Newspaper Page Text
2
was one bf those who had been accus
tomed to contemplation and reverie from
their earliest years. “Those never mar
ry, avoid company, and always preter to
lead a wandering life in the forests, or to
retire to some solitary isle in order to
escape what they consider the illurements
of the world. They belong to the race of
prophetesses, and are even admitted into
the councils of kings. The grave ques
tions of peace or war are decided accord
ing to their sage advice, and in the mo
ment of combat, they have a peculiar
chant by which soldiers are animated
with the fire of enthusiasm and driven on
to meet the enemy with a courage that
renders sure the successful issue of the
contest. I suspect strongly that Rufina
is one of these. Her incantations are in
vincible, and she has more than once
proved their effect amongst the barbarous
people with whom she has formerly lived.
But, having deceived the hopes of some
prince or army chief, she has been thrown
into chains and sold as a slave.’''
“ Nonsense !” replied a negress, who,
up to this time, had said nothing. “The
poor girl is in love! I have watched her
from some time back, and certainly that
melancholy state of mind into which she
has fallen is no mystery to me. The
‘ virtuous’ Rufina has simply become en
amored with a slave called Revocato, and
her deepest feelings of affection have
been elicited in favor of this young stran
ger. You may not believe me now, but
a little time will convince you of the
truth of what I say. Revocato was just
the same color she was. He came to
Carthage just at the same time that she
came, and they have always manifested
the desire of belonging to the same mas
ter. It happened, however, that they
were separated. Rufina could not re
strain her tears, and Revocato, though
apparently more contented, looked upon
their separation with feelings of sorrow.
When she sings in the garden, do you
not notice that Revocato comes to the
other end of the walk and there listens
to her with an untiring attention. No
doubt those peculiar chants which appear
to us so melodious and plaintive, are a
medium by which she expresses her re
gret at not being united to the object of
her love. Some time ago I heard them
both conversing together in a strange lan
guage. They remained a long time in
eacli others company, and it appeared
to me as if they were meditating upon
some means of escape, in order that they
might satisfy their mutual affections in
all the security of freedom.”
Such were the remarks passed upon
the young slave. She was far from sus
pecting the ideas which her companions
had formed of her, and, in fact, she was
too much occupied with her duty to no
tice their sarcasm and railleries. She al
ways showed herself kind to them, and in
case of need she would anticipate their
wishes, and never fail to to be of service
to them when it was in her power. But
this generosity had no effect upon them,
and served to excite their jealousy and
hatred rather than conciliate their favor,
for they had now formed the serious in
tention of lowering her in the esteem of
their mistress. All seemed to be pro
foundly impressed with the astonishing
facts which had just been brought to light
by the old negress, and it was princi
pally upon them that they depended
in their efforts to realise their nefari
ous designs.
From the moment that Julia received
her from the hands of her mother, she
was struck with her sweetness and de
votedness. She was modest and re
served, and her melancholy manner
gave to her features an indescribable
expression of beauty. She enjoyed the
entire confidence of her mistress, and
she often remained the whole day in
her elegant apartments talking over the
details of family affairs. When Julia
heard the accusations with which her
favorite servant was charged, her first
impulse was to have her punished, but
after a moment's reflection, she thought
it more just to submit the question to
an impartial investigation. Accordingly
she ordered her into her presence.
When she was alone with her she
began :
“ Rufina, why have you deceived me ?
Have I not always been kind to you ?
I had confidence in you, and}ou were
well aware of this. I only permitted
you to watch over my little children
when I was obliged to remain absent
from them myself. I thought you de
voted, virtuous —but you have betrayed
me !”
“It is true, you have been kind to
me,” replied Rufina, with an impertur
bable calmness. “ I am grateful to you
lor your confidence, but, you accuse me
of having deceived you ! No, madame;
is not true.”
Jhe tranquility of her disposition here
gave way, and she pressed her hands con
vulsively to her bosom as abundance of
tears flowed from her eyes.
“ Tell me, Rufina, what mean those
mysterious chants in which you express
so plaintively the sentiments of your
heart. I liked so much to hear them,
though I did not understand a word. I
often asked you to repeat them, and sing
them softly for the children. What is
this strange poetry ! Is it a mysterious
incantation, or is it not rather the ardent,
impassioned expression of a feeling to
which I thought you a stranger ?”
