Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1830-11-20

the Bible In his upllfteu hahus-Out ''io@e o
less lips had no motion; with him TINS worlu wa,
not, though he was vet in life-in lie ana no more
And was this the man, who, few months ago
Ainpinp the fear of death from him. as Hash
of sunshine filings aside the shades, had de-
scended into that pit which an hour before had
been believing, as the foul vapors exploded IKE
cannons, and brought up the bodies OF them !na'
had persisted in the womb OF the easth: was
this he who once leapt into the devour'ns iite'
and re-appcared, after all had given over ter lost
the glorious boy. with an infant IN his arms
while the flames seemed to eddy back that they
might scathe not the head of the delIvereT, "h'le
A shaver of blessings fell upon him as h" LAID 1t
in its mothers bosom, and made the heart nf me
widow to sing for Joy? 1t is he. And now the
executioner pulls down the cord from the bealo'
and fastens it round the criminals neck iiis
face is already covered, and that fatai aaniHh--
chief is in his hand. The crowd are ne" trte'-
inc. and one mutitudinous sob cOnv1lseH tia "h:
when wild outcres, and shrieks. and yeii>' are
at that moment heard from the distant gloom on
the glen that opened up to Moorslde, ana ''.'ec
figures one far in advance of the other two come
flyiag as OH the wings Of the wind, towards u!e
gbbet. Hundreds started to their leet. ana
-. lis the manac-'tis the lunaIc.' was me
cry. Precptating himself down a rocky hill
w
"oais. the maniac. the unac. at few desperate
leaps and boundsjnst as it was expec ted he would
have heen dashed in pieces, ai@hted unstunned
upon the level greaEswarti: and now. tar ahead
of his keepers. with incredible swilineSs. ueared
| the scaffnld-and, the dense crowd making
! lane for him in their fear and astOni'iment. he
| flew I'D the ladder TO the horrId platform. and,
graspng his son in his arms. h0wled Gresdfu''y
over him: end then with loud voice cried, ''sa'-
ed-saved-saved.f'
So sudden had been that wild rush. that all the
officers of iusticc-the very eXecutloner-stooi
aghast; and 10! the prisoners neck IS tree from
that accused cord; his face is once more visible
without that hideous STROUD; and he sinks down
senseess on the scahold "SelLe ii'i-eelIe
| him. and he was scized-but no manic, no lu-
natic was the father now: for during the night.
and during the dawn, and during the morn, and
on 10 mdav-on tn the HOUR OF oNE, when all
ruefu preparations were TO be completed, had
Providence been clearing and calming the tnmult
in that troubled brain. and as the cottage clock
struck ONE. memory frightened at the chime IN
TO perfect knowledge of the past, and prophet
| ic imagination saw the future lowering upon the
dismal present All night long. with the Gun
ming of madman-for all night long he had
still been mad -he miserable old man had been
disengagine his hands from the manaces, and
that done. springing like wild beast from its
cage. he flew out of the open door, nor could
horses speed on that fearful road have overakcn
him. before he reached the scafold
! Nor need was there to hold the miserable man.
! He who had been 50 furious i'll his manacles at
Moorside. seemed now to the people at distance
calm as when he used to sit in the elders seat
beneath the pulpit in that small kirk. But they
who on or near the scaifuld, something
horrid in the fxedness of his countenance. :. Let
90 your hold of me, We FOOLS he mutered to
some of the mean wretches of the law, who still
had him in their clutch; and. tossing his hands
on high. cried with loud voice. Give ear, We
Heavens. and hear, q Earth. | am the Volator
Il am the Murdcrer!'
The moor groaned as in earthquake-and then
all that congregation bowed their heads with a
rustIing noise. like wood smitten BY the wind.
Had they heard Alright the unImaginable confess
sion? His head had long been grey-he had
reached the term allotted to mans mortal life
here below-threescOre and ten. Morning and
evening, had the Bible been out of his hands
at the hour set apart for family worship. And
who so eloquent as he in expounding its most |
dreadful mysteries! The unregenerate heart of
man, he had ever sad in scriptura phrase, was !
" desperately wicked" Dcsp erateI wicked in
deed. And now again he tossed his arms wrath
fuly-so the wild motion looked--in the wrath.
full skies. Il ravished--I murdered her-ye
know it. We evil spirirs in the depths of hell"
CONSERVATION now fell on the minds of all. and
the truth was clear as light; and all eyes knew at
cnce thai now indeed they looked on the murder.
erer. The dreadful delusion under which all
their understandings had been brought by the
power OF circumstances. was by that voice de-
'troved; the obduracy of MIN who had been about
10 die, was now seen to have been the most he
'oc virtue-the selfsacrifice of a son to save
ather from ignominy and death!
30 monster. beyond the reach of redemption.
md the very day after the murder while the ;
'orpse was lying in blood on the Moor, he was
With us in the House eff God! Tear him in
'ieces-rend him limb from imb-tear him into 4
thousand pieces!' "The Evil One had powe r
,ven him to prevail against me, and fell nm.
Ter the temptation. 1t was so written in the !;
Book of Predestination. and the deed lies at the 4
oor of God!''-"Tear the blasphemer into pie. Fl
es'. Let the scaiiold drink his bIood.''-.. So n
ct it be. lift be written, good people! Satan =
ever left me since the murder till this ,lay-bo