The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1827-01-11

over 10 Gloucester threw myself into
the mail and on the afternoon of the
following day found myself seated in the
little parlour of my friends cottage.
l He could not at the moment be disturb
cd but John informed me, that he
feared his master was now'ill ingood earn
est that he had retained nothing on his
stomach for four days ; was delirious,
reduced to 'an atomy.' | inquired
what he had been doing. All sir said
John, YOU know how fond he is of new
doctors he has had twenty since you
saw linn and has taken a Wagon load
of physic. Lord, sir, have turned
many good penny on the empty phi
ais: bnt ii wont do | really fear that
the poor gentleman is dying In few
minutes my friend was ready TO see me,
and | entered his bed room. Alas
what a change young, man, not TWEEN
ty-six, metamorphosed to an old, iniirm
invalid ofseveniy his skin yellow and
ghrvelled, his cheeks sunk, and his wan
eyes almost LOST within their bony sock
cts. He could not rise 10 welcome me;
but stretched out his skinny hand, aud
with hoarse yet scarcely audible voice
said. God bless you, my dear Dick +!
this is indeed n visit of true friendship
! took hold ofhis hand and sat down by
him, for my heart was too full to speak.
lie perceived the state OF my feelings;
and rs hc feehly returned the pressure
oimy hand, hectic smile passed over
his countenance, TO check tear which
}Stood in the corner of his eye. All.
Dick said he, this is a severe trial.
After finding that all the regular tacul-
" had mistaken my case, and having at
length found remedy for II, to be unit
BILE 10 avail myself Of the blessing
Here he paused To fetch his breath, for
the least effort exhausted him and al
though he was up, yet he had scarcely
: strength To support himself IN ms char.
, | ventured TO inquire Of what remedy
he spoke. III is said he, shudderinl
as he uttered the words n live spider /;
and have the most implicit faith IN the
prescription but | cannot overcome
my aversion TO the insect. | see Il sp-
der in every article of food | swallow /;
and il, consequently, does not remain a
moment on my stomach. Two nights
, ago | dreamt that saw spider, with a
/, body the size and exact resemblance OF
. a human skull, and legs like those OF u
skeleton II crawled up to nay mouth,
which II was about to enter and-liero
he was again forced to pause to draw
breath "a cold sweat stood upon his
forehead, and his hcshless hand was
bed wed with an icy moisture. lie
heayed deep sigh, aud looked me full
E in the face and then, as II recollectlng
himself, he continued his detail. This
spider haunts me day and night 50 con-
stantly, that | have perfect conscious
ness of its existence and l am also
aware that il is the identical one which
/ must swallow At Tia idea he be-
came 50 much convulsed that | called
aloud for John, and ordered him Instant
" TO fetch "A doctor. My poor friend
seemed inscnsible to the sound OF my
voice and the order had given. | felt
lIlhl llf "dA HldhlnE an hib'i''''' @hp'i
to push back his chair, and ! saw that
his eye was following, as II were, some
thing on the ground. DO you not see
there 2 said he pointing with the fin
ger ofhis right hand, which he could
scarcely raise from his knee there =
Il see nothing, my dear Wunderlch,
1t is your Imagination, which IS thus
distorted by your disease He drew
himself up with horror: No |! no he
feebly exclaimed, it is not fancy see,
it has crawIed up my leg: lhere--therc
lit is ON my heart feel : and he
sunk into his chair. ! thought he had
tainted but III aiewseconds he gave "A
conyulsiye sob which was succeeded by
another at an equal distance of time
these were then followed by "A kissing,
expiring sound his limbs became
powerless, and he would have fallen on
the floor, i'll had not supported HIM III
the chair. The doctor entered the
room but it was only 10 confirm my
apprchcnsions. The force of the delus-
sion had overwhelmed his nervous sys-
tenn: and in this dOiHg, Death, iii his
triumph over mortality, had dcmonslra-
ted that life may be expelled from her
fortress by phantom Of the imagina-
ton
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