“ Most noble mistress, believe me
when I answer you. Those chants, of
which you speak, are no superstitious in
cantations, nor are they songs of love.
Am I not poor, deprived, no doubt for
ever, of the precious boon of liberty ?
Where then could I carry the affections
of my heart? What object could be
found upon which to forth these
deep feelings of the soul ? I know I can
not act thus without crime, for I am your
slave. I belong to you unconditionally,
and even life is in your hands. All
my desires are confined to that one alone,
of pleasing you. If I sometimes sing, it
is to obey you, or to beguile the few mo
ments of leisure which you are good
enough to give me during the day. They
are songs of my native land, and songs
which I used to hear my mother singing
when I was young. They recall to ray
mind the pleasures of by-gone days, and
I may say they are the only treasures I
brought with me in coming to this cli
mate. After the happiness of serving
you, they are my only consolation. How
ever, if you desire it, I will forever cease.
They shall no longer be heard on my
lips, and if I want to commune with my
thoughts, and the past, it shall be in
silence.”
There was a sweetness and symplicity
in the manner of Rufina that Julia could
not help being deeply impressioned. She
now began to regret the harsh words
she bad uttered in the beginning. Such
candor and openness of conduct she
thought incompatible with the crime
with which she had been accused. She
was, nevertheless, determined to know
all the truth if it were only to confound
the jealousy of her fellow-slaves. Ac
cordingly, she resumed :
“ Rufina, you know a slave of the name
of Revocato, who is sent here occasionally
by his master ? Is it true that he stops
to speak to you, and that your interviews
are prolonged beyond the limits of pro
priety ? Ido not believe evil of any one
without sufficient proof, but these secret
reports which have reached me, are of a
nature to compromise you gravely.
What could have induced you to expose
yourself thus to the remarks of the other
slaves, as well as to the anger of my bus
hand, if he should come to know it.
Follow my advice, Rufina; avoid the
company of Revocato, for his character is
not sufficiently known.”
“ Noble mistress, I am ready to sac
rifice anything to please you, but, with
your permission, let me remark that Re
vocato has been my companion from my
earliest years. We came from the same
country; we were born on the same day.
When children, the same roof covered
us, and our first years were passed in an
unchanging union. We grew up to
gether in the hope that death alone should
be the occasion of our separation. But,
like other hopes, it has vanished. We
had not grown many years older when
an evil genius came to disconcert all our
plans and render the horizon of our fu
ture gloomy and obscure. 0, my dear
mistress !” and she fell on her knees be
fore her and raised her hands in the atti
tude of supplication, “ this Revocato,
whom I must now behold no more, is the
son of my poor mother —my twin brother!
Do you not see po'ntsof resemblance be
tween us sufficient to indicate that we
both belong to the same family ?”
“ Rise, Rufina,” said the rich patri
cian, as she reached her hand, which she
seized and covered with kisses. “ Rise;
you are a noble girl. I believe you are
innocent. Pardon me if ever I have
afflicted you by my unjust suspicions.
From this day I will not look upon you
as a slave. Remain with me to aid me
in taking care of my children. They
love you and you love them. My beloved
Vivia will not rest quiet under any but
with you or me. How kind you have
been to her. In her sickness you never
abandoned her bed-side day or night.
Rely upon my gratitude, as also upon
hers. You have my confidence more
than ever. You may see Revocato as
often as you please. The slaves that
have been around you, and who have re
ported such calumnies against you, shall
be severely punished.”
“Thanks, my dear mistress. You
make me happy indeed, in believing in
my innocence, but there is one thing
wanting to my happiness. If it please
you, may I ask the pardon of those slaves
whom you design to punish ? Noble
mistress, grant them a free pardon, and
let them not know that I have asked this
favor.”
14H1S® 01 fffil SOTOEL
“Generous young girl! Where have
you learnt this" sublime virtue? Your
history has been a mystery for us all!
Pray let me hear some more details re
garding your former life.”
