Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1829-01-16


sThr world now seemed To have closed upon
INV sigh, forever, my wife, my children, my
dear homr; should see them no more! n
cured To myself all the delights and charities
of ,b., home, and fl, how bitter j, is 10 be
torn from nv life uhi- life is yet strong; all IT'S
ne. 6rmly kni; all its affections glowing. As
darkness settled around, | though, OF my vile
anxious'y listening for my step, or rather tor
the weIi known step Of Thor preceding me; and
the brigh, FIRE cleaning upon smiling chill
dren'. faces, the fairesi ornament and the dear
es, comfort Of FIRE side; and the rosy lips held
up foI fathers kiss, and the lir'le hands cling
ing round the knees, 10 attract fathers notice;
aud the mo,her's gladstone smile OF welcome
10 me, and unchiding reproof TO them. Such
was the picture drew mentally. such was the
eroupe which knew was awaiting me. look
ed around me, and the contrast OF The realty
burst upon me in all its horrors. The wind
ragged and howIed through the darkness; and
in The Iuli, the spray Of the torrent bedewed my
face, aud froze there. was encompassed by
awful pieeipices, here and there visible only
by being covered with snow. Soon also was
the bed on which | lay, The bed on which was
to die. AND to die. oh, God. TO die thus a
lone, through pain and famine; through cold
and exhaustion OF suffsr ing nature! The ter
sors Of the lrrrors Of death. From hence ne
YER WAS 10 stir more; this was 10 be my end!
awe often forge ourselves Causes Of unhap-
pine IS, and allow slight lhngs TO mar cur quiet.
But he who has un gone. not wha, under
went hat night-for who has done so! but cir.
cum.,ances Of prril and despair, IN kind, ii mol
in degree like un'o these, he, only, can kno" to
what extent. our nature can suffer.
al lay, in Eain Gf bodily anguish, for space
Of time which, from these causes, seemed rnd-
less. AT length hop. dawned upon me. A
long the top Of the cliff which lad leap,
and from which had fell, passed, as knew, a
path whie h led from the village in which iiv.
ed, 10 ano her sbou! Two leagues of This had
no app- ART d to me as chance Of escape; for
by nigh' i; was NJ, very rarely traversed, aud
morning never expected to see again. On a
SUDDEN, how,,er, | saw light gliding along
lhis D. IN, as though born- BY some one; and
onieclured IL to- be, as in fact i, was, the lam
tern Of viliager returning homewsrds.
shall 5e saved YETI Wa, The idea which thrilled
through my heart, and shouted with the whole
sir<ngi h Of NV voice, 10 realize The hope viii
had arisen. Al tina, momenr furious gus, ol
wind sas D. through The chssm. and hurried
back my cry against me, like The Fmokr oil
& sin's rejec cd sacrifice. could no. ieel tina,
head. The light ghded onwards. Again
shouted with that desperate strength which
none ou, the dr,pairins osn. The light did
10. stop; no answering shout gladdened envy
ears; the Ugh, disappeared.
"rhe agony Of that moment, who Can con-
GIVE? Tnr drowning man, as he struggles his
Iys ffor,, and feels tne wafer closing a'ouod
him; the crimins:, as he nouns the Sc sff.,ld
.nd sees his las. hopr m-h from his Grasp;
sue h persons may nave fell tbs m, and such per-
sous only.
"My despair now became Fixed and total.
f,f that my las hour YVES CON-; ! eadeavor.
to turn my ,hough,s from Ibis world, and fix
them on the n Il. 3y' he effri was DIRE adful.
As s,ro,e to prepare mysel: for death, The
hope Of life would fash acros, me again, and
in'erpost he wrer me and my prayer. If a
sound aushi my ear, ! raised my hs ad 10 lis
ten; # tne variation OF ] shadow passed over
thu .uria ola rock, | strained my Sigh, to
look; bu he sound would CT ase, aud the sight
va pass away-snd sank again, upon The
SNOW ; aud sgai' prepared myself to die.
"A,Ieng,n. o NV dying day shall recollect
hat N men al ergth, gust Of wind brought
To re urd which thought recoguizrd; !
r isrd r,yssif NJ an anxiety which almos
enokrd n {: h-,eurd, all wss sill, the wilma
rose ani "a, ade me doubtful whether heard i,
> second ,I'nc -, 70 a third, all doubt was over.
II Wa, he II, nest dice oil faithful Thor coming
a, speed, and barking hr c,me, TO show,
,:ouhtl"ss, the pa;h to The spo, in which lay.
Aglin his der y mouth.d boy undtu loud snd
distinct, as ii appro,, he'd toe top Of the preci-
pn'e. lh.re he p ssrd, and Continued ba ki"g,
liR, a length several tights 9asheo upon hr
path along wicn he had come, and advanced
"a 2dly towards HIM. A halioo Came upon the
wind, suo,. TO answe. il as loudly as could.
This time il maIered little "hrther my voice
reached the summit or not; for, as soon as he
lights seemed al IN. spoi w"rrs the dog stood,
he dashed down The cliff ciInsing TO the irregu.
lar surface as he camr, now holding by slone,
now sliding down with the rolling earth and
snow, iii I've sprang into my bosom; snd al
most smothering me with his caresses, made
the &c hoes of t.e cliffs rug again with his loud
and eeaseless barking.
"My companions now perceived where was.
They made circuit II some little extent, and
descended TO me Ly less Precipi,ous, but still
d,ffic ult path. My young irir nds, unless you
have experienced the transition from despsir 10
safety, from abandonment TO kind friendship,