it my duty to open the letter. Alas! it was in a gay strain—unusually gay for N—; informing Agnes that he had been suddenly summoned into Lincolnshire to his cousin's wedding-where he was very happy-both on account of his relative's

* I had been examining her eyes, and had only half closed the lids.

happiness, and the anticipation of a similar scene being in store for himself! Every line was buoyant with hope and animation; but the postscript most affected me.

"P. S. The tenth of July, by the way-my Aggy!-Is it all over with us, sweet Pythonissa? -Are you and I at this moment on separate fragments of the globe? ! shall seal my conquest over you with a kiss when I see you! Remember, you parted from me in a pet, naughty one! --and kissed me rather coldly! But that s the way that your sex end arguments, when you are vanquished!"

I read these lines in silence;-my wife burst into tears. As soon as 1 had a little recovered from the emotion occasioned by a perusal of the letter, I hastened to send a second summons to Mr. N, and directed it to him in Lincoln, whither he had requested Miss P― to address him. Without explaining the precise nature of Miss P's seizure, I gave him warning that he must hurry up to town instantly; and that even then it was to the last degree doub ful whether he would see her alive. After this little occurrence, I could hardly trust myself to go up stairs again and look upon the unfortunate girl. My heart fluttered at the door, and when I entered, I burst into tears. I could utter no more than the words, "poor-poor Agnes!"—and withdrew.

I was shocked, and indeed enraged, to find in one of the morning papers, a paragraph stating, though inaccurately, the nature of Miss P-'s illness. Who could have been so unfeeling as to make the poor girl an object of public wonder and pity? I never ascertained, though I made every inquiry, from whom the intelligence was communicated.

One of my patients that day happened to be a niece of the venerable and honoured Dean of

at whose house she resided. He was in the room when I called; and to explain what he called "the gloom of my manner," I gave him a full account of the melancholy event which had occurred. He listened to me till the tears ran down his facc.

"But you have not yet tried the effect of music-of which you say she is so fond! Do you not intend to resort to it?" I told him it was our intention; and that our agitation was the only reason why we did not try the effect of it immediately after the galvanism.

Now, Doctor, excuse an old clergyman, will you?" said the venerable and pious Dean, laying his hand on my arm, "and let me suggest that the experiment may not be the less successful with the blessing of God, if it be introduced in the course of a religious service. Come, Doctor, what say you?” I paused. "Have you any objection to my calling at your house this evening, and reading the service appointed by our church for the visitation of the sick? It will not be difficult to introduce the most solemn and affecting strains of music, or to let it precede or follow." Still I hesitated-and yet I scarce knew why. "Come, Doctor, you know I am no enthusiast; I am not generally considered a fanatic. Surely,

when man has done his best, and fails, he should not hesitate to turn to God!" The good old man's words sunk into my soul, and diffused in it a cheerful and humble hope that the blessing of Providence would attend the means suggested. I acquiesced in the Dean's proposal with delight, and even eagerness: and it was arranged that he should be at my house between seven and eight o'clock that evening. I think I have already observed, that I had an organ, a very fine and powerful one, in my back drawing-room; and this instrument was the eminent delight of poor Miss P. She would sit down at it for hours together, and her performance would not have disgraced a professor. I hoped that on the eventful occasion that was approaching, the tones of her favourite music, with the blessing of heaven, might rouse a slumbering responsive chord in her bosom, and aid in dispelling the cruel "charm that deadened her." She certainly could not last long in the condition in which she now lay. Every thing that medicine could do, had been tried-in vain; and if the evening's experiment -our forlorn hope, failed-we must, though with a bleeding heart, submit to the will of Providence, and resign her to the grave. I looked forward with intense anxiety-with alternate hope and fear-to the engagement of the evening.

On returning home, late in the afternoon, I found poor Mrs. P— had arrived in town, in obedience to my summons; and heart-breaking, I learned, was her first interview, if such it may be called, with her daughter. Her shrieks alarmed the whole house, and even arrested the attention of the neighbours. I had left instructions, that in case of her arrival, during my absence, she should be shown at once, without any precautions, into the presence of Miss P-; with the hope, faint though it was, that the abruptness of her appearance, and the violence of her grief, might operate as a salutary shock upon the stagnant energies of her daughter. "My child! my child! my child!" she exclaimed, rushing up to the bed with frantic haste, and clasping the insensible form of her daughter in her arms, where she held her till she fell fainting into those of my wife. What a dread contrast was there between the frantic gestures-the passionate lamentations of the mother, and the stony silence and motionlessness of the daughter! One little, but affecting incident occurred in my presence. Mrs. P (as yet unacquainted with the peculiar nature of her daughter's seizure) had snatched Miss P-'s hand to her lips, kissed it repeatedly, and suddenly let it go, to press her own hand upon her head, as if to repress a rising hysterical feeling. Miss P's arm, as usual, remained for a moment or two suspended, and only gradually sunk down upon the bed. It looked as if she voluntarily continued it in that position, with a cautioning air. Methinks I see at this moment the affrighted stare with which Mrs. P― regarded the outstretched arm, her body recoiling from the bed, as though she expected her daughter were about to do or appear something dreadful! I learned from Mrs.

that her mother, the grandmother of Agnes, was reported to have been twice affected in a similar manner, though apparently from a different cause; so that there seemed something like a hereditary tendency towards it, even though Mrs. P― herself had never experienced any thing of the kind.

