Wisconsin herald, and Grant County advertiser. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1844-1845, 1845-03-22
he vanished in the end, and then tho.
tower was silent.

Then and not before did Trot.y sec
in every bell bearded figure OF the
bulk and statue oflhc pclI--incomrrc-
hensibly, a6gurc and The bell itself---
Gigantic, grave, and earthly watchfdI
of him as he stood apparently rooscd
10 the ground.
Mysterious and awful figures! Rest
ing OH notling; poised in the night air
ola tower, with their draped and hood
cd heads merged in the dim roof, mo-
tionlcss and shadowy. Shadowy and
dark, although he saw them by some
light belonging 10 themsclvcs--none
elstwas thcrc-cach with his mufllcd
hand upon its goblin mouth. W
lie could not plunge down wildly
Trough the opening in the floor, for
all power OF motion had deserted him.
Otherwise he would haze done so--ayc,
would have thrown himself head fore
mast, from the stecplc-,op. rather than
have seen them watcfinghim with eyes
that would have wakcnc! and watch
cd although the pupils had been taken
out.
Again, again, the dread and terror Of
the lonely place, Of the l.ideons forms,
and OF the wild and fearful night that
rcigncd there, touched him like spec
trail hand. His distance from all help;
the long, da'k. winding, ghos.-bcloa-
cured way that lay between him and
the earth where men lived his being
high, high up there, where it had made
him dizzy TO see The birds ny insilc .
day; cut off from all good people, who
at such IN hour were safe at home u
sleep in their beds; all this struck cold.
ly through him, not as reflection, bu.
as bodily sensation. Meantime, his
eyes, his cars, his thoughts, were fixed
upon the watchful figures, Which rtn-
dcrcd unlike any Fl. ures of this world
by the deep gloom and shade, cnwrap-
ping and enfolding them, as well by
their looks and forms and supernatural
lowering about the floor, where never
the less were as plainly TO be seen as
were the stalwart oakcn frames, cross
pieces, bars and beams set up there to
support tie Bells These hemmcd
them in very forest OF hewn timbers;
from the cntanglcncnts, intricacies, and
depths Of which, as from among the
boughs''of n dead. wood blighted for
their Phantom use, they kept their
lonely, darksomc and unwearicd night
watch.
A blast Of air-how cold and shriIl;
came moaning through the tower. As
il died away, the Great Bell, or the
Goblin of the Great Bell spoke.
What visitor is this rit said. The
vol &C was low and deep, and Trotty
iancicd that it sounded into other fig
urcs ms well.
Il thought my name was called by
the Chimcsp Said Trotty, raising his
hands in an attitude of supplication. ]
hardly know why | am here, or Why
! came. ] have listened TO the Chimes
these many years. They have cheer
cd me often
'And you have thanked thcn,,' said
the Bell:
"A thousand timesr cried Trotty.
'IIowp
Il am "A poor man. faltcrcd Trott,,
'and could only thank them in words
'And always soi' inquired the Cob
lin OF the Bell. Have you never done
us wrong in wordss
MOI cried Trotty eagerly.
Never done us foul. and wicked
wrong, in vord,'' pursued the Goblin
Of the Bell.
Trotty was about 10 answer sNcycrn
But he stopped and was confused.
The voice of Time said the Phan-
tom, cries TO man, Advance! Time
is for his advancement and improve
ment; for his greater worth, his great
CT happiness, his better life; his pro-
gross onward to that goal within its
view. and set there, in the period when
time and he began. Ages of darkness,
wickedncss, and violence have come
and gone; millions unacconnt bic have
suffered, lived, and died; TO, point the
way before him. Who seeks to turn
him back, or stay him on his course AR
rests a mighty engine which will STRIFE
the mcddler dead, and be the ficrccr
and the wilder for Its momcntarv
checkn
" never did so to my knowledge,
Sir, said Trolty: sit was quite by ac-
} cidant ;f AL T ,,o,.tJ ,. ..