“ There is nothing very interesting in
my life. It is the history of an unhappy
young girl who has passed through the
world nameless and unnoticed. My coun
try is far from here, but. that makes no
matter, as I shall never see it again. I
was born at the farthest extremity of Gaul,
near that narrow channel which sepa
rates it from Britain. It is here where,
it is said, Caesar carried his victorious
army after having subdued my native
land. I was ten years of age when my
father died. I had not the consolation
of being present at his last moments, for
he was seized in his house and loaded
with chains for having remained faithful
to a cause which he regarded noble and
sacred. A few days afterward his head
was severed from his body.
“My mother was left with two chil
dren, too young to be of any assistance.
She died soon afterward. We were but
children—my brother and myself—and
too poor to remain. We were obliged
to hid adieu to the tomb of my mother
and the little cabin that had sheltered
our infant years. But the laws of our
country were severe, and for a slight debt
which our parents had contracted, we
were sold into slavery. We embarked
for Carthage. I will not harass you by
the details of the voyage. It is enough
to say we experienced all the hardships of
a long and stormy passage. We arrived
in Carthage, and to our inexpressible
grief, we were again sold to different
masters. Such is my history. It has
no interest for any but myself.”
“ No, indeed, Rufina, it is interesting
to me. But, tell me clearly, what are
those strange, mysterious chants you
were singing ? Where, too, have you
learned such sublime virtues as 1 have
witnessed in you ? Tell me openly now
and without ibar.”
“ Well, noble mistress, listen. I have
never frequented your temples nor your
sacred ceremonies. The religion of Saul,
at least that religion in which I have
been educated, is not the religion of Car
thage. The chants which you have
heard me sing, are hymns which I have
known from infancy, and which we used
to sing in our solemn worship. They
are beautiful and chaste, and fail not to
touch the inner depths of the human
heart. They date back to the remotest
antiquity, and are the composition of men
who had received the gift of inspiration.
They elevate the soul above the things of
this world, and give rise to the most no
ble inspirations,” and here Rufina de
tailed to her in a simple form, the prin
cipal dogrnas of her faith.
“ Keep that holy religion. Though I
see that its maxims are severe, I do con
fess it has an irresistible charm for me,
and, perhaps, one day”—
“ O, noble mistress,” interrupted Rufi
na, falling down on her knees. J ust at
this moment the evening meal was com
menced.
[to be continued.]
**•<••.
Mr. Volt, the Alchemist
[concluded, 1
“That is the true ‘hatchis,” he explain
ed ; “it is made of many ingredients,
hut Indian hemp, and a peculiarly vola
tile preparation of opium, are two of its
active principles.”
“And the vapor ?”
u No ; that is my secret. But” h«
continued, dropping his voice almost to a
whisper, “I meditate a still greater exper
iment in the projection of mind than any
I have hitherto attempted. I propose for
Mark Stedburn and myself to perform
the operation simultaineously : each to
project his mind upon that of the other,
and not to rest until we had literally ex
changed ideas —I mean outward ideas —
bodies.
“Has Mr. Stedburn consented to make
the attempt ?” I inquired.
“He has; and we intend to try it very
soon. I do not, however, conceal from
myself that the experiment is fraught
with some risk, since we have largely to
increase the dose of “hatchis.” Now,
having no near relations of any kind, I
have resolved to execute a document,
leaving my whole property to Mark Sted
burn before we begin the experiment ;
and to prevent any difficulty, in the event
of my decease, arising from ignorant
persons who might stupidly attribute it
to suicide (for it might look like it), I in
tend to execute an unconditional deed of
gift, instead of a will. If you would act
as trustee under this deed, I should feel
obliged.”
Just then the great bell rang, and
Mark came in, to my infinite relief.
“Well,” he said, “has Mr. Yob told
you of his grand discovery ?”
“Oh, yes,” I returned.
“What do you think of it ?”
“I don’t know what to think," I re
flied, raising my eyebrows to imply that
didn’t know what to say about it in Mr*
Volt’s presence.
“You see,” said Mark to Mr. Volt,
“our friend’s mind cannot quite grasp a
new and powerful truth all at once.
When he has tested it by experience, he
will be wiser.’’
