Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-09-28
From The .keto York american
THE DEATH OF AN ANGEL.
By JEAN PAUL RICHTER.

Df JcAN fUL hlCHTbR.
Tsre heureI and eqrfh yTor,', ttar
are dreamt Of rt thy philosophy. SHAxEsSs,HE-
Along with the angel OF the Inst hour 70 whom W..
give the harsh name of Death, there comes another
the tenderest and most benevolent of spirits, who
gently lifts the sinking soul of man, who transports il
in his fostering hands unhrt, from its cold rcceptac
on earth into its abode in heaven. His bro
tier is the angel of the frSt hour, who kisses man
twce,-frst when he begins this life, and again.
when he awakens 70 the joys ofinmortality, and en-
ters smiling into the other life, he cane weeping
into this.
Whilst the angel of The last hour was employed on
fields of battle stepped in blood end tears gathering
souls trembling on the brink of lfc his compassion
ote eye melted IN sorrow and he said, Il viii for
once die like human being, and experience the last
pang That may learn to MITIGATE it, when rcleas,,
an immortal spirit from the bands of life"
The innumerab!e host of anelic beings who live
IN celestial love, err --A-1r passionate angel
and promised sss. = ne momen: of his
dissolution with their luminous is that he mpht
Know it death he had suffe, z,i; and his brother
whose kiss opens stiened lips as the breath of
morn expands the ice cold flowers embraced him. and
said 'When kiss thee again, ny brother then tboD
shalt have died on earth, end shalt be once more with
Us In heaven"
Moved with compassion, the angel descended upoD
field of battle, where all had died, save BLOOMING
youth whose boodstained bosom still gently heaved
Beside the hero there one but his betroth-
ed-he could no longer feel her burning tears and her
cry OF anguish fell upon his undstinpuished from
the distant battle-shout around.
The angel quickly discovered the diving warrior
end approaching in the form Of his lover inhaled with
. warm kiss the afflicted soul from hrs CORY bosom
he gave the soul his brother who kissed him Ia,
the second time, and forthwith it smiled above.
The angel of the last hour, sprang like flash q
lightning into the empty form, pervaded the body ont
caused the stream of life again circulate from
the reinvigora,ed heart. But how changed was he
by the transformation! His perception was lost in the
whirlpool ofthe nervous hud-hs once rapid Thoughts
now waded suggishly through the atmosphere Of the
hrnfrn fha or%4rp tef 4
autunnal coloring all objects was dried uu anr
their coors burning and painful to the eve
through the parched atmosphere. Al his fee!nrs be
Came gloomy, and more contracted within himself
and seemed to him the instinct Of animals sopear
to usr--hunger gnawed hiTn-thirst buried him. am
pain tore him. The bleeding and distracted bosom
heaved, and his first breath was a sigh for the heay
en- he had lost. is this" thought he 'tlc death
fnortaiss" Hut as ne not the promised token q
death-no angel to receive hn--no heaven shnirt,
around him, lac found that this was not the death o
mOrtals but their lifc
In the evening the EARTHLY powers ofthc angel were
exhausted, and his head seemed be crushed beneath
the weight Of the gobe-ior sleep had despatched hcr
Messengers; tine EgUTes Of Imagination EXCHANGED
their sunshine for smoky fame, the images impress
sd upon the brain during the day, ma gnfed q
colossal SIZE and cOnUunded with ach other whilst
world OF bounding and ungovernable thoughts haG
taken possession OF his sOul-ior the pod OF dreams
had sent his fairies. At length the winding sheet o
sleep was folded double around bun, and he sam. in
ttle VI btilIhIy, Ilfe
fnortal1 But then, celestial Dream, thou HeVest
before his soul with thy thousand mirrors in each
mirror thou showedHt him circle Of ANGELS an ra
hiant heaven and his terrestrial frame with all ife
pains, seemed to leave him unincumbered. "Alasl
said he with vain delight my falling asleep was nv
departure from life" But when he again awoko
with heart oppressed and full Of the sluggish tidr
of human blood and looked upon the earth and upor
the night. then said he, "that no. death bu, on
ly its image, although The starry heavens, an,
the angelic host"
The bride Of the departed hero observed not Tho
angel dwe The breast of her hover. She love-
the nobe receptacle Of the departed SOUL aud 81 III af
Ecfonatey held the hand Of him who was far reno
we'd from her But the u4ei returned tbc feelings
Of her dnluded heart with human affection; prOnd D
his present form, he Wshednot TO dc before her, thai
che might love hiU long enough TO forgive him ono
day IN heaven for having caused her 10 press at once
90 her bosom angel and lover.
Bnl she died first past sorrow had weighed down
the head Of ,hs flower too far, and broke and fell
lovely TO the grave Alasl she departed before the
weeping angel not like the which pluD9es proud
~ before admiring utO the ocean raising its
Tcddy waves to heaven, but Ike the still moon Which