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even by the laudanum, which had been administered to her in much larger quantities than her medical attendants had authorized. It had stupified, without at the same time composing and calming her. Poor -poor girl! almost the last remains of her beauty had disappeared. There was a fearful hollowness in her once lovely and blooming cheeks; and her eyes-those bright orbs which had a short while ago dazzled and delighted all they shone upon-were now sunk-quenched-and surrounded by dark halos! She lay with her head buried deep in the pillow, her hair folded back, matted with perspirations. Her hands-but I cannot attempt to describe her appearance any further. Sir sat by her bedside, as he had sat all through her illness, and was utterly worn out. I occupied the chair allotted to Miss B-, who had just retired to bed, having been up all night. After a long silence, Miss Herbert asked very faintly for some tea, which was presently brought her, and dropped into her mouth by spoonfuls. Soon after she revived a little, and spoke to me, but in so low a whisper that I had great difficulty in distinguishing her words. The exertion of utterance, also, was attended with so much evident pain, that I would rather she had continued silent. "Laudanum-laudanum-laudanum, doctor! They don't give me enough of laudanum!" she muttered. We made her no reply. Presently she began murmuring at intervals somewhat in this strain: "Ahamong the pyramids-looking at them-sketching --ascending them, perhaps-oh! what if they should fall and crush him? Has he found his brother? On his way-home-sea-ships-ship." Still we did not interrupt her, for her manner indicated only a dim, dreamy sort of half-consciousness. About an hour afterward (why did I linger there, it may be asked, when I could do nothing for her, and could ill spare the time? I know not-I could not leave) she again commenced, in a low, moaning, wander

ing tone: "Uncle! what do you think? Chatterton -poor, melancholy Chatterton, sat by my side all night long-in that chair where Dr. is sitting. He died of a broken heart-or of my disease-didn't he?-Wan-wan-sad-cold-ghostly-but so like a poet!-Oh, how he talked-no one earthly like him!-His voice was like the mysterious music of an Eolian harp-so solemn-soft-stealing! *** He put his icy fingers on my bosom, and said it must soon be as cold!-But he told me not to be afraid-nor weep, because I was dying so youngso early. He said I was a young little rose-tree, and would have the longer to bloom and blossom when he came for me." She smiled faintly and sadly. "Oh, dear, dear!-I wish I had him here again! But he looks very cold and ghostly-never moves-nothing rustles-I never hear him come or go-but I look, and there he is!--and I'm not at all frightened, for he seems gentle-but I think he can't be happy--happy-never smiles, never!Dying people see and hear more than others!"

This, I say, is the substance of what she uttered. All she said was pervaded by a sad romance, which showed that her soul was deeply imbued with poetry.

66 “Toll! — Toll! - Toll! -How solemn! --White plumes!-White scarfs !-Hush--' Earth to earth'— oh, dreadful!-It is crumbling on my breast! They all go-they leave me all--poor, poor Eliza!--They leave me all alone in the cold church.-He'll often walk in the church by himself-his tears will fall on the pavement-but I shall not hear him-nor see him!--He will never see me!--Will the organ play, I wonder?--It may wake me from sleep for a while!" I listened to all this, and was fit for nothing the rest of the day. Again-again I saw her, to let fall tears over the withered petals-the blighted blossoms of early beauty! It wrung my heart to see her little more than a breathing corpse. Oh, the gloom-anguish-desolation, diffused through

Hall! It could be felt; it oppressed you on

entering!

-

* On Saturday morning (the day of November, 18-), I drove down early, having the preceding evening promised to be there as soon as possible the next day. It was a cold, scowling, bitter November morning, and my heart sunk within me as my chariot rattled rapidly along the hard highway towards Hall. But I was TOO LATE. curtain had fallen, and hid poor Eliza Herbert from this world for ever! She had expired about half an hour before my arrival.

