Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1826-06-01
From the Emporium


By the menentos oil mortality IN q
world OF open grave, where scarce a
day passed by without bearing into the
abyss OF eternity some one OF my ac-
quaintdnce--wberee every voice remit j.
ed me that all must de- and every echo
sent back the lo.orous response land
TIE mutations of vegetable nature, aad
the changes Of the titful sky, did bat re-.
peat and repeat again the lesson; line
thought Of death often pressed heavy
on my heart, had seen him attack the
strong, athletic AID powerful, and had
Witnessed the vain struggle OF human
might against MS fearlui potency; | had
gazed on the convu!sive writings of dis
solving nature, and seen the last shud
dering gasp, and heard ne trl21tiuI
shrek of the agony; and watched nn'o
the pale seal of the destroyer settled down
upon the liyid coun,enance, and each
trace OF feeling and OF thought one by
one departed, and the wreck of life lay
cold and molionless and silent before
me In such a moment had endea-
vored to plunge into the awful and niys-
terious gulph which had swallowed up
the departed spirit; to grasp some idea
of its sensations, its thoughts, as it stood
disembodied IN the viewiess world to
which it had just passed-but the ener
giss 4 my mind wasted their force in
tile vain attempt, and returned again
and again. asthe waves ebb back upon
the shore There remained only the Old
corpse; ruin, eternal ruin, written on
its brow; and the thousand sad and gloo-
m, recolections that crowded in upon
the first hours OF bereavement
Once on bright and beautiful day in
summer, walke3 i'll the margin OF
shady wood that skrted the brow of |
gentle hill, and listened to the melody |
Of inging birds and the low distant herds,
With the muFmur OF the river
that rolled below; far as the eye could
reach. the green, landscape decked out
in all its rIpened glory lay before me
the sky smiled brightly, and the world
locked as fair, as peaceful, as happy as
the sky; gave way to athousand gath
ering emotions as sat down upon
little knoll, and the dreams OF pleasure
came with the schemes Of future enter
prise and business, untili lost myself IN
the bewildered maze OF thought; and At
seemed that company oil my gay COM
p.nions came sporting by, and | joined
the sprightly dance, and chased the fly
ing hours with light heart, and fell my
soul dilate with Joy in my bosom. until
weary with the mirthful tevel, and lin
gering behind the rest, ! found myself
in sweet bower formed by the twining
grape, and blossou.ing jessamine, with
lhe girl of my heart, an angelic creture,
bright as the spirits had often drenpt Ut
when I looked upon the boundiess fields
of ether above me, and peopled the IN
visible beings of the world OF spirits,
extended my arms to encircle her; to
my breast; but cloud came before me;
she was gone; and in curtslned cham
Der; all silent and alone, laid my head
upon my pillow, end felt burning fe-
yer scoTching my very veins
I've first aoment, | wondered at the
sudden transition: bot an indstinct re-
which had befallen me, seemed PRESENT;
like a fash of lightning, sun stroke;
know not what; nv head panied me
excessively, and trie1 to forget all and
sleep. Suddenly the door opened and
a voice said--"The Phys stefan is be-
Iow"--''Let him come up" answer some
one at the bedside whom had not re-
Cogmsed 81 fore; aud he came With mea-
sured steps and stood by me; there were
others round, but a solemn silence reign
ed, and heard him order the light to
be shut out and that should be wholly
undrsturbed by noise. 1t was done hast
ily; and the shadows as of twilight were
around me.
Left to contemplate my situation in
silence and in solitude; recolected all
the fortitude and resignation | was mas
ter # to NEE, the oToNding train OF APP
prehension that bore upon me; the
thought that perhaps should not reco-
yer from tie unknown providence which
lay upon me, called up, still, by the "a
wages which felt the disease every mo-
ment making in my system, as fast as !
succeeded in dismising Yet | was
comparativey calm, thought ! could
say was not AFRAID TO meet death; and
tbatI could say it to bis face. Their
was a small aperture which let IN iaIn'
IA Of light from one OF Tie windows
ou,h 10 tell me The day '~. eaud
-. TLo.J ST., t;nol;n0 Of bells ~