A NIGHT OF HORRORS

Tuapeka Times, Volume I, Issue 36, 17 October 1868, Page 5

A NIGHT OF HORRORS

The following incident, for the truth of which I can vouch,' wa^riarrated to me by the heroine. She was a lady of remarkable^ talent, and many of her poems have a wide celebrity, although her modesty prevented her name appearing as the author. One man of genius — the late Hugh Miller — owed a great deal to her early recognition and encouragement of his talents. Loyalty has always been a prominent feature in the Scotch character. The gallant struggle made for the Stuarts will always be memorable as an example of disinterested courage and patriotism. The failure of tbo direct line in the person of Pi*&ce Henry, Cardinal of York— kn^wn to enthusiastic Jacobites as He* I% y EL — caused the whole tide of Aing-worship to be directed to George 111., a native born prince. The enthusiasm of the country was wougkt to its highest pitch when George IV., in 1822, visited Scotia*^- Never was so much attention shown a more unworthy object,' than tlio first gentleman and greatest blackguard in Europe. Persons from all parts of the country flocked to greet their sovereign, and the whole length and breadth of the land resounded with fulsome toadyism. Among the number of visitors who thronged to the metropolis, was the beautiful and talented Miss R., who went on a visit to a married sister's house. The excitement had caused every house in Edinburgh to be thronged with visitors, and. Miss E. found the only apartment vacant at her sister's to be a small attic with a skylight opening to the roof. Her sister endeavored to render this as comfortable as possible for the night, by lighting a fire; and as Miss E. was in the habit of walking in her sleep, locked the door on the outside after she had retired to rest. The excitement of the day's sight-seeing had made the young lady indisposed to sleep, and she sat by the fire until the candle burned out. She then hurried to bed, and composed herself to slumber. Suddenly she was alarmed to hear a moaning noise' from beneath the bed, followed by a clanking sound, resembling the rattling of a chain. Fearfully alarmed, she still had courage to remainstill.' The noise continued, until she saw, by the flickering light of the fire, a strange looking creature approach the hearth. With matted and overgrown locks falling on its shoulders, long and talon-like nails and glistening eyes, it looked scarcely human. A huge chain was fastened round its waist, which clanked in hideous discord with its slightest motion. It pnworccl ovpr tbft fire, and testified its pleasure at the warmth by a gibbering laugh. Miss E. was fortunately gifted with an amount of courage rare j in the female sex. The sloping of the roof at the end of the bed formed a kind of an alcove,and into tins asylum she slid noiselessly. The slight rustle of the curtains attracted the creature's attention, and it sprang ferociously on the bed she had so recently quitted, and groped with its hideous talon-like fingers all round. Fear proved the young lady's best friend. She fainted, and for some time lay in a swoon. When she recovered and looked round, £he saw that her strange companion had taken possession of the vacant couch, and* seemed buried in deep slumber. Day was fast breaking, and she clambered up to the skylight in hopes of attracting the attention of some person to her perilous position. For a long time her signals were of no avail ; but at last she was observed by some workmen. They alarmed the house, and the door of the room was opened. Miss E., rushing frantically towards her preservers, wakened her terrible companion. With a diabolical yell ho darted towards her deliverers, and only after a fearful struggle was he overcome. He turned out to be the maniac brother of a clergyman living in the same street, who, evading the vigilance of his keeper, had escaped along the roofs of the houses.. The skylight of the attic, tenanted by Miss E. had been left open for some time for purposes of ventilation, and through it he had effected an entrance. A brain fever was the consequence of this night to our heroine, from which, however, she recovered, to become the mother of a fair and numerous progeny.

The " Q-aulois " says that Augustin Iturbide, brother of the Prince Iturbide, who was adopted by the Emperor Maximilian, now keeps a beershop at Courbevoie, in the suburbs of Paris. A Fbench Swindles?— AVFrench Captain, who had distin&uisliea' himself in the Chinese war, returned to^ Paris with, it is believed, an immense"quantity of booty, in the shape of diamonds, sapphires, and vases. He bought a property outside Paris, depositing some diamonds as security, and borrowed in addition 100,000f. from his landlord. The latter, requiring ready money, offered some of the diamonds for sale, and. was astonished to be told they were false — a character that the remainder fully, sustained. Indicted for swindling, the gallant captain — a knight Of the Legion of Honour, and a member of a highly connected family (Negroni) — was sentenced to three months' imprisonment, and a fine of 3,000f, His brother, who assisted him, was condemned to 1 one month's imprisonment, and fined SQQf,