Four Years in France: or, Narrative of an English Family's Residence there during that Period; Preceded by some Account of the Conversion of the Author to the Catholic FaithBeste, Henry Digby
Religion
Four Years in France: or, Narrative of an English Family's Residence there during that Period; Preceded by some Account of the Conversion of the Author to the Catholic Faith
Beste, Henry Digby
France -- Description and travel
In the night between the 30th and 31st of October, thirty entire days
after the death of Kenelm, his parents retired late to rest; in fact, at
one o'clock of the morning of the 31st. As they were composing
themselves to sleep, they heard a noise as of the breaking of a small
stick. To me this noise seemed to proceed from the cabinet or
dressing-room behind the bed; my wife heard it as from the commode or
drawers opposite the foot of the bed. We asked each other what the noise
might be, and compared what we had heard. Within a minute, my wife, who
had raised herself in her bed, asked me, "What light is that?" I saw no
light, and asked, "Where?"--"On the drawers, brighter than any candle."
She proceeded to describe what she saw: "Now it rises and grows larger.
How beautifully bright! brighter than the most brilliant star. What can
it mean? it is very strange you don't see it." I thought so too; but, to
encourage her, said, "Compose yourself; it can mean no harm." She went
on: "It still rises and grows larger: now it turns towards the
window--it takes the form of a dove with the wings spread but--it has a
bright glory all around it--it looks steadily at me--it speaks to my
heart, and tells me that my dear Henry is happy--it fixes a piercing
look on me, as if it would make me feel what it means. Now I know he is
happy, and shall lament no more for him. There--now it has disappeared."
Though I had not seen the light, I could see the face of my wife while
she was looking at it, and the tears glittering as if a bright light
passed through them while they fell down her cheeks. The French word
would be _ébrillantées_. There still remained a suffused light in the
room, particularly on the wall above the drawers, as of the reflection
of a nearly extinguished fire. This was observed by both of us. It
lasted about five minutes, growing gradually fainter, and at length
failing entirely. While looking at this suffused and darkish red light,
and reasoning with myself how or why the bright light had not been seen
by me, I remarked, on the floor, by the open door of the cabinet, the
reflection of a veilleuse, or small night-lamp. These lights are made
of a single thread of cotton half an inch long, steeped in melted wax,
and, when dry, inserted in little flat pieces of cork, which are
floated, while the cotton is burning, in a small quantity of oil. This
night-lamp was placed in the remotest corner of the dressing room, which
went the whole length of the bed-room. I saw its reflection on the floor
only, and only so far as the open door permitted it to be seen. "This"
said I, "cannot be the cause of the suffused light; still less can it
have been the cause of the bright one." While I was looking, first at
the suffused light, then at the reflection of the lamp, the former
disappeared; it was plain, therefore, that it had not been caused by the
latter.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account