“No doubt,” he assented.
Was Mark a believer too ?” And were
they both mad ? As I looked at the two
men together—Mr. Volt, plump and full
faced : Mark, thin and pale—it occurred
to me that by deluding him into dreamy
and speculative studies, Mr. Volt had
sucked the life and health out of my
friend as if he had been a vampire
“This is the “hatchis,” said Mark,
bringing me the box again. “Shall ho
try it, Mr. Volt ?”
“Yes, if he will, though its effect,
alone, without previous preparation of
the body and without the violet vapor,
can only be feeble.”
I deprecated any trial of the sort.
“Try it,” Mark insisted ; “I give you
my word as a medical man, and as your
friend, that I have taken it myself, and
that you shall feel no ill effects from it.
I promise that you shall not remain more
than ten minutes under its influence.
Take the dose Mr. Volt will give you.
It is now 10 minutes to 9. You shall
leave the tower with me at 9 punctually.”
I consented. Mr. Volt brought a tiny
thin spoon, and with it took out a portion
of the hatchis, about as big as a hazel
nut.
“Now, said he, “during the time you
are under the influence of this paste, you
will have certain experiences. Decide
whether they shall be real or ideal. Real
in the sense of a succession of a persist
ently coherent ideas independent of your
own will (for I think I can so far project
my mind upon yours as to insure that) ;
or ideal, in the sense as a succession of
ideas directed by your own will.”
I replied that as I could at any time
obtain a succession of ideas directed by
my own will, l would elect a succession
of ideas produced by his will.
Having seated me on the sofa, he gave
me the spoonful of “hatchis,” looking
steadily into my eyes as he did so.
I felt that his eyes hurt me somewhere
in my head —I can’t tell where—and
looking at his legs I saw them grow
large, and long and zigzaggy, till they
flashed away up in the ceiling, and I felt a
kind of vail-likc misty rain let down be
fore my eyes. I seemed to grow up out
of this vail, or through it, and to gaze on
the pure blue night sky and the spark
ling stars, until quickly I was near them.
They loomed, shining, on me, as huge
full-orbed planets, and I could hear the
whir and rush they made, as they wheel
ed passed me round their awful
orbits *ntil they grew distant and small,
and faded into twinkling stars again.
Then, I looking down, I saw the earth
spread out like a dark curtain beneath
me, and I heard it yield two great notes
like notes of a huge organ ; one harsh
and discordant, from the cities that blaz
ed up, a mass of flame and lurid smoke
into the peaceful sky—the cry of trouble
and unrest ; the other like the quiet
murmur of the forest in the light winds.
These two went up together to the stars,
and blended into music. Then I felt a
severe pang sensation and became op
pressed and gradually recovering myself
with Mr. Volt and Mark. I went home
with Mark, and supped, and I went to
bed and slept it off; and next morning
returned to London, and fell into my
humdrum life again.
I cannot tell how long afterward it
may have been, but as nearly as I can
oalculate it must have been at least two
months, when I received a letter from
Mark, announcing the death of Mr. Volt.
The letter stated that, in attempting to
carry out their intention of effecting an
exchange of bodies, his eccentric friend
had unfortunately made a mistake in liis
dose, which had proved fatal.
I went down to Firworth immediately.
The first thing that struck me was th*
alteration in Mark's appearance. He had
become unacountably plump and sleek,
and seemed wonderfully to have improv
ed in health during the past few weeks.
Another thing occurred to me as odd, and
this gave me pain. Mark appeared
strangely anxious to convince me that
Mr. Volt was really dead, and not in a
long trance produced by “hatchis.” Not
withstanding my repugnance he insisted
on taking me to see his friend’s
body, that I might be assured of the fact.
