Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1842-01-08
From the Knickerbocker for December
THE MURDERER DEATH BED
BY r. NJ. CHARLTON.

BY R.. NJ. CHARLTON.
IT was dark and drear autumnal night,
And the wind rushed by with such fearful moan
That the cheek of the tmid grew pale with alright,
And many spectre up to the sight,
As the lightning flash through the darkness shone;
And the rain poured down in q ceaseless flood,
And the thunder was rolling loud and near;
II was night and time for a scene of blood,
With no eye to see and no hear to hear!
In a cha mber under an upper shed
Was gathered tall and fearful band
And one stretched on dying bed,
nd many and fierce were the words he said,
As he wildly gazed on his wasted hand;
As if there he the fatal stain
That had flowed from the blood Of a brothers. ven
SHOW long, ne cried, with frantic start,
"How long ere the ife-bood shall leave my hearth
This lie said to one by his side
WhJ kissed his forehead, and then replied:
before the light of another day,
Thy soul and thy life will have passed away;
Oh! cain, pray thee, this fierce despair,
And lift thy heart to thy God in prayer;
Though that heart black this fearful night,
There's fount that can make itpure and bright.
1t was for thee, it was for thee
That the Saviour died on the accursed tree:
Only deeply repent of the deed thou hast done,
And ask in His name, and salvation is wont"
"Alas alas ~ said the dying man,
"No fount nor prayer can remove this ban;
Who was it said on the holy hill,
Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not killr
heard those words in my childhood hour,
And they startled me then, when thought of their
power
And those terrible words they haunt me still,
Thou shalt not kill thou shalt not kilir
But my hand with my brothers. blood is red
And he sleeps,>he sleeps with the murdered dead!
And whenever turn me round to pray,
He bars the entrance to Mercy's way;
hear his shrek in this raging storm,
And see his bloody and wasted form:
He stands there now! Away, away!
! can not, will not, dare not pray!"
It was fearful sight, ween-
It was fearful sight,
At the dead of night,
To gaze on that sad scene!
The thunder rolled with deaf ming crash,
And bright as the day vas the lightning's fash,
And fierce and fast fell the drifting rain
'Gainst the single roof and the window-p pane;
And there the wretched muir Crrer lay,
With the tide Of life fast ebbng away,
With no hope for mercy, no thought to pray!
Oh, it's terrible thing to die!
Though the sun be bright, and blue the sky
Though we think that the spirit will take its flight
To fairer land and region bright,
Yet t is terrible thing to leave
The hearts that for US will wildly grieve,
And to see no more around us press
The forms that delighted our lot to bless;
And be laid in that dark, remorseless grave,
With the wretched felon and Cults vile slave,
And to rise no more from the oathsome sod
Till we stand at the bar of righteous God!
It is terrible thing cen thus to fly
From the gladstone earth and the clear blue sky:
But when around the passing soul
The waves of eternal vengeance roll,
And the deadly gloom of unpardoned sin
Brings fierce despair or fercer doubt,
And the tempest of Conscience bowls within,
While the storm of the elements RACES without:
Oh! stout and strong must the spirit be
That can thus to its Makers presence flee,
Nor leave behind, with its latest breath,
It's frantic dread of such fearful death!
I may not wish and | dare not pray
For the manner my spirit shall pass away;
To HIM. to him who my being gave
leave the choice of my death and grave;
And whatever may be my future lot,
Il matters MOTT matters not
For, come he slow or come he fast
On battle field or in tempest blast
II is but Death that comes at last:
So meet my fate with unainching eye,
So look with faith to the cross on high,
1t matters not how or when die,
But lift. o God! my humble prayer
That my hand from my brothers blood be clear
Like the righteous mans let my spirit fee,
And like his, like his let my last end be /!
Captivating. A retail dry goods hous
in New York is said to flourish under II
e IL. o.