The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1826-05-29
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II be loplted FIR b expected. fpr thru
For The Grst time. remembered that
during NY long sleep tIonght that
fkurW that days and months aud
sears. were ,oIling over me In ra.
p.d AM nnistl's3 succession.
NJ s,onrr hid Til. idea seized
my mind. 40 sooner did I cpncri,s
thai had indeed slept; that bal
indeed LAIN ~ silent insfnsibilip.
until Wpod, and rock, and river, hal
drled up, or fallen beneath The hand
Of TINE; ibtt the moon 4 he stars,
aud. prepared as VAS for wonders.
started. ~ al that instant lnstinc.
tivtly tuiaacd towards that part of
HE hraNeus IN which The sun was Ia
MAKE bjq appearance prepared "a
/ l 49,. ID led whrn beheld his
hug ro1pd Oalk hcasing sllHly n.
hove TIE barrier Of rocks that sur.
= undei mr. Ills "ns 40 longer tic
pr ing ray, the dazzling, the pnre
aud rloadlc,- light that had shed
glory aud radiance on the world on
which ! had closed ny eyes he
NUs now dark round orb of red.
dish flame. lie had sunk nearer thu
cnrth a. he approached nearer the
close of Lis career. and he too seem.
ed IL share With The heaven aud the
earth The symptoms of decay and
di,solut Oh.
When saw universal nature thus
wnrn oot AID exhausted thus pc.
nslns from old age. and expiring
/ from the sheer Want of renewing
materials. then thought that surely
my Trail body must have wdkcn old
and iulirm surely too must be
bowed down with aye and woariA
ncSa.
| raised myscIrslowly aud fearfnl.
y trDm a earth. aud ut length (
stood upright. There | stood un.
scathcd by time fresh aud vige>
rous as when last walked Oh tic
surface Of Il green aud beautiful
world my frame ~ firmly knit. "
my every linb IA active asif few
brlet hours, instead Of many and
long years. had Witnessed me cxA
tended on that broad platform VI
rock.
Al first sudden CLEAN Of Joy
broke on my soul. when /. thought
that here stood unframed by time +
that I at least had lost nothing of
life by the wonderful visitation that
had bciaIlcn me.
iell "a if could ny away from
this scene Of devastation, aud in o.
Their cIImcs seek t.r lrcsher skies z
more ,erdant vaie9, Alas alas !.
soon and easily gained the top Of
the rising hank, aud fixed my eyes
on the wide landscape oil a desolata
and uopeopIcd world =
4
Drsolation Desolaiion ! 1 knew
that II was to be dreaded az a fear
ful aud terrible thing, and had felt
the 4orro"s of lone and helpless
spirit bal never, never bad cona
cei,ed the full misery that Is con.
tanned IN that one awful word, until
stood on the brow of that hill, and
looked ~ ti,at vide q wasted world
that lay stretched in one vast desert
bcIurr me.
The despair and dread indeed
laid hold Gu mc then dark visions
Of Voc and OF loneliness rose mills.
tinctly before ne; thonehis of
nights and DAYS Of neter-ending
darkness and cold; aud then The
mi,eries Of hunger aud SLOW decay
aud star, alton, 4 hopelr.s de4tfuc.
ton; and then The hard struggle to
live, and the stlll harder struggle OK
youth aud strength TO die. DARK
visions Of wue. where fed ye! be-
fore What angel of light hid ye youc
diminished head The gum Of my
mIsertes seemed 10 o'erwhelm me
a loud 50 ml, az OF one UNIVERSAL
crush OF dissol,ing nature. rnng IN
ny ears gave one wild Shrek
ooe conYal5ise ST ugglc--and--a-
7o0fe--aud thrre stood my man
John, With my shasingjus in ono
hand, and my well cleaned boots in
, the ether; his mouth oprn, and his
eyes rolling hihcouNIy at thus Wit.
messing the rrolics Of his staid aud
quiet master.
BY his entrance were those yisi.