Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1827-08-20


portion Of unholy light.
I, would be endless we're tomerely hint al
all The fancies that possessed my mind.--E.Very
object Al was hideous aud roaring presented
Itself 10 nv imagination. often thought ga,
I; wa< in hurricane al sea, and that the sesssl
n which was embarked tossed under nic ,wttp
the most furious vehemence. The air, act IN
motion by the swinging Of The bell, blew over
me. nearly with the violence, and more lSan the
thunder of a tempest; and the hoor seemed 10
reel under ME, as under a drunken man. ;but
The most awful Of all The ideas that seized on
me were drawn from the supernatural. In Inc
vas, cavern Of the bell hideous faces appeafea,
and elared down on me with terrifying lrowhs,
or with grinning mockery, still more aPpan-
ing. AT last The devil himself, accoutred, as 10
the common description ofthe evil! spirit, WIN
hoof, horn and tail, and eyes OF Internal iustre,
made his appearance, Sc called on me 10 curse
God and worship himy who was poweriui 10
save me. This dread suggestion ne uttered
with the full toned claDgoar OF the bell haa
him within an inch Of me, and thought on the
fate of The Santon Barsisa Sirenuousiy ana
desperately tefied him, and babe him besone
Reason then. for a moment, resumed her sway,
but il was only TO fill me with fresh terror just
as the lightning dispels The gloom that sur
rounds the benighted mariner, but 10 show nm
that his vessel is driven on rock, where she
must inevitably be dashed TO pieces. found
was becoming dc!irious, and rembled lest rea-
son should desert me. This is at all times an
agonizing thou ght but il smote me then WIN
tenfod agony. / feared lest, when utterly de-
priyed of my senses, should rise, TO do when
was every moment tempted by that strange
feeling which calls on man, whose head is dlz-
Nv from standing on the battlement OF lofty
castle, 10 precipila,e himself from 1t, and then
death would be instant and tremendous. "heh
thoSght of this, became desperate, caught
,he floor with grasp which drove the Diooa
from my nails; and yelled with the cry OF drs-
pair l called for help, prayed, shouted,
but all the efforts of my voice were, oil course,
drowned in the oel AS 1t passed over my
mouth, it occasionally echoed my cries, WHICH
mixed not with its own sound, but preserved
their distinct characler.-Perhaps this was but
fancy To me, know, they then sounded as
if they were the shooting, bowling, or language
of the 6ends with which my imagination mad
peopled the gloomy cave which swung over
me.
You may accuse me of exaggerating my
feelings; but am not. Many scene Oh dreaa
have since passed through, but they are noth :
ing to the self inflicted terrors OF this hall hour.
4 n
in their Tartarus, to lie under rock, which
every moment seems to be descending to anni-
hilate hm-and an awful punishment 1t would
be. Blu, if to this you add Glamour as loud
as if ten thousand furies were bowling about
you-a deaieuing uproar banishing reason, aud
driving ya9 y pa nesng was rendered MOI
terrible There /. ne.rnan, firm as his nerves
may be, who could retain his courage in this
situation.
In twenty minutes the ringing was done
Half of that time passed over me without pow
er Of computation, the other half appeared an
age. Wien il ceased, became gradually more
quiet, but new fear retained me. knew
that FIVE minutes would elapse without! ringing
but at the end Of that short time, the bell would
be rung second lime, for FIVE minutes more.
could not calculate tine. A minute and an
hour were Of equal duration. feared to rise,
least the Ave mipstes should have elapsed,
and the ringing be again commenced, IN
which case | should be crushed, before
could escape, against the walls or frame work
Of the bell therefore still continued to lie
down, cautiously shifting myself, however with
careful gliding so that my eye no longer look
ed into the hollow. This was of itself consi-
derable relief. The cessation Of the noise had,
in great measure, the effect of supplying me,
for my attention, being no longer occupied by
the ehimeras had Injured up, began 10 flag
All that now distressed me was the instant ex,
pectation of the second ringing, for which,
however settled myself with kind of stupid
resolution. closed my eyes, and clenched my
te tn as firmly as ifthey had been screwed in a
vice. At last the dreaded moment came, and
the first swing of the bell extorted groan from
meas they say the most resou,e victim screams
at the sight Of the rack 10, which he is for a
second time destined ztfter this, however,
lay silent and lethargeic, without thought
Wrapt in the defensive armour Of stupidity,I
deEed the bell and its iutonations When it
ceased, I was reused little by the hope Of es-
cape. j did not however decide on this step
hastily: but putting out my hand with the ut
most caution, touched the rim. Though the
ringing had ceased, il still was remulous FROM
the sound, and shook under my hand, which in
stantly recoiled as from an electric jar 4
quarter of an hour probably elapsed before a
gain dared to make the experiment and thenI
found it at rest. / determined to lese no tims
fearing that might have lain their already td