As the memorable evening advanced, the agitation of all who were acquainted with, or interested in the approaching ceremony, increased. Mrs. P—, I need hardly say, embraced the proposal with thankful eagerness. About half past seven, my friend Dr. D- arrived, pursuant to his promise; and he was soon afterwards followed by the organist of the neighbouring church-an old acquaintance, and who was a constant visitor at my house, for the purpose of performing and giving instructions on the organ. I requested him to commence playing Martin Luther's hymn-the favourite one of Agnes-as soon as she should be brought into the room. About eight o'clock the Dean's carriage drew up. I met him at the door.

"Peace be to this house, and to all that dwell in it!" he exclaimed, as soon as he entered. I led him up stairs; and, without uttering a word, he took the seat prepared for him, before a table, on which lay a bible and prayer-book. After a moment's pause, he directed the sick person to be brought into the room. I stepped up stairs, where I found my wife, with the nurse, had finished dressing Miss P. I thought her paler than usual, and that her cheeks seemed hollower than when I had last seen her. There was an air of melancholy sweetness and languor about her, that inspired the beholder with the keenest sympatby. With a sigh, I gathered her slight form into my arms, a shawl was thrown over her, and, followed by my wife and the nurse, who supported Mrs. P, I carried her down stairs, and placed her in an easy recumbent posture, in a large old family chair, which stood between the organ and the Dean's table. How strange and mournful was her appearance! Her luxuriant hair was gathered up beneath a cap, the whiteness of which was equalled by that of her countenance. Her eyes were closed; and this, added to the paleness of her features, her perfect passiveness, and her being enveloped in a long white unruffled morning dress, which appeared not unlike a shroud, at first sight-made her look rather a corpse, than a living being! As soon as Dr. D- and I had taken seats on each side of our poor patient, the solemn strains of the organ commenced. I never appreciated music, and especially the sublime hymn of Luther, so much as on that occasion. My eyes were fixed with agonizing scrutiny on Miss P. Bar after bar of the music melted on the ear, and thrilled upon the heart; but, alas! produced no more effect upon the placid sufferer than the pealing of an abbey organ on the statues around! My heart began to misgive me: if this one last expedient failed! When the music ceased, we all kneeled down, and the Dean, in a solemn, and rather tremulous tone of voice, commenced read

ing appropriate passages from the service for the visitation of the sick. When he had concluded the 71st psalm, he approached the chair of Miss P—, dropped upon one knee, held her right hand in his, and, in a voice broken with emotion, read the following affecting verses from the 8th chapter of St. Luke:

"While he yet spake, there cometh one from the ruler of the synagogue's house, saying to him, Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Master.

"But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not; believe only, and she shall be made whole.

"And when he came into the house, he suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and John, and the father and mother of the maiden. And all wept and bewailed her: but he said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead.

"And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise. And her spirit came again, and she rose straightway.”

While he was reading the passage which I have marked in italics, my heated fancy almost persuaded me that I saw the eyelids of Miss P― moving. I trembled from head to foot; but, alas, it was a delusion.

The Dean, much affected, was proceeding with the fifty-fifth verse, when such a tremendous and long-continued knocking, was heard at the street door, as seemed likely to break it open. Every one started up from their knees, as if electrified; all moved but the unhappy Agnes; and stood in silent agitation and astonishment. Still the knocking was continued, almost without intermission. My heart suddenly misgave me as to the cause.

pale as ashes-endeavouring to prop up the drooping mother of our patient. Before any one had stirred from the spot on which he was standing, the door was burst open, and in rushed Mr. N- wild in his aspect, frantic in his gesture, and his dress covered with dust from head to foot. We stood gazing at him, as though his appearance had petrified us.

"Agnes-my Agnes!" he exclaimed, as if choked for want of breath.

"AGNES!-Come!" he gasped, while a laugh appeared on his face that had a gleam of madness in it.

