Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Mass.) 1828-1830, 1829-09-08

| devastating of body and soul might he in
quietness ana peace: But he shook and
shlvered, and nature chung to the miserable
straw OF existence which yet foated upon
the wide and dismal current of oblivion.
ana ne groaned heavily and muttered, "No.
no no 7, as If the very idea of death was
nnbearable, even. for moment and to
die" even to him that must, were a thing
impossible, and not to be thought of or nam.
ed. And as | wrestled with the adversary
that had dominion over him, he buried his
shrunk. and convulsed features in the cover
ing OF miserable pallet; while his fin
gers twisted and writhed about, like so
many scotched snakes, and his low. sick
means, made the very dungeon darker.
When lifted him from his kneeiing posi-
ton, ne obeyed my movement like a tired
child, and again sat on the low pallet, in a
state OF motlonless and unresisting torpor.
The damp sweat stood on my own forehead.
though not so cold as on his; and poured
myself ont small portion of wine, to ward
OF the exhaustion which l begun to feel
unusually strong upon me. prevailed upon
the poor wretch to swallow little with me ;
and, asl4broKe a bit of bread, | thought, and
spoke W him, of that last repast of Him who
| came to call sinners to repentance ;and me-
thought his eye grew lighter than it was.
The sinking frame, exhausted and worn
down by anxiety, confinement, and the poor
allowance of a felon's Jail, drew a short res
plte from the cordial and he listened to nv
words with something of self-collectedness
albeit slight tremblihgs might still be seen
to run along his nerves at intervals; and his
features collapsed, ever and anon, into that
momentary vacuity Of wildness which the
touch of despair never fails to give. en-
deavoured to improve the occasion. | ex-
horted him, for his souls sake, and the re-
lief of that which 1eeded it too much, to
make full and uureserved confession, not
only to God, who needed it not, but to man,
who did. / besought him, for the good of
all, and as he valued his SOULS health, to de-
tail the particulars of his crime, but his eye
JeH. That dark enemy, who takes care to
leave In the heart just hope enough to keep
despair alive, tonguetied him; and he would
not-even now at the eleventh hour-give
up the vain imagination, that the case of his
companion might yet be COMPOUNDED with
his, to the escape of both-and vain it was.
1t had not been felt advisable, so far to make
him acquainted with the truth, that this had
already been sifted and decided and Ijudg-
ed this to be The time. Again and again |
urged confess ion upon him. | put it to him
that this act ofjustice might now be done
for its own sake, and for that of the cleans
! ing from spot Of his stained spirit. | told
him, finally, thatit could no longer prejudice
him in this world. where his fate was written
and sealed, for that his companion was re-
prleUed. ! knew not what did Whether
1 the tone of my voice, untutored in such bu-
slness, had raised momentary hope, know
not-but the Revision was dreadful. He
stared with vacant lool. of sudden horrour
"a look which those who never saw can
! not conceive, and which-tthe remembrance
is enoagh)-l hope never to see again-and
twisting round, rolled upon his pallet with a
stified moan that seemed tearing him in pie
ces. As he lay, moaning and writing back
wards and forwards, the commissions of his
legs, the twisting of his fingers, and the
shiverings that ran through his frame were
terrible.
| To attempt to rouse him seemed only to
increase their violence-as if the very sound
of the. human voice was under his dreadful
circumstances, intolerable, as renewing the
sense of reality to reason already clouding
! and upon the verge oftemporary delrium.
He was the picture of despair. AS he turn
ed his face to one side, saw that few, but
very few hot tears had been forced from
his CLASSY and blood shot eyes and in
his writings he had scratched one cheek
against his iron bedstead, the red discolora
ton of which contrasted sadly with the
deathly pallidness of hue, which his visage
now showed: during his struggles, one shoe
had come of, and lay unheeded on the damp
stonefoor. The demon was triumphant
within him; and when he groaned, the
sound seemed scarcely that of a human be-
ing, so much had horrour changed it.
kneeled over hm--but in vain. He heard
nothng-he felt nothing-he knew nothing,
but that extremity of prostration to which
moments respite would be Dives drop of
water-and yet in such circumstances, any
thing but mercy. He could not bear, for
moment, to think upon his own death-a
moments respite would only have added
new strength to the agony-He might be
dead but could not die )" and in the
storm ofmy agitation and pity, prayed to
the Almighty to relieve him at once from suf-
ferngs which seemed too horrible even to
be contemplated.
How long this tempest of despair continu-
ed, do moi know. All that / can recall is,
that after almost loosing my own recollec-
ton under the agitation of the scene, sud-
denly perceived that his means were less
loud and continuous, and that / ventured
to look at'him, which i had not done for
some space. Nature had become exhausted,
and he was sinking gradually into a stupor,
which seemed something between sleep and
fainting. This relief did not continue long
and as soon as | saw him begin to revive
again to sense of his situation, made a
strong effort, and lifting him up. seated him
again on the pallet, and pouring out small
quantity of wine, gave it him to drink, not
without forIorn hope that even wine might
be permitted to afford him little strength to
bear what remained of his misery, and col
lect his ideas for his last hour. After long
pause of returning recollection, the poor
creature, got down little of the cordial,
and as | sat by him and supported him
Al L IL.