The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1823-12-09


Gross, ~ Dtr0asAirs, .Juis W. Ig13.
IN It's uus. Al rsnain. man. tho dead. rrsHira
7" Part ~ himsuh; thr ainiaisai MAD remains
Ia liz form sahsists without itt hndy aia,
Afisi ssnbiance and an cmtfy shade e. Pope.
! ara perfectly aware Of tie predhcamcnt
in which am placing myself wien in tbr
present age ri incrciulity venture % com
mit 70 paper. IN ALI sincerity of spirit and inl-
ness Of conviction, deliberate and circum-
siancial account 81 an Arparitiuu. lnpostur
aad visionary. knave and fool, these are the
alternate horns 81 che dilemma en- which 4
shall be tossed with snyeFs III contempt. or
smiles d derision every delusion praclisea
IN fraud Or crcAulity, from The Cock lane
Ghost down 20 the Reverend Mr.. Cotton. and
tho Sanpford Spectre, will hc faithfully regis
tered against ne. and | shall be finally dismiss
led, according q the temperament "a thc
reader, either with petuIant rcbuke Cor at-
tempting to impose such exploded sapeniition
upon an enlightened public; ~ with sober
and friendly recommendation 20 Get my head
shaved, and betake myself % some place 0f
safe custody with as little delay a. NAV be-
II the arrogance Of nv supposed wisdom I
should myself, only few weeks ago, have
probably adopted one Of these courses towards
any other similar delinquent, which viii Sc
cure mc from any splenstic feeling, however
boisterous may be the mifth, ~ bitter tie
irony,wIth which may be twiited aud tainted
for the following narration. have no sinis-
ter purposes to answer, no particular creed
10 advocate, no theory 70 establish and writ
ing with the perfect conviction Of truth. and
the full possession Of my faculties. | am deter
mined not 60 suppress what conscieniiously
believe 70 be facts, merely because they mas
initiate against received opinions, or happen
10 be inconsistent with the ordinary course Of
human experience.
IL may not be unimportant to remark, that
20 far from my being subject to the blue deF
lis and vapouTs, with which hypochondriacs
and iRvalds are haunted, possess that happy
physical organization, which ensures almost
uninterrupted health Of body and mind, and
which, II the elasticity and buoyancy Of my
spirit, renders the sensation ofmere existence
an enjoyment. Though | reside in the coun-
try, winter has for me no gloom, nature has
prepared herself for lis rigors they are Gus
tomary, and every thing seems 10 harmonic
with their infection but for the same reason
that the solitude Of a town is desoIatiug and
oppressive, while the loneliness Of the coun.
Try is soothing and grateful, DO feel the sad
ness Of perpetual fugs and rains in July, al
though they excite no melancholy feeling az
the season Of their natural occurrence. To
see ones favorite flowers laying down their
heads to die; ones plantation strewed with
leaves not shaken offin the fitness Of are. but
beaten to earth IN the bloom or youth here
noble tree laid PROSTATE; and there valu-
able field Of corn lodged in the swampy soil,
which were familiar objects in July last.l is
sufficient To excite melancholy associations in
the most cheerful temperament. Confessing
that mine was not altogether proof against
their influence, and leaving 10 the caviller and
the sceptic the full benefit of this admission,
| proceed 10 simple statement of TIE fact
which has elected these preliminary obserya-
tons.
Actuated BY the dulness Of the scene 10
which have alluded, had written 10 nv
friend, Mr.. George Staples, Of Exeter, re-
quastiHg him 10 walk over some day and dine
with me, as ] well knew his presence was an
instant antidote 10 mental depression, not 50
much from the possession or any wit or humor.
as from bis unaffected kindness and amiabili-
~, the exuberance or bis animal spirits, tie
inexhaustIble fund o. his laughter, which was
waiting for the smallest excuse to
burst out of bis heart, and the contagion OF
his hilarity, which had an instant faculty oil
communicating itself 70 others. On The day
following the Transmission Of this letter. IA Il
was sitting ID an alcoye 10 indulge nv after
noon meditation found myself disturbed bs
what imagined to be the ticking of nv re-
peateri but, rccollecting that had left il in
the house, discovered the noise proceeded
from that little insect OF inauspicious augury,
the death watch. Despising the prcriie ~
Perstitions connected with this pulsation, J.
gave 4 20 further notice and proceeded To-
wards the house, when az pmsed Al umbra-
geous plantation. was startled by loud
wailing shrek, and presently screech owl
Jew out immediately before me. Il was the
first time one Of those iIl-omened birds had
ever crossed my path combined X With the
11emeHto mort Ind just heard. although III
blushed al my own weakness ~ thinking them
worthy Of association and, as ! walked for
ward, encountered ms servant. who rnt ~
letter into my hand, which observed 10 be
sealed with black wax. II was from TIE clerk.
Of my poor friend. informing me that he had
been that morning struck Nv an apopletic ftl
which had occasioned bis almost instantane-
ous death The reader NAV spare the sncer
that Is Pickering upon his features | draw
10 inference whatever from the omens that
preceded this intelligence; ] am willing to
consider them as curious Condolences, totalls
unconuected with the starting appantisn
which shortly afterwards ssssiled nc.
Indifferent rs 10 death myself / arr little
affected by il in others. The doom Is 50 lnev-
table; j; j. % doubtful whether the parties
be not generally gamers BY the change; u "
20 certain that We enter net all into this cal
culation, but bewaiI our deprivation. whether
Of society, protection o. ersolunenf, with grief
purely selfish, thar run 10 risk 0f placing
myself IA the predicamenf II the inconsola-
bic widow, who was reproached Wv Franklin
for not hsfing yet forgiven God Almighty
still. however fhnra uwnu rr..nftf#snr ~ nvwft4f