Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1831-02-03
From the .NiaS- England Weekly Rsvte'o.
LEGEND OF THE NORTH.
THE WILD MAN.

THE WILD MAN,
On the southern shores OF Lake ounnapee'
in a miserable shanty ,vered with brnhches
oe the heanlock and dwaE pine, lived Henry
Gcrr;.h. His abode was peculiarly wild and
roynantic--situatcd about half way mp the
Mountain that ranges along the southern
shores Of The lake FROM which It has derived
II. name. Above him rose craggy ROCKS
precipicies and shelving cliffs, 10 iorb'ddi'g
and irregular order, scarcely ever uouoeh
h Il hy the foot Of the timid deer, the raven
ous hear. or the shrekIng catainonnt. no
tain hemlock there unfurls its shady poughs
and conceals them from the casual opseft ,.c ;
and here and there rises the rock nslhe' NV
ing its almost booghless head lar aoo'e Ut
surrounding objects, as II IT scorheu 10 ho'u
com nunion with the more diminuuVe 'rseS
the Cnrest Below him was spread the
cIes, and beautiful lake, extending some dis
rance porthward. where the Indian, ere the
80 81 .be ,yhite man resounded on its shores,
padded his canoe, and anged among It's wa
tiers. CT
such was the abode Of Henry Gerrsh.
His life was led in solitude--his end was al
fccting. will narrate his story as J had II
from an aged gentleman, who hVeu OUT
days ride from hls dwelling. -,
was about the first, SAID the grey naired
man, to penetrate into those wild mus anu
still wilder solitudes. Those forests shaded
me but day, when Henry made ms appear,
ance. He then looked frightiul; bis cheek
was supken. his eye was wild and savage,
his thick beard hung down TO his breast, MS
black hair was long as woman's, ana huhg
loosely down, a plaything for the WINDS ana
he had on cap, busllins, and garment
made Of the skins Of wild beasts. lie seem
ed astonished at seeing me, ana couin no'
persuade him TO approach me, nor wou,u ne
suffer me to draw nearer to him, out ne ssus@-
ed behind the trees, and eaEed earnestly AZ
me. pressing the trigger OF his gun WIN HiS
RIGHT thumb as if he suspected my intentions
toward him to be foul. desired from my
attempts to approach him, and after nc had
gazed sufficiently upon me, he peaceabiy re-
tired | saw him almost daily after this; bnt
could not then learn from him the reason
of his estrangement from his home Tor was
then convinced, frem what could gamer
from his conversation, that he was native
of the sea shore, and had lived among opuiehl
and fashionable people ~,
Others soon followed me INTO that Wiid
country, and the snske OF several NUS was
seen ascending out of the forest lhey All
knew Henry Gerrish, or "the Wild Man" as
he was generally called; but none could gam
his confidence. He scorned our offers o. as
sistance, and spurned the atfcct0nate sohci-
tude Of woman. In fact it was from her he
would rush, as YOU would from scorpion,
or if he stopped momently to gaze upon her'
bis haggard cheek would light up VIVA an
unwanted crimson, his eye would hash WIN
a strange fury, he would beat MS broW' ana
his whole SYSTEM would be convulscd as II
strong and unwastcd spirit was working WIN
i'm him.
Years rolled silently on. 1t was bleak. cold
winter day. when several of the neighbors
said they had not seen the Wild Man Tor
nearly week. He was then old; the strength
Of his manhood had forsaken hun, the keen
ness of his eve was gone, and a timex must
had gathered before it like cloud, the CLOS
siness of his hairhas turned white as the snow
on the mountains, and his wasted iorm was
bending as the willow that is laden with the
sickle Of the reaper We pitled the ola man,
for we loved him as one who had struggled
with the strength of his untoward destiny,
yet could not conquer; as one VINO had wan
dered from all habitation to pour forth the
bitterness of his spirit among the mountain
solitudes, and who had none whom he loved,
whose endearments could cheer the utter
loneliness oil his days.
A party was Immediately formed to search
him out and bring him, though 10y force, to
our dwellings, The snow was full four feet
in depth, and it was with much difficulty we
scaled the mountain to his hut There we're
no footsteps to it's entrance, no smoke issued
at the aperture which served as chimney,
and the unbroken silence within toreboded
no good to its unhappy inmate. We pushed
aside the door and entered. We found him
stretched upon a bed ofhemlOck houghs and
skins of beasts, with scarcely any covering
His fire had gone out, and the wind whis'led
so coldly through the open crevices, 1T made
the teeth of the strongest OF us to chatter Tor
the cold He lay in a death like slumber
when we entered We awaked him and a
smile of recognition played upon his ghastiy
lips, such as | had never before seen. lie
would have spoken, but life was too nearly
extinct within him, his blood flowed sluggish
ly along his blue veins, he knew himself to
be dying. He looked as if he had something
to communicate. and collecting his dying en-
ergies, he pointed with his bony hand toward
hollow stump in one corner of his hut, and
at the Same time his lips moved as ii he were
talking, but his tongue refused sound.
This was his last effort, his hand fell, his eyes
closed, and he died
We went to the stump to which he pointed
and drew from thence a folded paper contain
ing short sketch OF hi. early life in his own
hand writing. Here it is-if you have the
curiosity to read, you may read.
"'Ihe first twenty wears OF my life rolled