The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1844-07-27


not on the following day. They search.
ed for him, they called him they waited
for him! Three days, four days. eight
days, month, year passed away, and
Pierre returned not
On the day of the wedding, as soon as
his long absence was perceived the
sports were suspended. The bride wepr
and wrung her hands. The miners;led
by the father, searched through every
passage in the mines, leaving no passage
where man could be, unexamined-
but nothing gave them any hope Of dis
covering The remains Of the companion
of their friend.
Margaret came near 10 death She
returned TO life 10 consecrste i, 10 the
father and mother of Pierre They had
so much TO weep for and she also, but
gratitude endowed her supernatural
courage. She took off her boque,
and her bridal wreath, and kissing them
said i:
Il will wait his return
Sixty years after this terrible and SIN
guIar adventure, many changes had Ia
ken place in The village.
Margaret had closed The eyes of he'
benelaclors. Nearly all those who had
been present a, her wedding had dissp.
peared from the earth. The children
who eaped for joy as they accompanied
The bride, had become old men. a new
generation had arisen, and the recollec.
ton of the adventure Of Pierre, and Of
his sudden disappearance, existed only
as those traditions, which passing from
age to age, furnish food for the rehcc
lions and dreams which superstition
inspires in the minds of the unenlighi
ed.
They spoke Of Pierre as of a superna
tural being. He was accused Of hsvinl
made compact with evil spirits. Du
ing the cold season, when the wind
chased the hoar frost through the air,
md made the dry branches Of The elm
and beeches crack, or when roaring il
the chimneys, they seemed to resent bl'
melaucholy groan, the old wone
pretended that il was Pierre, who cam
o ask for prayers and last esylum,---
They could hear his voice in the rum
bling of the thunder storm when th
snow had left the smiling fields and thu
sun ripened the grain, or inged the vim
caves on the hills.
In the heat Of the summer when
ght vapor frightened in the air, the
Thought it was shooting star, whc
lnnounced the torments Of the soul @
Pierre.
The cry ofthe night bird, the rus
ing of The leaves, the adder dartln
through the thick glass, the far of how
Of the wolf, all brought terror 10 tn
heart of the villagers, when they wer
obliged 10 quit their homes. The me
at the sounds OK i'll omen, fastened the
steps, knit their. brows and cast unqui'
looks around them, as if they thougI
1.-The cold hand of Pierre was stretche
over them and threatened their innocer
ones.
Pierre was every where. Prayer
were addressed 10 him, and wax tape
burned in honor OF him. The terrific
Imagination CT The villagers made lhel
regard as one intent Of inJuring then
The shade of him who during his 10
short career had only thought of dtin
good 10 his fellow creatures.
AT length it happened, after havin
! exhausted all the veins of the mine, an
ex plored all the old parts, it became n
cessary to dig new pits in another pIac
The proprietor came upon the ground
and his arrival was the signal for rejol
ling. He was humane and beloved b
all the miners.
o For four days they had Iabored; II
! ladies and The gay cavaliers, who ha
come with The proprietor TO assist in II
festival of the opening Of The mines, an
E who danced under the spreading branc
+ es, had returned 10 The city; none r.
n NAMED but The engineers and those il
d teresled in The mines.
. On a sudden a strange noise WI
y heard. II was a low murmuring llk
that which announces the distant thu
$ der storm. 1t was cry Of voices
u distress. The ground trembl ed; Il
= bells sounded loudly, every cord was
e motion. He wished TO leap into one
the baskets TO 60 TO The relief of II
wretches whose death he thought inev
5 table. All had assembled, the terrific
nj miners were pale and trembling, co