The

As I was returning to town, after attending the funeral of Miss Herbert, full of bitter and sorrowful thoughts, I met a travelling carriage and four thundering down the road. It contained poor Captain

his valet, and a young Italian medical attendant, all just returned from the continent. He looked white and wasted. The crape on my hatmy gloves-weepers-mourning suit, told all instantly. I was in a moment at his side, for he had swooned. As for the disconsolate baronet, little remains to be said. He disposed of - Hall; and, sick of England-ill and irritable-he attempted to regain his Indian appointment, but unsuccessfully; so he betook himself to a solitary house belonging to the family in -shire; and, in the touching language of one of old, "went on mourning to the end of his days."

The Spectral Dog-an Illusion.

THE age of ghosts and hobgoblins is gone by, says worthy Dr. Hibbert; and so, after him, says almost everybody now-a-days. These mysterious visitants are henceforth to be resolved into mere optical delusion, acting on an excitable fancy and an irritable nervous temperament; and the report of a real bona fide ghost or apparition is utterly scouted. Possibly

this may not be going too far, even though it be in the teeth of some of the most stubborn facts that

are on record. One or possibly two of this character I may perhaps present to the reader on a future occasion; but at present I shall content myself with relating a very curious and interesting case of acknowledged optical delusion; and I have no doubt that many of my medical readers can parallel it with similar occurrences within the sphere of their own observation.

Mr. Dwas a clergyman of the Church of England, educated at Oxford,-a scholar, "a ripe and good one," a man of remarkably acute and powerful understanding; but, according to his own account, destitute of even an atom of imagination. He was also an exemplary minister; preached twice willingly every Sunday; and performed all the other duties of his office with zealous fidelity, and to the full satisfaction of his parishioners. If any man is less likely to be terrified with ghosts, or has less reason to be so, than another, surely it was such a character as Mr. D.

He had been officiating on Sunday evening for an invalid friend, at the latter's church, a few miles' distance from London, and was walking homewards enjoying the tranquillity of the night, and enlivened by the cheerful beams of the full moon. When at about three miles' distance from town, he suddenly heard, or fancied he heard, immediately behind him, the sound of gasping and panting, as of a dog following at his heels, breathless with running. He looked round on both sides; but, seeing no dog, thought he must have been deceived, and resumed his walk and meditations. The sound was presently repeated. Again he looked round, but with no better success than before. After a little pause, thinking there was something rather odd about it, it suddenly struck him, that what he had heard was nothing more than the noise of his own hard breathing, oc

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casioned by the insensibly accelerated pace at which he was walking, intent upon some subject which then particularly occupied his thoughts. He had not walked more than ten paces further, when he again heard precisely similar sounds; but with a running accompaniment (if I may be allowed a pun) of the pit-pit-pattering of a dog's feet, following close behind his left side.

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"God bless me!" exclaimed Mr. D- aloud, stopping for the third time, and looking round in all directions, far and near; why, really, that's very odd-very! Surely I could not have been mistaken again ?" He continued standing still, wiped his forehead, replaced his hat on his head, and, with a little trepidation, resumed his walk, striking his stout black walking-stick on the ground with a certain energy and resoluteness which sufficed in reassuring his own flurried spirits. The next thirty or forty paces of his walk Mr. D- passed over "erectis auribus," and hearing nothing similar to the sounds which had thrice attracted his attention, was relapsing into his meditative mood, when, in a few moments, the noise was repeated, apparently from his right-hand side; and he gave something like a start from the path-side into the road on feeling the calf of his leg brushed past, as he described it, by the shaggy coat of his invisible attendant. He looked suddenly down, and, to his very great alarm and astonishment, beheld the dim outline of a large Newfoundland dog-of a blue colour! He moved from the spot where he was standing-the phantom followed him; he rubbed his eyes with his hands, shook his head, and again looked; but there it still was, large as a young calf (to which he himself compared it), and had assumed a more distinct and definite form. The colour, however, continued the same-faint blue. He observed, too, its eyes-like dim-decaying firecoals, as it looked up composedly in his face. He poked about his walking-stick, and

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