Litchfield enquirer., 1844-08-15
From Me Token
THE CAPTAINS LADY.
BY JAMES HAIL.

After an absence of several years from my native city, had lately the pleasure of paying 1t visit and, having spent few days with my friends, was about 10 bid adieu, once more. 10 the gocdly ana quiet city of Philadelphia. The day had not yet dawned, and I stood trembling at the door of the stage office. mufied in great coat while the dri
 yer was securing my baggage. The streets were still and tenantless and not foot seemed to be tra. yelling but my own. Every body slept, gentle and simple; for sleep is gentle and simple tnlng me watchmen slumbered, and the very lamps seemed to have caught the infectious drowsiness l felt that possessed at that moment a lordly pre-emi. hence among my fellow citizens; for they were all torpid as dead to consciousness as swallows in the winter or mummies in a catacomb. l alone had sense, knowledge, power, energy: lne Fest were all peydss--shut up like the imprisoned gem, wno were bottled away by Solomon, and cast into the saa, could release them from durance in an inc stant; could discharge either of fhem from im'
 prisonment, or could suffer the whole to remain speu bound until the appointed time of tneir en- largement Every thing slept; the mayor alder men, and councils. the civil and the mstafy peaFh
 ing, and beauty. and eloquenee, porters. dogs and drays, steam engines, and patent 1nacnIneS' e'e" the elements reposed. ss .. |,
 If if had not been 60 cold, could have moralized upon the death.li6e torpor that reigned over the city, As it was, could not help adm'riDg that wonderful regulation of natuIe whIch mus periou ically suspends the vital powers of awhoe Peore
 There is nothing so cheering as tne oasle xTs HL crowd. nothing more awful than ts Fepose. when
 we behold the first, when we notice the vast aggre- gate of human life vasiously occupied, SO wsaei
 Gifi,sed, so powerful and so buoyaDt, sensation IS produced like that with which we gaze at tne ocean when agitated by storm sense of the utter ln- adeoyateness of human power to still sucn mass of troubled particles; but when sleep sfrews ner
 poppies, it is like the pouring of oil upon the Foi ling waves. ..a,o, .,,o fhad barely time to make this remark, when two figures rapidly approached-two Of Solomons genn escaped from duEesse. Had not theIr outwaru forms been peaceable and worldly, could nave fanced them pair of malignant spsrits' comi"g ~ invite me to meeting of cOnspirators, or dance of .yitches. It was Quaker gentlemen, with la- dv hapaing on one arm, and lantern on the other. 90 that. although he carried double, fis burdens were bot light. As soon as they reached dbe spol
 where stood the pedestrian raised his lantern to my face and inspected it earnestly for moment - began to think he was police ofhcer who na-
 wing picked up one candidate for the tread-mhl' was seeking to find her companion. It was an
 vpiust suspicion; for worthy Obadiah was only "a,
 king lecture on physognomy, and being sai1snfo
 with the honesty of my lineaments, he sasd Fray:
 friend would it suit thee to take charge oi aaay | What a ouestion! Seldom have my nerves re- ceived go great shOrh. Not that there was any thing alarming or disagEeeable in the propos'nOn
 hut the address was SO sudden. the inferrogatov sd I direct. the subject matter SO unexpected! 'Vake rharee of ladv' auofh he! had been for year
 a candidate for tlTis@eTv honor. Never vas there more willing soul on the +ourd world had al
 .vays been ready S0 take cbsrge of Iadv, but hal never been happy eNCDgh [" find one who was VII
 ling to place herself urder my 'rctec'ion ard "T~
 when least exrerfod it. rarN~ . ta'r vela"t 2
 with tbe sanctioa Cf Parent, ioaheO" herSeli' a