Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1835-10-08

Thou canst,' replied the spirit. blu
+ lear thou wilt be aversc to my offer
as thy stay there must separate the,
, forever from thy wife: for arm not per
mitted to take more than one of the in
habitants Of this world at a time int
= mine"
That is not the subject Of my ankle
ty. said the old man. Il own even tina
| should like to try a world where she
IS not, but before embark for your new
sphere, | must be assured that / can re.
turn when ! please; she may depart be.
fore me from this earth
Thou hast, when there, but to cx-
press wish TO return, and instantly
shall convey thee back unhurt upon
the wing Of the swiftest breeze
Take me from hence thcn-but STAY
awhile; my breath is strangely short OF
late; will not your fleet mode of meas
urng the space, take from my weary
lungs their last sustenance Of air.
'Unhurt, promise to convey thee
back to thy cot; unhurt shalt thou be in
thy removal to my sphere
Take me then, hastily, lest minutes
spent here should rob me Of ages
there
We'll then, note thou those liquid
pearls that drop now ana then from the
bursting cloud, and regain upon thy
heated hearth their primitive aerial state
to rise again to our cerulean abodes.-
When one Of them has jus, reached
the stone, and begins TO rebound in
wrath from the transforming elemen,
below, ere the fluid war has ceased
leap into the bubbling drop, and trust TO
my guidance then
Jump into 4 rain drop, I see YOU
spirits OF the air love to Jest with the in.
habitants Of this vonderless world. -
My smallest toe could cover the largest
drop that ever fell from our skies
How darest thou doubt the word,
uttered by my lips.' Thou hast seen
me arise from such a rounded diamond
OF the sky. Time is hastily flying, re.
solve to obey my biddings; else forever
abandon the hope Of visiting otheI
Spheres
But, gentle spirit Of vapors, YOU who
Can ride on the mist like the autumn
gossamer. you forget that age and rhcu
matism have bent my back, crooked
mp knees, and long ago taken from IN,
the power of leaping, as you bid m,
do
Walk then
But
No more objections. The time i
come when / must commit myself t
the ratery pinions Of my aerial sieed {,
return tack 10 my realms. Now or ne
; ver.'
Wait then till can raise my young
est leg; the other will follow; but take
great care lest you should wake the ole
woman as you depart, said the ancien
: forester as he made the first efforts &c
, rise, and as he turned his little watery
eye-balls on his wife who continued t
slumber in the same situation. apparent.
ly unoppressed by the weight Of the
!. spirit on her head. His desire 10 visi
the new world had evidently prevailed
over his doubts on the possibility OF en-
tering into drop of rain; for, seeing
the spirit move as If ready to depart, he
fastened as much as his infrmitiet
could admit, and presently found him
! self ready to perform his commands.
The rain drop fell, he placed his foo
. over it, and at that very moment h,
felt his whole body and his limbs con
tract into an infinitely small size, o
else the drop swelled into a volum,
: equal 10 that contained in a hogshead
which Of the two we have never beer
able TO ascertain, though from sub
sequent circumstances, We would in
cline to think that his whole body be
D came smaller than the smallest inhabi
L tants of strong vinegar. He felt him
self instantly raised from the hearth
and probably, assembled with column
: Of smoke which escaped into the room
as well as through the chimney whicI
had given entrance to the spirit of tn
3 rain-drop. For a time he was unable
TO perceive any thing which might ere
2 ate fixed ideas in his mind, although
the sensation produced by a swift bu
gentle ascension was highly delightful
10 his dull senses. AT last the motion
: ceased, he felt that his feet pressed OF
. solid ground, and the mist which I'll
then had obscured his sight, began 4
vanish from his eyes. lie was on al
= elevated hill, from which he could per
ceive a vast plain, lofty mountains o.
one side and an endless ocean on tn
: other.
Thou seest, said the spirit, that
!. was not my intention 90 deceive thy oil
!, age. Thou mayest here lead in Joy al
almost endless life at the expense Of
few dull hours spent IN misery and pain
in the world IN which thou just no'
erepR
oh never shall repent having thu
? changed my abode. replied the OF
man. but pray, powerful angel hon
shall ! obtain a subsistence IN this TN
world, For a. I look TO my totterln
knees and feel my head tremble as be
> fore. fear II must be a. hard a task (