"Mr. N! what are you about! For mercy's sake be calm! Let me lead you, for a moment into another room, and all shall be explained!” said I, approaching and grasping him firmly by the arm.

sion was more natural than before. She looked languidly about her for a moment, as if examining the bed-curtains and her eyes closed again. I sent for some weak brandy and water, and gave her a little in a tea-spoon. She swallowed it with great difficulty. I ordered some warm water to be got ready for her feet, to equalize the circulation; and while it was preparing, sat by her, watching every motion of her features with the most eager anxiety. "How are you, Agnes ?" I whispered, kissing her. She turned languidly towards me, opened her eyes, and shook her head feebly-but gave me no answer.

"Do you feel pain anywhere?" I enquired. A faint smile stole about her mouth, but she did not utter a syllable. Sensible that her exhausted condition required repose, I determined not to tax her newly recovered energies; so I ordered her a gentle composing draught, and left her in the care of the nurse, promising to return by and by, to see how my sweet patient went on. I found that the Dean had left. After swallowing a little wine and water, he recovered sufficiently from the shock he had received, to be able, with Dr. D's assistance, to step into his carriage, leaving his solemn benediction for Miss P-.

As it was growing late, I sent my wife to bed, and ordered coffee in my study, whither I retired, and sat lost in conjecture and reverie till nearly one o'clock. I then repaired to my patient's room; but my entrance startled her from a sleep that had lasted almost since I had left. As soon as I sat down by her, she opened her eyes-and my heart leaped with joy to see their increasing calmness—their expression resembling what had oft delighted me, while she was in health. After eyeing me steadily for a few moments, she seemed suddenly to recognise me. "Kiss me!" she whispered, in the faintest possible whisper, while a smile stole over her languid features. I did kiss her; and in doing so, my tears fell upon her cheek.

"Don't cry!" she whispered again, in a tone as feeble as before. She gently moved her hand into mine, and I clasped the trembling, lilied fingers, with an emotion I cannot express. She noticed my agitation; and the tears came into her eyes, while her lip quivered, as though she were going to speak. I implored her, however, not to utter a word, till she was better able to do it without exhaustion; and lest my presence should tempt her beyond her strength, I once more kissed her-bade her good-night-her poor slender fingers once more compressed mine-and I left her to the care of the nurse, with a whispered caution to step to me instantly, if any change should take place in Agnes. I could not sleep! I felt a prodigious burden removed from my mind; and woke my wife that she might share in my joy

I received no summons during the night; and, on entering her room about nine o'clock in the morning, I found that Miss P- had taken a little arrow root in the course of the night, and slept calmly, with but few intervals. She had sighed frequently; and once or twice conversed

for a short time with the nurse about heaven-as I understood. She was much stronger than I had expected to find her. I kissed her, and she asked me how I was-in a tone that surprised me by its strength and firmness.

"Is the storm over? she enquired looking towards the window.

"Oh yes-long, long ago!" I replied, seeing at once that she seemed to have no consciousness of the interval that had elapsed. “And are you all well?-Mrs. " (my wife) "how is she?"

"You shall see her shortly."
"Then, no one was hurt?”
"Not a hair of our heads !”
"How frightened I must have been!'

"Pho, pho, Agnes! Nonsense! Forget it !” "Then-the world is not-there has been no→→→ is all the same as it was !" she murmured, eyeing me apprehensively.

"The world come to an end-do you mean?” She nodded, with a disturbed air-“Oh, no, no ! It was merely a thunder-storm."

“And it is quite over, and gone?”

"Long ago! Do you feel hungry?” I enquired, hoping to direct her thoughts from a topic I saw agitated her.

"Did you ever see such lightning?" she asked, without regarding my question.

"Why-certainly it was very alarming"

"Yes, it was! Do you know, Doctor," she continued, with a mysterious air-"I-I-sawyes-there were terrible faces in the lightning.” "Come, child, you rave?”

-“They seemed coming towards the world”Her voice trembled, the colour of her face changed.

"Well-if you will talk such nonsense, Agnes, I must leave you. I will go and fetch my wife. Would you like to see her?”

HIM.

"Tell N― to come to me to-day-I must see I have a message for him!" She said, this with a sudden energy that surprised me, while her eye brightened as it settled on me. I kissed her and retired. The last words surprised and disturbed me. Were her intellects affected? How did she know-how did she conjecture that he was within reach? I took an opportunity of asking the nurse whether she had mentioned Mr. N's name to her, but not a syllable had been interchanged upon the subject.

Before setting out on my daily visits, I stepped into her room, to take my leave. I had kissed her, and was quitting the room, when, happening to look back, I saw her beckoning to me. I returned.

"I MUST see N this evening!" said she, with a solemn emphasis that startled me; and, as soon as she had uttered the words, she turned her head from me, as if she wished no more to be said.

My first visit was to Mr. N-, whom I found in a very weak state, but so much recovered from his illness, as to be sitting up and partially dressed. He was perfectly calm and collected; and, in answer to his earnest enquiries, I gave him a