The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1839-05-18
PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY H. WEBB.



his head TO look in another direction, the
pulsations Of his heart ceased, his hair stood
on end, for he beheld tall, stately figure,
whose white dress seemed besmeared with
human blood; in his right hand he held a
scull, within which glowed light; in his
left massive'feshbone.
Fear crept upon him as he gazed. A
cold, dealh-ike chill ran through his veins,
and his shaking knees prevented his accom-
pIishng the purpose Of his heart A sep
ulchral-toned voice thus with measured ac-
cents sounded in his ear:
Stand and listen, man Of clay; the fiery
spirit Of vengeance who rides upon the
thunGercloud, and direct, the forked light
nings, bids ye listen and obey! The rival
ye thought dead, will this night return; and
the wife Of your bosom will fly wilk him.
An unbroken pause ensueG; at last, the
miller raising his head, glanced at The spot
where he had seen the misty spirit; it had
vanished. For one moment he did not seem
to realize what he had seen and heard; the
next, as the assertion of his wile's infdeli-
ty occurred 10 him, he rushed toward the
house; the door yielded to his might, but no
wife greeted him; he seated himself, the
sense of fear left him, but the determination
of revenge had taken possession Of his
mind, for jeaIously had stung him deeply;
he believed his wife guilty, and then
thought struck him; with tho fury of man
lac he knocked at his bed room door until
it flew off the hinges. She teas mol there!
His worst suspicious seemed confirmed,
and in his bosom reined that species Of
prenzy, the person affected with which, o.
ten says and does things of which he is un-
concious. The noise he had made awoke
his little babe, whose wall now met his ear.
Ha ha ha y he shriehed, child of a
guilty mother He snatched the infant
from its pillow, and for moment gazed
fixedy upon it; but not one spark Of pater-
nal fondncss was in that gaze, for if any
had ever existed, his passion smothered its
influence. Unmindful of his screams, he
shook the boy as hesexclaimed, Death
were better for thee, boy, than life, embit-
tered by the knowledge of a mothers
oIlme :! mauIy lie new from The nouae; d
little beyond the threshold he beheld his
wife approaching him.
'Ah, husband, SAID she, sweetly, | have
waited very, very long for you, beneath the
rocks
Woman, it is false! You have been to
see your paramour. Away!
She saw her child, who cried as he heard
his mothers voice, and discovering upon
her husbands countenance, as she ap.
preached him, the fendish remarks Of rage
she attempted to snatch her child, fearing
for lis safety. He pushed her from him.
Husband-Frans, what would you do
Give me my child But with one arm he
held aloft his weeping boy, and with the
other, clasped his wife.
'Come on-on with me, base woman
Upon yondcr precipice's edge, you shal
gaze upon his destruction 1t will be 81
sweet 10 see thy sorrown
My child! my child! Give me my child
Oh, Frans by all you hold sacred, l pray
; you give me back my boyr
She prayed, she screamed, she clung Il
his knees 10 deter him from his evident in
| tention. In vain Who, with one sparl
Of humanity glowing in his frame, or who
: with even the outward attributes Of man
! could have resisted that fair beings prayer
= for the safety of her child? Who cou
have dlsbelieved her prOtestatiOns of inrO
| cence
He gained the precipice's slippery edge
: dragging after him his shreking wife, VIII
= clung 10 him with more than woman
, strength, striving to detain him,
: Spare him, Frans spare oar sweC
: childr
But, unmoved as the firm rock he stoo
e upon, he threw his left hand upon her shou
c der and pressed her to the ground.
n Now, base adutress, behold the deaf
of your babe he said, and at arm
d length held aoft the unconscious boy.
e was where the cataract dashed down int
It the foaming abyss, he cast his only child
n A wild laugh burst from his lips. His r.
e Uenge lCas complete!
= Then, for the first time, reason threw on
e bright CLEAN to ilIume his tumuluous bt
/ som. He gazed upon the fair being wh
n lay insensible at his feet-yet no pity eVil
it ced itself for her; he seemed indeed col
), sclOus of his act, for seeing her revive a Ii
y tie he exclaimed, 60 now and seek yol
= paramour; your husband follows his child
1t then giving one high leap into the air, fe
deep into the wild, watery cataract.
d Poor ill-used wife innocent, yet belize