ceress had never before chosen to call him to
account for the deception, though, according to the assurances of his
friends after leaving the house, she had never failed to arrive at the
truth of their nationalities and positions in life. There must have been
something in myself or my circumstances, he averred, which had produced
so singular an effect upon the witch, (as he evidently believed her to
be,) and he had the impression that at no distant day I should again
hear from her. That was all, and so we parted, I in any other condition
of mind than that promising sleep, and really without closing my eyes,
except for a moment or two at a time, during the night which followed.
When I did attempt to force myself into slumber, a red spectre stood
continually before me, an unearthly light seemed to sear my covered
eyeballs, and I awoke with a start. Days passed before I sufficiently
wore away the impression to be comfortable, and at least two or three
weeks before my rest became again entirely unbroken.

"You must be partially aware with what anxiety we Americans temporarily
sojourning on the other side of the Atlantic, who loved the country we
had left behind on this, watched the succession of events which preceded
and accompanied the Presidential election of that year. Some suppose
that a man loses his love for his native land, or finds it comparatively
chilled within his bosom, after long residence abroad. The very opposite
is the case, I think! I never knew what the old flag was, until I saw it
waving from the top of an American consulate abroad, or floating from
the gaff of one of our war-vessels, when I came down the mountains to
some port on the Mediterranean. It had been merely red, white and blue
bunting, at home, where the symbols of our national greatness were to be
seen on every hand: it was the _only_ symbol of our national greatness
when we were looking at it from beyond the sea; and the man whose eyes
will not fill with tears and whose throat will not choke a little with
overpowering feeling, when catching sight of the Stars and Stripes where
they only can be seen to remind him of the glory of the country of which
he is a part, is unworthy the name of patriot or of man!

"But to return: Where was I? Oh! I was remarking with what interest we
on the other side of the water watched the course of affairs at home,
during that year when the rumble of distant thunder was just heralding
the storm. You are well aware