Mosses from an Old Manse, and other stories

ur story opens had made experience of a spiritual affinity more attractive than any chemical one. He had left his laboratory to the care of an assistan

ll find their congenial aliment in pursuits which, as some of their ardent votaries believed, would ascend from one step of powerful intelligence to another, until the philosopher should lay his hand on the secret of creative force and perhaps make new worlds for himself. We know not whether Aylmer possessed this degree of faith in man'

es and a deeply impressive moral. One day, very soon after their marriage, Aylmer sat

er occurred to you that the mark

manner, she blushed deeply. "To tell you the truth it has been so oft

a, you came so nearly perfect from the hand of Nature that this slightest possible defect, which we hesi

ening with momentary anger, but then bursting into tears. "Then why d

most fearful distinctness. Its shape bore not a little similarity to the human hand, though of the smallest pygmy size. Georgiana's lovers were wont to say that some fairy at her birth hour had laid her tiny hand upon the infant's cheek, and left this impress there in token of the magic endowments that were to give her such sway over all hearts. Many a desperate swain would have risked life for the privilege of pressing his lips to the mysterious hand. It must not be concealed, however, that the impression wrought by this fairy sign manual varied exceedingly, according to the difference of temperament in the beholders. Some fastidious persons - but they were exclusively of he

e with every moment of their united lives. It was the fatal flaw of humanity which Nature, in one shape or another, stamps ineffaceably on all her productions, either to imply that they are temporary and finite, or that their perfection must be wrought by toil and pain. The crimson hand expressed the ineludible gripe in which mortality clutches the highest and purest of earthly mould, degrading them int

l point of all. With the morning twilight Aylmer opened his eyes upon his wife's face and recognized the symbol of imperfection; and when they sat together at the evening hearth his eyes wandered stealthily to her cheek, and beheld, flickering with the blaze of the wood fire, the spectral hand that wrote mortality whe

rdly to betray the stain on the poor wife's cheek, she he

a feeble attempt at a smile, "have you any recolle

one, affected for the sake of concealing the real depth of his emotion, "I might wel

he had to say. "A terrible dream! I wonder that you can forget it. Is it possible to forget this one expression? - 'I

hat perchance belong to a deeper one. Aylmer now remembered his dream. He had fancied himself with his servant Aminadab, attempting an operation for the removal of the birthmark; but the deeper wen

s of sleep, and then speaks with uncompromising directness of matters in regard to which we practise an unconscious self-deception during our waking moments. Until now he had

its removal may cause cureless deformity; or it may be the stain goes as deep as life itself. Again: do we know that there is a

the subject," hastily interrupted Aylmer. "I am con

nd disgust, - life is a burden which I would fling down with joy. Either remove this dreadful hand, or take my wretched life! You have deep science. All the world bears witness of it. You have achieved gre

less perfect than yourself. Georgiana, you have led me deeper than ever into the heart of science. I feel myself fully competent to render this dear cheek as faultless as its fellow; and then, most belo

ling. "And, Aylmer, spare me not, though you should

k - her right cheek - not that which

and of the profoundest mines; he had satisfied himself of the causes that kindled and kept alive the fires of the volcano; and had explained the mystery of fountains, and how it is that they gush forth, some so bright and pure, and others with such rich medicinal virtues, from the dark bosom of the earth. Here, too, at an earlier period, he had studied the wonders of the human frame, and attempted to fathom the very process by which Nature assimilates all her precious influences from earth and air, and from the spiritual world, to create and foster man, her masterpiece. The latter pursuit, however, Aylmer had long laid aside in unwilling recognit

ully into her face, with intent to reassure her, but was so startled with the intense glow of the birthmar

houted Aylmer, stamping

ific career, and was admirably fitted for that office by his great mechanical readiness, and the skill with which, while incapable of comprehending a single principle, he executed all the details of his master's experiments. With his vast strengt

boudoir, Aminadab," said A

ifeless form of Georgiana; and then he muttered to himself,

bode of a lovely woman. The walls were hung with gorgeous curtains, which imparted the combination of grandeur and grace that no other species of adornment can achieve; and as they fell from the ceiling to the floor, their rich and ponderous folds, concealing all angles and straight lines, appeared to shut in the scene from infinite space. For aught Georgiana knew, it might be a pavilion among the clouds. And

intly; and she placed her hand over her cheek to

! Believe me, Georgiana, I even rejoice in this single im

. "Pray do not look at it again. I nev

ptical phenomena, still the illusion was almost perfect enough to warrant the belief that her husband possessed sway over the spiritual world. Then again, when she felt a wish to look forth from her seclusion, immediately, as if her thoughts were answered, the procession of external existence flitted across a screen. The scenery and the figures of actual life were perfectly represented, but with that bewitching, yet indescribable differe

ried Georgiana. "I

le you may. The flower will wither in a few moments and leave nothing save its

han the whole plant suffered a blight, its leave

ul a stimulus," said

triking upon a polished plate of metal. Georgiana assented; but, on looking at the result, was affrighted to find the features of the portrait blurred and indef

which the golden principle might be elicited from all things vile and base. Aylmer appeared to believe that, by the plainest scientific logic, it was altogether within the limits of possibility to discover this long-sought medium; "but," he added, "a philosopher who should go deep enough to acquire the power would attain too lofty a wisdom to stoop to

g at him with amazement and fear. "It is terrible to

self by working such inharmonious effects upon our lives; but I would have you consi

eorgiana, as usual, shrank as if a

urs of absence, Aylmer reappeared and proposed that she should now examine his cabinet of chemical products and natural treasures of the earth. Among the former he showed her a small vial, in which, he remarked, was contained a gentle yet most powerful fragra

stal globe containing a gold-colored liquid. "It is so beaut

rtion the lifetime of any mortal at whom you might point your finger. The strength of the dose would determine whether he were to linger out years, or drop dead in the mid

terrific drug?" inquir

ee! here is a powerful cosmetic. With a few drops of this in a vase of water, freckles may be washed away as easily as the

you intend to bathe my cheek?

