The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1834-12-03

these dark and dismal excavations by similar mode
Of conveyance, had no fears upon the present oc-
casion in repeating the freak My friend placed
himself at the wndass in order to regulate my pro-
gress, and having first dropped my bundle INTO the
pitt fixed my feet firmly on the bar at the end OF
the chain, and commenced my somewhat perilous
descent The harsh creal<ing Of the crazy machlne
as the frightened rope gradually uncolled from the
wooden cylinder round which it was rolled, seemed
amidst the silence of midnight like the muttering of
unquiet spirits
Doomd for a stated time to walk by night"
when
"Upon a of the
There hangs vapOrous drop prOfOund;
and trcmOr Of something like dread came over me
when light was entirely excluded from my view, and
the very " blackness OF darkness" feariuly closed
in around me. My progress appeared to be extreme
y rapid so much so, that felt sudden falntness
steal upon me, but this soon passed; yet when
consider that my safety depended upon the strength
of rope scarcely more than an inch IN diameter,
confess felt for n moment that my life was held
upon very uncertain tenure, and the throbbngs of
my heart became almost painfully accelerated. 1t
was by this time so dark that could not distinguish
the sides of the shaft, while the small fragments OF
earth which occasionally fell they were disturbed
by my progress, sounded in my ears with loud and
terrifying ndstinctncss, like the multiplied re-per-
cusson of echoes amid the vaults of a cemetry.
| had not been long on the rope when, to my
great surprise, found my progress suddenly arrcs-
ted. | waited for few moments with much mpa-
ticncc, under the idea that some mpedlment had
arisen in the machine above, but finding, after a
lapse of several minutes, that the rope, on which
was balanced still continued stationary, | concluded
that had reached the bottom of the shaft, and pre-
pared to quit the chain. | foreborc calling to my
friend above, lest / should alarm the pit-men, and
thus at once expose myself to their coarse rallery,
and mar my own diversion. | now became keenly
sensible that had done very foolish thing in ven
turing by night into pit which had not examined
by day, and some very unpleasant apprehensions be-
gan to steal over me however, summoning my res
olution, and persuadng myself that must be within
yard at most of terra firma, | slid down the chain
until my hands graspcd the cross bar, when, to my
utmost CONSERVATION and horror, my feet rested up
on nothing, and found myself swinging with the
most fearful oscillation in the "empty air"
stretched myself to my utmost length, but i'll vain.
| still swung and there appeared to be supernatu-
raj power in the dark void around me, dragging me
down into the gulf beneath the whole mass ofmy
blood seemed as II were to circulate only downward,
and became, for the first time, most painfully
siblc of my own gravitaton. That mysterious prin-
cpc, by which all material objects are attracted to
one common centre, appeared to be increased a
thousand fold, and already fancied that saw my
blood curdlcd. lttrove to retain my former position
on the chain but found myself unable to raise my
body to a sufficient elevation to enable me to
grasp it above the bar from which suspended.
Nv arms were stretched to their utmost tension and
felt all the pangs of luXation My sensations
were appalling. 1t seemed as ifan enormous weight
were attached to my eXremities, and the most fear
tul noises met my ears, as though the dismal minis
ters of doom were cXung in the near possession of
tbc y,c plpar that | coul1 lone
maintain my hold. | shuddercd; my temples. were
bedcwcd with drops of bitter agony. My eyes,
stretched open to their utmost extent could still dis
tinguiSh nothing i'll the pthcy void around me. My
tongue was parchcd with the violence of nv cxer-
tons. How did curse my folly in having wanton-
ly brought myself into such jeopardy What sit
uation To hang between time and eternity, about
to drop from one into the other and to quit reality
for uncertainty; to be suspended over dark and
horrible pit, were no eve could behold my sufcrngs
but His to whom @ darkness and light are both a.
like ;" about to perish, without one expression of
consolation out of sympathy from her who was the
depositary of my endCrcst affections, though had
so often laughed at her gentle rebukcs whenever she
attempted To check the exuberance of my wayward
will. Reflections rushed like whirlwnd through
my brain though the period of my involuntary
suspension had been but few minutes, as many
painful thoughts crowded into my mind, as under
ordinary circumstances would have filled up the mel
anchoy void of years. | remembered my child and
groaned-" Thou wilt soon be fatherless, my boy,
and thy iather"-Oh God What reflection.
Tears scading and bitter streamed down my heat
edcheeks, but had no hand to dash them off, for al
though felt destruction to be near. still cung to
life with that, instructive energy which is common u
like To the coward and the brave in the hour of ex-
uemity. | thought for the first time, upon my in
iquitics, and felt that had fearful reckoning TO
make with Him before whom was about TO appear,
but for which was altogether unprepared. How
should meet tha, Omnipresent which had read my
nmost thoughts, and therefore knew, but too well,
that had rather been a worshiper of the idols of
this world, than of Him who " founded it upon the
seas, and prepared it upon the floods" pang
pierced through my bosom as my mind conlusedly
reverted 20 my spiritual insecurity. The possibility
of what my fuiurity miqht be- flashed like n stream