The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1826-05-29
TIE LAST MAN.
ENni .AhS. Gielln'S. !


dead, knew not neither DID
7 seek To inquire. With that iucon-
sistcncY that nay often be remark
ed ~ dreams, took the Whole Is 4
matirc at course, aud aWoke With
p the full persuasion thai the long
sleep or trance ~ which | had bren
laid. had nnthlH; III IL either new
or appalling. That II had been 81
long continuance doubted not IN
deed Thought that | knew that
months aud YEARS had rolled Over
my head Nldle | was wrapped in
mysterious slumber. Vel ~ ree,ft
lt,llrn ut ihe 0srUilences that I'D
taken place before had been IN d.
to sleep, was perfect , and Had the
most accurate Remembrance al the
SPOT on Which lay, aud the plants
aid flowers that had been budding
around me. SuIl there was all the
mislntss of Il vision east over tie
time, and the cause of my having
LAID ny sell down. 1t was one Ol the
,aga,ics of dream. ard ! thought
Oh il without wondering.
The spoil on VIII Ch was lying
Was Just N the cntranceoi aCaA. that
! iancied had beel the sCeue Of somc
of my brightest joys and my deepest
sorruWs. II WIS known 10 nom
save mc. b to me il had b cn plaer
Of refuge and Il defence, { = in lie
Wildnrss of my dream | fought
that | Lad been prosecuted Il hun
ted from The society OF IAN and
that in thai lone cave, aud that ro-
mantle valley, had tound peace
4 and security.
lay with my back on the ground,
AID NY head resting on my arm, 80
that When opened my eyes. the
Gtst objects that gaZed an were the
stars md The full moon, and the APP
pearancc tiat the hea' ems presented
Ia me Was 50 extraordinary, AMI al
The same time 50 awlul, hrrause 80
unlike the sllNely brightness, oil the
SKY on which had last gaZed, |
raIsed my head on my hand lraniug
on my elbow. looked with a long
and adj stare ON the moon aud The
slatb, and the black expansc Of 81
d.,f.
There was a d mness IN the air
an unnatural dim less--npt IA haze
or a TIM mantle ofciouds stretching
over q. obsCnriug the atmpsphrrr---
bat darkncss--a broad shadow
spreading over, yet obscUrInS no
thing, as If above the heaN enIy bo-
dies had been spread an Immeose co
veling ot the clouds, that hid from
them the light in which they mo1ed
and had their being.
The moon vas large and dark.
II seemed to have approached 30
near the earth tha had it ahoBc with
It's usual lustre, the seas, lands,
and forests. that believed 10 exist
IN il, would have been MI distinctly
visible. As il was, it had 10 long
er The fair round shape that ! had
so often gazrd on with wonder.
The new rays Of light that II emit
ted seemed thrown from hollow aud
bighland-lrom rocks and from rag
gcd dccli,iliea. It glared on me
llikca monstruus inhabItant Of the
air and as | shuddercd beneath II
broken light, | tanclcd that 1t was
descending nearer and near
or IL the earth. until it seemed a
bout to settle down and crush me
! slowly and heavily to nothing. l
turned from that terrible moon, and
my eyes rested on stars and on pIa.
nets. studded more thirhiY than I'M
agipatlon can conceive. Ihcy
too were larger, and reder, and
t darker than they bad been, aud they
shonc more steadily through The
/. clcardarknrsso Of the mysterious sky.
They did not twinkle with varying
and silycry bcam5-they were rath.
i. er Ike lllllc balls Of smouldrrIng
fire. struggling with satiocatlne
/ atmosphere for existence.
: / started up With 4 load cry oil
,, dcspair-i saw the whole aronnd
nrZIl,it as if had been delrious
.-mad--l threw myself on tic tia'
rock, and agaip closed my eye'
n shut Out the dark fancies thai OF
every side seemed 10 assaiI me.
, Thousand wild ideas UhIrIed through
nv brain-i was dyius-l va.
dead had pcr4shed at the mouti