"this is merely superficial. Your case

t she was already subjected to certain physical influences, either breathed in with the fragrant air or taken with her food. She fancied likewise, but it might be altogether fancy, that there was a stirring up of her system - a strange, indefinite sensation creeping throu

us Magnus, Cornelius Agrippa, Paracelsus, and the famous friar who created the prophetic Brazen Head. All these antique naturalists stood in advance of their centuries, yet were imbued with some of their credulity, and therefore were believed, and perhaps imagined themselves to have acquired from the investigation of Nature a pow

from materialism by his strong and eager aspiration towards the infinite. In his grasp the veriest clod of earth assumed a soul. Georgiana, as she read, reverenced Aylmer and loved him more profoundly than ever, but with a less entire dependence on his judgment than heretofore. Much as he had accomplished, she could not but observe that his most splendid successes were almost invariably failures, if compared with the ideal at which he aimed. His brightest diamonds were the merest pebbles, and felt to be so by himself, in comparison with the inestima

she laid her face upon the open volume and burst into

nance was uneasy and displeased. "Georgiana, there are pages in that volume which I can

rship you more tha

you will. I shall deem myself hardly unworthy of it. But come, I h

hat the result was already certain. Scarcely had he departed when Georgiana felt irresistibly impelled to follow him. She had forgotten to inform Aylmer of a symptom which for two or three hours past had begun to e

were retorts, tubes, cylinders, crucibles, and other apparatus of chemical research. An electrical machine stood ready for immediate use. The atmosphere felt oppressively close, and was tainted with gaseous odors which had been tormented forth by the processes of science. Th

watchfulness whether the liquid which it was distilling should be the draught of immortal happiness or m

hou man of clay!" muttered Aylmer, more to himself than his assistant

d Aminadab. "Loo

ler than ever, on beholding Georgiana. He rushed towards her and se

d he, impetuously. "Would you throw the blight of that fatal birt

ain. You mistrust your wife; you have concealed the anxiety with which you watch the development of this experiment. Think not so unwo

said Aylmer, impatien

er draught you bring me; but it will be on the same principle that

rimson hand, superficial as it seems, has clutched its grasp into your being with a strength of which I had no previous conception. I have already adminis

itate to tell me

aid Aylmer, in a low vo

a shall be left upon my cheek!" cried Georgiana. "Remove it

lmer, sadly. "And now, dearest, return to your

pure and lofty that it would accept nothing less than perfection nor miserably make itself contented with an earthlier nature than he had dreamed of. She felt how much more precious was such a sentiment than that meaner kind which would have borne with the imperfection for her sake, and have been guilty of treason to holy love by degrading its p

rless as water, but bright enough to be the draught of immortality. Aylmer was pale; but it seemed

said he, in answer to Georgiana's look. "Unless

ence to any other mode. Life is but a sad possession to those who have attained precisely the degree of moral advancement at which I stand. Were I weaker and

ed her husband "But why do we speak of dying? The dra

Aylmer poured a small quantity of the liquid upon the soil in which it grew. In a little time, when the root

iana, quietly. "Give me the goblet

ervid admiration. "There is no taint of imperfection on thy

uid and returned th

w not what of unobtrusive fragrance and deliciousness. It allays a feverish thirst that had parched me for many days. Now,

r to a man the whole value of whose existence was involved in the process now to be tested. Mingled with this mood, however, was the philosophic investigation characteristic of the man of science. Not the minutest symptom escaped him. A heightened flush of the cheek, a slight irregularity of breath

d uneasily and murmured as if in remonstrance. Again Aylmer resumed his watch. Nor was it without avail. The crimson hand, which at first had been strongly visible upon the marble paleness of Georgiana's cheek, now grew more faintly outlined. She remained not less pale than

y. "I can scarcely trace it now. Success! success! And now it is like the faintest rose c

nto the room and rest upon her cheek. At the same time he heard a gross, hoarse

have served me well! Matter and spirit - earth and heaven - have both done thei

aint smile flitted over her lips when she recognized how barely perceptible was now that crimson hand which had once blazed forth with such disastrous

ylmer!" mu

vored!" exclaimed he. "My peerless bri

loftily; you have done nobly. Do not repent that with so high and pure a feeling, y

her soul, lingering a moment near her husband, took its heavenward flight. Then a hoarse, chuckling laugh was heard again! Thus ever does the gross fatality of earth exult in its invariable triumph over the immortal essence which, in this dim sphere of half development, demands the completeness of a higher state. Yet, had Alymer reached a pr