The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1827-08-12

-, ,o,. +. or,~e elancr uzs sufficient sleeY vas
e,ane o. thun IN had ntyef slelf=-evrn a nc.
.ser vas4a sleep asaW-- wHs conscious oi NJ
s,toatfauH T. sad the master 10 me
IN u sihdaed. hui kteadt tone, Is tof iat
you 10 iise Inc Chaplain asked ne hsw ih1h
nassodthe night and proposed tnti " should
ION ~ t4a.ei ! gathered nyseli up Hnh -.
manned SEATED on ihc side nflhe bed place. Ny
teeth esnte,ed and ny knees knocked iage'hef
m i.spiie n nssfli n was barely dafhehi
~ as Ire ce door eas open, could Sc INTO
ikr snall paved court beyond thr morning "as
iflrl. and gloomy. and slow but settled ram
va cunning down. II Is hall past sesen a..
clock H SAID the master tusi muster
I'd nn eattcafy 10 he len alone TIL the last mo-
lnent had - minutes to 1--we.
" ItfieA 10 nuke another observation when
the master was leaving the cell. but tins tine
could not get the words oT-mY tongue stuek
! Ia the tough ofny mouth aud thy speech srem-
ed rome made two desperate efforts. bot II
would not do feauld mol utter. When they
len me nrver stirred from my place on the
hrd 49, bennmbed With The cold probably
fionl the sleep and ~ the uuaccusiomtd expos.
ne. aud Icrouebrd together as II we're, to Keep
n,,se'f sarme,. With ms arms folded across his
breast aud uY head hanging down shiseriog ;
and nv bod, frlt - If II were such weight To
me. thai Twas unable 10 aoye u, or sin Ihe
day no~ was braiting yellow anb heavily and
ihc litht siolr bY decTess into nv dungeon, show
iHg M Tho damp stone sails aud dcsolnie dark
iitrd ilaof aud, strauee - It vas, With AL that
! could do Icenid not keep myself from mott.
fictg taesn trillmg thinfs though Perdiion WI
coming upon ne he urst moment noticed
the lamp which the turnkey had lett on the floor
and which was burning dmly. with long wick,
being cneged With the chill aud bnd ar, and !
thought 10 myself even a. that moment, that il
had nol been iriInnrd SINCE the oirhi before
And looked 1T the bare naked, iron bed frame
that al on andat the heavy studs on the
door 81 the dungeon; aud at the sctawls aud
prilins upon the wall. that had hrcn drawn hv
tormer prisoners aud put my hand to my
own pulae, aud II was 80 low thn Icond hardly
count IL could moi tell though lticd 10
make mysclile feel IT, thai Twas gang 10 die. IN
the midst ofthis heard The chimes oi the chap
FL clock begin 10 rse and ! thought. O.ord
take pity on ne n wtoich)---ii could moi be three
quarters after seven VEL The clock went Over
the three qnartefs--it ebmed The fourth quar-.
tel. aud struck epbt They werc in my cell
before Tprrcened Them They found mr. in
the place aud IN she posture as they had left
ne
small compass my rrcplections are very min
uic up this POINT, hut mol al al so close as 10
what occurred afterwards ] scarcely recoleei
very clearly how got from my cell to the press.
room. lhml, two little withefed men, dressed
~ black, supported me. know tired 10 rise
when ! saw the master and his people come into
my dungeon, but could not,
Ia the ptess-toom were the two miserable
gTotches that WIRE 10 suffer with me they
we're bfund with their arms behind them, and
I tcI hands together aud were living upon a
bsnch hnrd by, until was ready \ mcngre
polung old man. with thin whrc hair who was
reading 10 one OF them. came up. and 'aid SOM.
ching Ihatwe should embrace | did MOI
DISTINCTLY hear what il was.
" Iae great difficulty that had, was to keep
from falling. HAD thought ihat these moments
would have been MI of fury and horror, but
f'ltuothlng of ths--hni only a weakness as
though my hcart---and the very floor on which
>lodd-=-Vas sinking under me could Just
make n motion. that the OH white haired man
should leave mr. aud some cue intcfleted aud
sent nm away The plnioning Of my hands
aud arms was then finished and heard an Of
dccr whisper to the chaplain thai all was rca.
dy,' A we passed ont one Of the men in black
held a glass OF water 10 my lips; but could not
swallow
Inns wosthe last moment --but---one Of full
perception thai had in lie. lrcmembcr our
beginning to move forward, through tho long
uched pas ,ages which led from the press room
10 the seatluld--l saw the lamps that were still
burning, for the daylIghtne never catered here
beard the quick tolliug ofthc bell, aud the deep
voice ofthc chaplain reading As he walked be.
fore Us.
am the resurrection aud the life saith the
Lord; he that bel,eyeth in me, though he were
dead, SHALL live. And though after my skin
worms destroy this body, yet in nay flesh shall
see God
II was the funeral ser,cc--thc order for the
gtave-thc Office for those thai were senScless
aud dead ever IA, the quick and tn living
" felt once morc-pnd alas | felt tho transi.
lion from these DIM close. hot, lamp-lighicd
subterranrous passages, TO the open platiorm,
and steps NJ the foot ofthr ScailolA, aud to da,.
saw the immense crowd hlaekcnmg the whole
arena OF the street below me The windows OF
the shops aud houses opposite. TO the fourth So.
~, choked with gazers. saw 81. Scpulchres
Church through the yellow fog in the dl-tunce
and heard the peallne ofits bell | recollrcfed
the cloudy, misty morning -ibe wet that lay
upon the scailold--the huge dark mass OF build
my the prison itScfthat rose br,idr. aud seem
tu 10 tfNl a Swallow over u>-tne cold fresh
bace1o that as emerged from IL, broke upon
my face. ! sect all now--the whole horrible
landscape is before me the scu6oli--the rain
the faces ofthe maltltdc-ihe people ing.
ing 10 the house tops-thc smoke that beat hca-
w dawnwaIds from the chimnCv-thc wag-
Gus filled with women. standing at the mn ward
opposte-the hoarselow roar As We appeared
never saw SO many objects at once, 50 plainly
aud distinctly IN allmy life as at that one glance.
but il lasted only for al instant
From that look aud from that instant. all
that lollowodis blank. OF the PRAYERS of the
chaplain ofthe fastening of the fatal moose !:
of the puttlng ou offhe cap which so much dis.
liked OF my actual erecHIoa and death, have
not the slightest atom OF recollection But that
know such occurrences must have take place.
] should not have the smallest consciousness,
that they ever did so. | read IN the daily pa
pers. an account of my behavior ut the scafToId
that conducted myself deeen'ly. but with
tirmness, at my dcah--thai seemed 10 die al
most without a struggle. Ofanv Of these events
have not been able, by any esertion. Ia recall