Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-07-07
REcoLLEcrIoNs OF a NIGHT OF TEvER.



last struggle with the diseases that was drying up
nay blood aud soaring tho very marrow of NY bones.
UNFORTUNATELY, ~ every sonse of the word, for my
nrscnt conort, as for the chance Of recovery, had
fle faith IN them, though. Judge from the result
my opIuon had less of reason than ofpfci,Idce. But
I COULD not help myself; 4 far away from those
IN whom should have put trust, IN the Isle of Jer-
wy wiIist for any useful purpose as rcgardoa die
lance, tig'n well have been the Isle of Madeira
MY piysc,"'ls l'sS ;;eensed it proper to bring with
them thrj-an addition -, their number that I felt
At the tiu,e on,mous OF nUJI;nu rood Still
had an ina,cvc dread OF asking tho cae pluin cues
ton, "Do you give me over" This we.,ld have
~ a SS'lgSe but 'nan nigh, have aiso eGacs
endsavored to gather from their books tbc;, onn;nn
nave s'thcr no feelings r., couceal--or rsn, aoonen
t1nce WIN misery has rendered them pcrtecry
cotfe -pr IN the better and rarcr the rop
ssnse OF duty has taught them To subduc every sp
pcarance OF emotion How ca~cry did I watch
their passing glonccs they stood about rn-. and
how yet more anxiousy did listen to their hall: wbs
psrcd consultation on their reirir . 10 the next room
10 decide upon the awful question of life or death:
Tor TO that know too well nv case ha, come Ifal,
rs the criminal must feel when tho Jury have Ion tho
@ox' carrying with them the power to save or
destroy and much more likely, from what las passed,
20 use that power fatally Death, hcp Il shall come,
VII never have huf the bitternc>s nj those few mi
hutes ot horrible suspense. when life, the dearest
stake We can play for, Is tho e and hope is struq
gliog single handled, against doubt, ami fear, and
reason. listened Ill, heard or seemed 10 hear
the throbbngs of my ow Ehcar: hnt I could catch
folding doors that divided the two rooms which wcr,
left ajar, and the words heard thus inperfec,y only
added TO my approximations II think not" said h,.
new conner. What was u he did not t!nk> -thpt
should ve that should dic?-'' 10. rnorrov, said
the same voice.-'.ay, to- morrow" thought l. Ito
morrow shall bc cold and sensccsy che who NOW
drops the tears of burning agony over nv death bed
~-whp would give her life were that possible
70 prolong nine hut few hours-cvcu She will
SHRINK IN horror from ! could almost fancy IL
WIS written wonder wall that it should b, thus
re thrrp uyrtfan h, tba
wrote the awful Meme, meme tekcl upharsn" on
the walls of the banquet room of Belshnzzar
WIZ II be believed was yet in the full POSSES
sHn OF my senses when this Wild notion seized me:
Yt least had pe-ect consciousness Of my identity
me setting sun shone broadly and strongly tlroutrI
th red curtains that had bnen drawn to exclude the
Hght, and fell upon tho wall opposi,s 10 me in Grim
SON iines ttat rrcsisihy recalled to nv over heated
brain the letters of fire that brought tlismny and
heath ia the heart of the Babylonian king But re
peat IT, was still IN perfect senses; kuc,r tho,
was ut st. Heiers, in the Isle Of Jersey: I couh
distinguish ell around me; / could connt the rap;d
heatings of my pulse know TOO. that the rushing
sound below my window was the bursting Of the
waves upon the beach and could even argue with
$pyse,f on all that end felt. II that vern not
,S which my eyes presented as such what Uas real,
+hanNcon, the sun itself, existed to mo hut rs saw
60 Nd 1t sight be the evidence OF reality in o,o
80, Wny>Not in another This therefore D,os NO
,vns @ 'ns prologue to delirium; the thing itself
WIS YET to corhe. '''e''
me physicians had long since rome The ovon;,
h u 's rupdly and i'll those few honrs which m,S
90 seld 20 lingo between light and darkness ,,s :;
on-eveIevs n;, quiet But when night came
epye'eS7' Voiceiess heavy niaht,-ob ho,y -
Gressiny wretched then is the chamber IF ;, ny
ct'khesS made visible by the dim dun TO- .I,
H.; 49, 10 ,l2ht our terrors;--slencc or decp
l,e ioV ticking Of the clock falls ON tho on =
IKE ram drops stone fretinr and r,,,-....s.,@
me array OF pials fIii and empy;-hc clothes long
shc" d,sf,S"' and nolv hanging the frame from
which 1t IS probable the same ha nj will nn,sr 90;
remove then;--thc old. hard featured r,,1ysc ,,b
presence cannot Tor moment be separated from the
a md L
chick o. the death watch fable which beaI,b nil
reason laughs at, but which sickness believes Iii
these work upon the mind, and the mind upon tbe
uody I'LL the BRAIN Is excited To deljrinm And 20
that state | was fast tending; 7 felt II rnvsoIr ~
even tired by rensoningto keep down my risipn fan
cles. But 1t sal to purpose; strange sbancs
organ 70 10 hoat ABOUT me, while my hands and feet
burnt Ike iron thrice heated in the furnace and nv
own tonch soorched my own flesh Those C,ntas,;c
shadows 100 huug from the various pieces of fnrn;
tnre upon the wall!-how they Knocked me by their
Under the air! u ~"
''Wil il never again he morning, Oh, if this lon,
dieary night would only pass! If could but AGAIN
Or hour has gone
7 had spoken this aloud; and the nnrse ,.;.b ,Ia,
gra'uItous spirit Of information which infec,s tbe
oio ana heartless when The thing 10 be communicated
may give PAIN lost time in setting me RIGHT II a
tue passing bell had heard And what wasthat ~
me moro than TO any besihe' was not tho nco
- death because another had Just dcceased Had
VI ICdSoh tneTe was nothing this
terruri but, III such cases, we DO not rcaspnr,o
firl. We
"onlytre passing bel!" suid repeating her word.
-only-the bell that calls the worm 10 nov, fcas,,
Oh. for morning morningi-w when viii il be rnornino;
u say, what is the hour"
Ten, Sir it has just struck But YOU had better
try to sOep." ~ '''ei :
mo moro than ten. 7 thought i, had been tb>oe
a, least; sleep, you say n.y. hut how can /, when
at Ienow grn5 at me SO horribly, and the room goes
lophd ana the lights flicker But you are right; :
"ll so to slcep-to slecp--fo sleep.i'
bunad my head in the clothes 90 shut out Tho ?
nages mat harrasscd me and for time slept or
cd 10 sleep " was however only for n short time g
Verhaps an hour-pcrhaps few miuCtes-T i,noy, y
not bm time grows LONGER as we approach The v
day. '' "c0"he o. ri
Unconsclousnegs nj sloep, IFS coun:erfci. dro,, s.
curtain between me and this stage Of SUFFERING ana
ggain The shadow " my dclirium took anotbet e
was in spacious theatre v,Lerc d. e' iorln' 81