Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1843-03-09

penis, succeeded, and when looked a
gain the river was dry.
fed from the appalling spectacle, snt
sought the city, where all was dismay
and confusion. Some were shrieking anC
tearing their hair, in guilty apprehension
OF the horrors of death, and the suffer
ings OF the world TO come. Others sat IL
mute despair, awaiting in dumb lnsen
sbilty the fate of oil the rest of then
race, while others compelled by the IN
stinct of self preservation, and iorgetiu
Of the inevitable doom that awaited them
were devising various expedIents for IS
Gaping, and securing their most valuable
articles about their persons. A little love
SICK maiden had hung the picture Of heI
lover about her snowy neck !; an anxious
mother sat weeping and wrlnging her
hands by the side OF a cradle, where lay a
little laughing cheruo playing with a
kitten; while another was rushing madly
about, with child in her arms, which she
had squeezed to death in her convulslve
writings. Thousands Of scenes like
these occurred all around, but | deligh,
not to dwell on horrors, and will proceed
tn state what saw Of the exhibitions oi
the various modes of grief, dlsappoln!
ment and despair, which served TO con-
vince me that the ruling passion will
struggle in the last agonles OF existence,
and triumph at the moment of the dssolu-
ton of nature herself.
In the course Of my wandeiings, me-
thought | encountered the celebrated Flre
King, who was sitting at home quietly
smoking his cigar, and calculating that
being the destined survivor OF all his race,
he would succeed TO an immense landed
estate, and become lord proprietor OF the
whole earth. Having agreed upon the
terms, he furnished me with an aniidote
against the beat Of the most raging an
;hracite furnace, and being now assured
Of safety | made my observations with
more GOODNESS and precision. Being Of
rather prying disposition, conceived
that as every thing wosin a state Of utieI
confusion, the doors and windows all open,
and no police officers on duty, there was
no occasion TO stand upon ceremony.
accordingly made my way into the
most private recesscs OF various hablta.
Hons where saw many things which
would not disclose, were Il not that all
this Is nothing hut dream. Entering a
handsome house rather splendidly furnish.
ed, | saw an old man upwards of four.
score, who was bitterly complaining OF be
ing thus suddenly cut off, without time t.
make his will and repent Of his SINS
while an elderly woman, whom took 10
be one of Jobs comforttr is, was upbralGI
ing him for not taking her advice, and at-
tending to these matters long ago. Ia
another miserable house, without inrni.
ture aud destitute of every comfort of life
| discovered sbrlvelied, cadaverous
spectre, hugging bag of gold, and la
men,lng the hardshIps of being called A.
way just a day before the ln,eres, became
payable on his bank stock. met in anoth.
er place the speculator, with the perspIra-
lion have made he had only foreseen this
calculating the imHrnse profits he might
rolling down his face in torrents who was
sudden catastrophe. A little farther on,
saw n glu.lon devourng a pair Of can.
vass backs, and heard him at intervals
mumbling to hmself--"They shau't cheat
me out OF my dinner" the next person
particularly noticed, was staun' h be-
newer in progress" who WAS Terribly
out of honor that the world should he de.
stroyeG just ss it was on the high road to
perfectibilty. He had an essay in his
hand, which he was rolling up 10 close in
bottle, Theoretically sealed, in the hope
that it might float down 10 posterity, and
make him Immortal, forgetting as sup
posed, that the world was now about Il
perish by fire, and no, by wafer. In ths
course Of my further peregrinations. ! lel
10 with father very busy in making a
will, dividing his property among his chill
dren; and another dislnhefiting his sol
for marrying against his wishes. usur
er was lemenling that he was not aware
Of what was coming, as he would certain
ly have borrowed good round sum, ane
thus escaped paving the interest. A wor
thy dealer in political haberdishery, wnt
had been seeking Office, believe, evel
since the flood, was exclaiming agars
fate for casting him off, now thu, he nat
actually received promise of succeed
ing gentleman who was only five year,
younger than himself, Immediately on hi
death. This example by the way
brought TO my recollection circumstance
that actually hoppened in real life, anc
within my own knowledge, where an OLE
man of upwards Of three score and ter
actually hanged himself on the mar
rage of his daughter, 10 whose fortune hi
looked forward to becoming heir provi
ded she died without issue. Ii is some
what singular tina. people always calculate
on OUTLYING those, by whose death they
expect to be benefitf d.
In the course Of my peregnations, en-
counlered some Of the disciples Of thu
prophet, who, one might have supposed
would have been prepared for the even
they had so long confidently anticipated
But il seemed they were as much tinker
by surprise as their unbelieving neigh
bors, and were running to and fro in grea
CONSERVATION, or preparing IN all hsst'
for what they had been expecting at lels
ure according to the ways oi the wis
people Of this world, who see farther int