There could be no doubt whatever that
Mr. Volt was dead, nor was there any
doubt of the fact that he had come to his
death by an overdose of the “hatchis,”
for the body gave out a most powerful
and unmistakable odor of opium. Now,
it being the character of that drug to
dissipate itself immediately in the system
even when, taken to the extent of an or
dinary poisoning dose, so thoroughly that
it is next to impossible to determine it
presence by the nicest tests, it was emit
clear to me, from being able so readil^
to perceive the smell, that Mr. Volt j 5
died of an enormous overdose of opim
As he had been a good chemist, it
hardly reasonable to suppose that h*
could have taken sueh a dose ignorantly
if in his senses. It remained, therefore’
either that Mr. Volt must have commit
ted suicide sanely, or in a fit of insanity
or that the opium must have been i nte * n ’
tionally administered to him by another
person. When I reflected upon Mark's
anxiety to prove that Mr. Volt was dead*
and upon his interest in his death, and
when I considered besides how singular
ly Mark was altered in his ways and
modes of thought, as well as in his bodily
appearance, for a moment I had suspi
cions of him. His account, however, w ; r
as follows : That, under the influence
of the vapor, Mr. Volt had taken bv mis
take the same quantity of opium confec
tion that he had meant to take of green
paste, while Mark, conscious of
take, yet being himself under the
influence of “hatchis” at the time was
unable to recover himself soon enough to
prevent the error, or to us« remedial
agents to save his friend’s life. At the
inquest Mark, nevertheless suppressed all
mention of the attempted experiment
and on his deposition that the deceased
had been in the habit of consuming
quanties of narcotics, a verdict was re
turned to the effect that Mr. Volt came to
his death by an overdose of opium in a
fit of temporary insanity. The general
opinion expressed by the rustic jury on
dismissal, was this : “They always
know’d old Volt were certain to pison
hisself accidentally some day, and now
he had been gone and done it, sure
enough and no mistake.”
One afternoon shortly after the funer
al, to pass away the time while Mark
went to visit the same distant patient as
before, I thought I would go over the
tower and look into some of Mr, Volt’s
curious lumber. I obtained the key from
Mrs. Stedburn, and letting myself in a
great heavy oak door, made my way to
the laboratory. Nothingseemedtobedis
turbed since Mr. Volt’s decease. The
place was in its wonted litter. Books,
manuscripts, diagrams, instruments,
bottles, retorts, and crucibles, were lying
about as of yore. Taking down a large
manuscript tome from one of the shelves
and finding it to consist of some of Mr.
Volt’s dream-travels in Northern Asia, I
blew off the dust, and having banged the
covers together to beat out some of the
pungent mildew from inside,began reading
I had finished the first chapter, when I
heard my name called in a tone of eu
treaty.
“Tom I”
I looked round, but could see no one.
Presently the call was repeated suit more
plaintively.
“Tom 1”
There was no mistake about it, and it
was Mark Stedburn's voice.
“Tom, I say !”
The voice seemed to come from the
other side of the laboratory, I concluded
that Mark was in the grouuds, calling
from the outside one of the windows.
“Where are you ?” I halloed, going
over to the window to look out.
“Here,” said the voice, faintly, appar
ently from within the room. It seemed to
come from one of the shelves close by me,
but high up. I took the light ladder that
belonged to the laboratory, and began to
examine those shelves one after. another,
determined to see into the delusion, for
thought it nothing else. There were on
the shelves books, and bottles and papers—
papers and bottles and books in em e~s
numbers, and all covered with dust. * -
I ran my eye along them, I obsenc one
very small phial, less dusty than the re-««
with a label on it in small characters, ap
parentlv written more recently tuan
labels on the other bottles, for the in'
this one was not discolored by nnlt 1
they were. I read thus :
MAKK STKDBUES. _ I
Bottled, Feb,4,180..!
The date was that of Mr. Volt's ‘k» lh ,
I was about to take the phial into »)
toexamine it more closely, w-hena •
that appeared to come from the ms. -
the bottle, said : *•!) 3':
“Take me down very gently. 1 •
shake me, Tom, whatever you 1
is I!" It was Mark Stedburns •
“You V } )f
“Yes, this is the pure
Mind, which that rascal, oh ‘
distilled out of my body m 1 Ti
spirit. Fool that I was, to et [ t
but I never believed t: a’ he « 0
This is 1, Tom in a fluid }
I lifted him down carefull} an v
him before me upon the laxoa 1 *j or ] es ,
The bottle contained a tbm
liquid, which I judged to be u.
and highly rectified because e it
was perfectly level, and not tone;