The Arkansas advocate., 1830-12-22

lron tlat posture of utter and hopeless sorrow. He had taken no food. Not one drop of waterh had cooled the fever of his parehed lips. Sleep had not vis- tied his eyes for six and thirty hours He was faint with hunger; weary with watching, and with the excess ef his e motions. He tasted of his food; he drank with avidity of the water; and reeling like drunken man to his straw, cast himself upon it to brood again over the appalling image that had fastened litselfupon hisalmost frenzied thoughts. He slept-but his slumbers were not tranquil. He resisted, as long as he could their approach; and when, al last, enfeebled nature yielded to their inhu. enee, he found nooblivion from his cares. Terrible dreams haunted him; ghastly visions narrowed up his imagination he shouted and screamed, as if he al- ready felt the dungeons ponderous roof descending on him-he breathed hard and thlck, as though writhing between its iron walls. Then would he spring up stare wildly about him-stretch forth ais hands, to be sure he yet had space enough to live-and muttering some in- coherent words, sink down again, to pass through thesame eferce evicissitudesofd de- lirious sleep.
 The morning 1.-the fourth day dawn ed upon Yivenzio; but it was high noon before his mind shook off its stupor, or he awoke to full consciousness of his situation. And what a fixed energy of despair sat upon his pale features, as he cast his eyes upwards, and gazed upon the three windows that now alone re- maiped Tine three there were no more ! and they seemed to number his own al- loted days. Slowly and calmly he next surveyed tine top and sides, and compre- headed all the meaning of the dimin- ished height of the former, as we'll as Of the gradual approximation of the latter. l The contracted dimensions of this mys- terious prison were now too gross and palpable to be the juggle Of his heated imagination. Still lost in wonder at the means, ViYenzio could put no cheat upon bis reason, as to the end. By what horrible ingenuity it was contrived, that walls, and roof, and windows, should thus silently and imperceptibiy, without noise and without motion almost, fell as l it were, within each other, he knew not. lie only knew they did so; and he yainly strove to persuade himself it was the intention of the contriver, to rack the miserable wretch who might be immured there, with anticipation, merely of a fate, from which, in the ve- " crisis of his agony, he was to be re- prieved.
 Gladly would he have clung even to this possibility, if his heart would have let him, but he felt dreadful assurance of its fallacy. And what matchless in- humanity it was to doom the sufferer to such lingering torments-to lead him day by day to so appalling death, uI- supported by the consolations of reli- zion; unvisited by any human being, a. bandoned to himself, deserted by all, and denied even the sad privilege of know ing that his cruel destiny would awaken pity! Alone he was to operish! Alone he was to wait slow coming torture, whose most exquisite bangs would be inflicted by that very solitude and that tardy com ing.
 it is not death l fear he exclaimed 'but the death must prepare for! Me. thinks, too, could meet even that-all horrible and reyolting as it is-ifit might overtake me now. But where shall ] find fortitude to tarry till it come! How can I outlive the three long days and nights have to live? There is no pow CT within me to bid the hideous spectre hence--none to make it familiar to my thoughts; or myself, patient of ifs CT rand. Ny thoughts, rather, will flee from me, and grow mad in looking al it. Oh! for a deep sleep to fall upor me! That so, in deaths likeness, might embrace death itself, and drink no more of the cup that is presented to ne, tIla my fainting spirit has already tastede
 In the midst of these lamentations lViyenzio noticed that his accustomed meal, with the pitcherofwater, had beer conveyed, as before, into his dungeon.-- But this circumstance no longer excited his surprise. His mind was overwhelm ed with others of a greater magnitude It suggested, however, feeble hope o deiiverance; and there is no hope 50 fee ble as not to yield some support to ; heart bending under dispair.--He re