Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1828-10-27

iress or sitting up and Supported WIN P'i'o"''
became doubly paiaful. At such moment 10
be powerless & inert, wal peculiarly ahilclns'
and my r. ectious were pt of:he most agreea-
BILE character. Ernest one to The door o' 'ne
cellar about ten o'clock the morning. i"r 'ne
las, lime, aud told me fshouid 60 up learn
what the terrible loudnes Of the lining indl'a'-
ed He left me and mopted TO the Khc"e"
bove, which could sea rely imagine ne nau
crossed, before noise ad cra'h' iouo
loudes, thunder, involved me at once ID Gus. "
d,,rr,ss was a, the orner Of the cellar fur
tbes, from the en,rance.n load OF ru0biah
choaked up the Goorway extending some 'ee'
within The entrence Of nv abode. I immedl-
a,eIy coni,c,ured The cauc; namely, that shell
had fallen on the house nd exploded on "r oro>
ken through the archedlassage al the e"'''"''
Of the cellar, making nj prisoner
When had little recovered from my sur.
nr;se I round the en,rane Theoretically sealed
,oaips, inpress or eyress and what was, III my
circumstances, equally ursdf'l,a lnder-ooh'
candles. and li,tle store OF provisions, which
were inst without the celhr door, IN an e1ca'a'
lion in the wall Of The passage, were 'os' 70 me
I light have crawled her ilom my mat'raSs
and secured them, but tlr mass oil stone p''eu
on each other forbade tie most dis'ahl pros
pect Of hope from any e1r'io"s OF my own
threw myself back in dn igony OF despair. III
the confusion which reiged without, must
r, main forgotten. ~ tie horrors oil my si,ua-
ton came upon me at one, and my hear' ale"
wit in me. To add TO ny misfortune my cans
die was neatly burnt ou'j-with what ''ehhgs
did watch is slmmerhg IN the socket! lis
last flash was like tho arrow oil death passing
through my heart. l nov wept like woman
amid the darkness Of my unseen abode, lhat was,
as far as could Judge, rohc my eharnei'sant.
Death from hunger was bttore me, WIN all us
keenuess Of suffering. Tie Gull and as II were
remote sound Of the guns from without, so dii'
frrcn in intensity from what II had lately been
told me that The mass int,rPosed between my
self and the upper would must De ve'y consul
cradle. felt my heart shrink up a. the dis
covery Of my situation. The hours fingered
into ages; Dat it was long before the feeling OF
hunger affected mc-so much was my mlnd
occupied with apprehensions Tor the future, q
filled with hopes and fea~s in continual ebh and
flow. In cropping around me found two stale
crusls Of bread, and some water yet remained
in vessel by the side OF my mattiass. Bonn
used avariciously, yet at every mou!htul my APP
prehension for the future increased, and nun
dreG times did in vain feel around carefully
for some other relic Of food; had, ihen
thought, no alternative but ,o.die. why should
fear 10 do so?-hundreds, perhaps thousands
were at the same momen. dying above, but a
short distance from mo, ~ The violence OF an
ery passions, and with horrible decorations.
should go out from life like taper; and most
probably The pains OF such death had been
greatly exaggerated. Such were my seli-com'
forts r, fuges from despair
soon found sensation OF emptiness come
What many reopIe feel who delay meal 10 {
,ery late hour. 1t appeared to me that IN,
ewes were weak, aud fanoicd i? had light neal
me that still could have seen nothing distinct
L.. This sensation was accompanied by irem
or OF he eyelids and a swimming in tho head
tried 10 relieve myself by giving way 10 sleep
the inclination for which came al times yer!
strongly over me, but could not gain more
reGre shmenl than restless doze im?ar's, ant
this was ALWAYS cut short by some horrible Wis
ion that prevented IFS afording me the leas
b-ue6. Now thought | was seated AT {
splendid feast, where all that could attract tn
palate and delight the senses was before me.
was touching he richest ,iands-nay, actualI!
lifting the ,nvied rnorsel ill i, touched m.
mouth, and its favour vas in my nostrlls, whei
was awoke by some hid phantom snatch
ing the untas,ed morsel from my shrivellet
lips and d1shing il away. Sometimes ioun'
myself in delicious island, where the fines
fruits grew in natures utmost Prodiga'ityi but
on tasting them, they were nauseous and SICK
! eoing, mere 500, aud ashes; and II sought Il
ie.ievc my Ihir>. from the pure ilmpIc streams
that ran IN crystal among the luxurious scene
~, found them charged into bitter blood
Every thing seemed IN combine to mock IN.
sufftrngs and edge nay or'ures. was muc'
afflicted by spasms and twichirg sensation
| internally, as Il ;he viscera were Grawn togeth
or and expanded too suddenly. Hollow, aching
gnawng pains, as if my viials were torn wit
piacc,s $, frequently sailed me, but seemed tt
diminish in force from repetition. s,roye witt
| all my might TO bear up with patience and re
s'gna,on; and al times ! subdued my bodil!
rain with my minds energy, but alas. such pc
iiuds were only Of momenary duration. Drow
| siness generally accompanied the cessation .
pain, bu' i, was only TO make me start from hid
Gus visions and .antalizing dreams. 1t seem
ed as if no recollec,ions OF my past lite-no in'
ages bu, such as would distress me to the VI
most, at such moment, were ever recalled