The Portland gazette., 1818-07-14
From the Vilage Record.
THE SPECULATOR,
b. John Harwood.

ed JoTHAm, as he sat at the porch of his
door, at the geing down of the sun -
" Miserable man lha, am J"
"What ails thee, friend % said person
who stood near him, although before un-
perceived. " Has; thou not health Hast
thou not friends i? Hast thou not plenty
Thou hast sheep feeding on the hills-thy
numerous herds Craze in the valley, and
thy grain fields ieem with abundance"
" lrue," answered Jotham, " but the
shortness and uncertainty of human life,are
10 me sources of constant wretchedness. I
know not what hour | may be called to
leave sJl these blessings few live to the
good cid age of four score years, but how
tew /! they, 10 Dc sure, are blessed, but I
have no assurance that shall live again 70
see my orchards In blossom, and TO hear the
bleating of my early lambs | am misera-
ble."
: And dost thou think itwould contribute
TO thy happiness, to have removed the un<
certainty of thy exit from this life, and to
receive the assurance, that thou shculdst
llve 10 the age Of four score and ten years y"
Undoubtedly" said Lothian 8" could
then proceed on my course. with. light
ht art. | could plan my business for future
years. could plant orchards with the
certainty OF enjoying the fruit l could
Enough SAID his guest, inteIrupting
him. by desire shall be grati6ed
ain the spirit that presides over thy years,
and am commissioned to FIX the date of thy
existence. Thou shalt live until the 5th of
the 5th month in The year that thou shals
have numbered four score and ten, and In
that day, at tAe going down Of the sun thou
shalt die
Jotham raised his eyes. and the person
had disappeared, but he felt the full consci-
BUSINESS Of the truth of what he had decIar.
cd, and resolved to be happy thousand
plans for amassing wealth-improving his
6rounds-plantiDg orchards and forest trees
building houses and mills, for while
crowded upon his imagination /; but ever
aud anon, the 5th of the 5th month of the
| year that he. should be so occurred with re-
newcd uneasiness 10 his mind. 1t was TOO
tar OF TO be worth thinking of, and yet
would il return nncalled for with the most
alarming aculeness Jotham was then 37p
and he took his slate and pencil TO calculates
| lie had SIS years 10 i've. He reduced the
! llme 10 months-to weeks--!o days--hours
and even to minutes. The day was fixed IN
his mind as certainly as in the records of
tate. tie looked at his watch Three
hours had already elapsed-when his family
notltcd him that il was later than usual for
Tim TO retire. The sleep of Jotham was
disturbed and the hsst thought of the
morning was the 5,h o. the 5th month, at
the setting of The sun, in the year 1875
But he rose resolved TO put in execution the
plans he had formed. Some difficulties in.
tervened, but, as he had time enough, he
postponed from day to day the commence
ment OF his Improvements.
A thousand new troubles now crowded on
his mind. He was certain of lite, but not
OF health. His days might drag on heavily
10 pain and disease. He was not sure that
his plans tor making money would succeed.
lie might become pauper. Instead of
stimulating his exertions, he found that the
certainty OF long life relaxed them. In the
midst OF business and pleasure, the day
certainly fixed for his death, would come
like dark cloud overshadowing his soul,
paTalzlng his exertions, and damping his
Joys. He felt it like the iron belt of the
Scottish James, who fell at Floddenfeld
and from the very circumstance he expect
cd to prove the source of happiness, he de-
rived nothing but uneasiness, and finally the
most unceasing misery.
A year had passed away, when at the
same hour of the same day of the same
month, lothian sat in his porch, his beard
long, his face pale, and his whole body G.
maciated. Miserable man that | am =
exclaimed he. The day of my death is
| fixed. The time IS ascertained with an aw-
full sertainty. am like criminal under
condemnation, and feel that the distance
of time is only an aggravation, by procrast-
mating my misery,--Would to God that
my guardian angel would return and res
tore me to the state of other men"
Thy wish shall be granted answered
the same person whom he had seen the
year before. But my friend,' added he,
let this learn thee to repress thy passions
limit thy desires ;--exercise that thou
mayest enjoy rest ;--be temperate that
thou mayest possess health ;-cberish
cheerful reliance upon Heaven, and obey