Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1829-08-18

'yUur blood, too yours Silence madam" eX
claimed The former sternly; 'Ireat your regent
with more respect, else said he, stamping his
foot violently upon the ground, 'iG tie king.
name, shall arraien you on charge of tiea
son? Suddenly she became quie', speaking IL
a sweely subdued tone, out IN manner so ire.
lative tha,f,r some minutes could scarcely di
vine any meaning. Al length she desired her
companion to play upon nj, flute. He did so
| fha air was cheerful and plain,ive by turns -
9! said she, that it could speak-speak this:
saving this she babe her keepers attention,
and sung as follows:
"Poor hapless maiden, desoate and lone
Come hither-hithcr-sleep upon breast
| Which never yet felt sorrow of its own,
But which can still feel thine, and give thee rest
| Come at my smile thy man. griefs shall Ry:
| I'll yield thee JOY, or share in thy distres'i
| I'll lull thee with the signs of sympathy.
And thou shalt wake again to happiness.
| For Pm so rich in comfort, nothing more
Can soften waking thoughts or sweeten sleep;
This only now remains to increase my store
! The bliss Of weeping oft with those who weep "
81 need scarcely comment on the peculiar
qualities Of insanity, which frequently endows
its victim with sort Of fame y, whence they de-,
rive much greater consciousness of wealth,
power, or happiness, than the minds of reality
| ever yield, even 10 The most fortunate among
the children Of reason. But alas in the Joys
OF maniac, we experience nothing reciprocal;
and looking upon the imaginary happiness as
upon The phosphorescent CLEAN Of decay, visi
BILE only when all around is gloom SHINING,
perhaps brilliantly, but dispensing no light
The reason OF this poor girl had evidently been
crushed beneath the ruin which involved either
husbands or bro'her's fate: and the words Of
her song, SO expressive of entire happiness
were, mos, probably, an extreme contradiction
Of all that would have been eieited by sanity
and truth. The last words OF her song fell in
distinctly upon my ear as she retired towards
the house. waited few momrrts to discoy-
er whether she would again pass by; but all was
silent sapethe turret clock, Which, sounding the
hour Of nine, reminded me that the distance Of
league and halt separated me from my bed
chamber. Determining to revisit This place a,
another and more seasonable Tim" ,tor tbe pur.
pose OF making some inquiry into the history
Of one who had so deeply interested me, d.
rccted my steps homeward. II was lrvely
night; and the moon, nearly in the full shone
with more than usual splendor. Every now
and then light cloud passed like Thin veil
over her disk, borne rapidly cn the rising breeze
which had already CURED the wave, and set the
with divided attention; now gazing with ADM.
ration upon the noble cliffs which reared their
carkened pro6les against the deep blue ky;
aud then, recurring with melancholy reflection
,o-the subject of the poor maniac. had pro-
ceeded considerably distance, when sudden
ly espied man in the dress Of an officer Of the
preventive service, who, at a more moderate
pace Than mine, was walking the same way;
and being Of somewhat sociable turn, parii-
cularly when l take ae walks in lonely srua.
tons, quickened my steps and soon came up
with him.-'Halloo!' said he, turning shor,
round as he heard my steps, friend or foe?'
Certainly no foe,' replied, 'but wiling to br
your companion to Elmouh, if you be going
that way (Which am said he, 'and shall
be happy in your society pray how far may
we be- inquired, from the place Of our dcs
rinalion?' Why said he, pointing towards
the summit Of the cliff, '.ha, gibbet is The half
way mark between Eimouth--: (the ex.
treme of our rsmble.) looked up and per.
ceived the gibbe, TO which my companion had
pointed. Ii bore the skeleton Of man, which
swung 10 and fro in the wind, and creaked loud.
ly with every motion. On passing the spo,
previously, the frightful warning of justice had
escaped my obser' alton; and it now appeared
doubly conspicuous, suspended as il was in
dark relief against The light ofthe moon. 'Ah!
said my companion, that. been the way with
Dick Darwell for many year, during sea-
faring life of daring and danger For Gf-
teen years he acknowledged no ruler but
the winds, and since his death, now nearly
half that time, he has been keeping I'd the
game upon the gibbe,.' Ard wha, is hi, his.
'ory' will briefly inform you,' replied tho
narrator, who thus proceeded: 'It is pretty
generally known, believe, ina. old Darwell.
The father fyon hanging carcase-was an old |
brute, whose temper was such az render home |
The least desirable place 10 The world 10 his
;hildren, consisting of boy and girl. The