Delaware advertiser and farmer's journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1828-1831, 1829-03-12
From the Literary Souvenir
MS. FOUND IN A sgAD-HOUsE.

|
From the Literary Souvenir
MS. FOUND IN A sgAD-H0UsE.
BY Ae -a,sttar qjFeihaa.
| lam tho eldest Of a nurnerous family. noble in
birth, and eminent for wealth My btothers arc
a vigorous and comey race-Fpy sisters are more
beautiful than dreams. by vAat fatality was II
that alone was thrust into This glorious world
distorted and dwarfTke and hideous--my limbs
mockcry, my countenance horror, myself a
blackness on the surface Of ,reation--a discord
in the harmony Of mature, living misery. an ami
mated cuvssl | am shut OF from the aims and
Iobjeets Of my race,--wiih the deepest source Of
affection in my heart, | am doomed to find no
living thing on which to pour them. Love ou'
Upon The world---l am its very loathng and alb
horrepce, friendship turns from me ID disgust,
pity beholdr me and withers 70 aversion. Wher-
ever wander, | am encn,npassed with hatred
as with an atmosphere WhtfeYerI attempt,
am IN the impossible circle Of dreadful and ac-
cursed doom. Ambition, pleasure, philanthro-
py, fam the Common blessing of social inter-
coutpe az all as Other relrs. phieh mine can
touch but N ons point ahd that point is torture.
I have knowledge 10 which tho wisdom of ord.
nary sages, is dust TO gold, have energies to
which relaxation is pain; hnve benevolence
which sheds itself in charity and love over q
lWorIns TOT WHAT meICnui t0u lot Wnat arc
these blessings Of nature or hf earningl The
instant employ them. must enter among men;
the moment ! enter among men, my being
blackens into an agony. LsegAier grins upon
me. terror dogsmy step. - exist upon poisons.
and my nouFishment is SCOTT
Atmy birth the nurse ~ III me suck. my
mother saw me and becam, Annsi my father
ordered that j should be as monster.
The physicians saved ngh 'uried be they
for the actl One wonaH was old and
childless--tools comnassiof ns,shc reared
and fed me. AZ ~ fag spmcthins
1.-The fresh S srs.s TN NIL sc.4s aoossl
hold brute; from the dead q trod upon, to
the sublime counteuance ON made 10 behold
the stars and scorn me; from the modest thing
to the prettiest--tbe fairest 10 the foulest--I
loved ALL knelt TO my mother and besought
her to love me--she shudderfd ! fled TO my
lfather--anl he spurned moi The lowest mini
on ofthe human race, ihst iAs ~ limbs shapen
and its countenance forme Based to consort
with me,--,he very dog (ftRat dared to seek
out one that seemed more hideous and rugged
than its fellows) the very dog dreaded me, and
skunk away! I grew up lonely and wre,chedi I
was like the reptile whose prison is the stones
heart, ---immured in the breath Of fellowship new.
er came.-girded with wall Of barrenness and
flint, and doomed to vegeiate and batten on my
own suffocating and poisoned medtations. But
while this was my hearts dungeon, they could
not take from the EXTERNAL senses he sweet face
ofuniversal naturei they coald. not bar me from
commune with the voices Of the mighty dead.
Earth opened to me her marvels, and the vol
umes Of the wise their stores. read--I unused
IL examined--I descended into tho deep wells
Of truth, and mirrored in my soul the holiness Of
her divine beauty. The past lay before me
like scroll, the mysteries Of this breathing
world rose from the present like cloudsi-cven
fthe dark future, experience shadowed forth
something OF a token and sign; and over the
wonders Of the world, | hung the Intoxicating
and mingled spells Of poesy and knowledge.
But could not without a struggle live in a
world Of love, and be the only thing doomed to
hatred. 81 will travel" raid I, "to other quar-.
tiers of the globe. All earth's tribes have not
the proud stamp ofangels and Of gods, and A.
mong its infinite variety l may find being who
will not sicken at myself" took leave ofthe
only one who had not loalhed al me--the wo-
man who had given me food, and reared me up
to life. She bad now become imbecile, and
blndi so she did not disdain to lay her hand up.
on my distorted head. and bless me. "But bet
teri she said, even as blessed me, and des-
ished IN the wombp' 4 laughed with a
loud laugh when heard her, and rushed from
the house.
One evening, in my wanderngs, as issued
from wood, came abruptly upon the house Of
village pnest. Around il, from thick and
lofty fence Of the honey-suckle and the sweet
briar and the wild rose were sent forth those gifts
Of fragrance and delight which were not denied
even unto DE. As walked slowly behind the
hedge heard voices frum the opposite side;
they were voices n women and | paused to lis
ten. They spoke Of love, and Of the qualities
which should create H. "No," said one and the
words, eouched in tone Of music, thrilled to
my heart.-"No, it is not beauty which re.
qnire III lover, il is the mind which can COM
uand others, and the passion which would bow
that mind unto me. | ask for genius and affec-
ton. | ask for nothing else" ''lSut," said the
other voice, ''you could not love monster in
person, even if he were miracle Of intellect
and Of Lowell" 81 COULD" answered the first
speaker feyently; 'siA know my own heart I
could. You remember the fable Of a grl whom
a monster loved---I could have loved that mon
ster." Aud with these words they passed from
my hearing; but stole round, and through
small crevice in the fence, beheld the face and
form Of the speaker whose words had opened as
II were, glimpse Of heaven TO my heart. Her
eyes were soft and deep,-her hair parting from
! her girlish brow, was Of the hue Of gold,--her