Wisconsin herald, and Grant County advertiser. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1844-1845, 1845-03-22
THE THIRD QUARTER.


gives up the dead. Monsters uncouth
and wild, arise in premature, imperfect
resurrection; things are joined and mix
ell by chance; aud when, and how, and
by what wonderful degrees, each sep
aratcs from each and every sense and
every part and object Of the mind, re-
samcs its usual form and lives again
no man, though every man is every
day the caskct of this type Of the grea
Majesty can tell.
SO when and how the darkncss OF
the mig t-blaok stccplc changed to shi
ming light; when and low the solitary
tower was pcoplcd with a myriad Of fig
ures, when and how they whispered,
i haunt and hunt HIM brcathcd monot.
onously through his sleep or swoon. be-
came voice exclaiming in the waking
ears of Trotty, 'break his slumbcrs;'
when and how lie ceased 10 have II
sluggish and confused idea that such
things were companioning host OF
Others that were not; there arc no dates
or means to tell. But--awak,, and
standing on his feet upon the boards
where he had lately lain--hc saw this
goblin ghost.
lie saw the tower whittier his charm
cd footsteps had brought him, swarm
ing with dwarf phantoms, spirits, elm
creatures of the bells. He saw them
lcaping, flying, dropping, pouring from
the bells without pause. He saw
them round him on the ground; above
him in the air; clambcring from him
on the ropes below; looking down up
on him from the massive iron-girdcd
beams; pccping inupon him through the
chinks and loop-holcs in the walls
spreading away and away from him in
enlarged circles, as the watcrripples
give place 10 huge stone that sudden.
ly comes splasaing among them. lie
saw them of all aspects and all shapes.
lie saw them ugly, handsome, Grip
pied, cxquisitcly formed. He saw them
young, he saw them old, he saw them
kind, he saw them cruel, he saw item
merry, he saw Il en- grim, saw tear
their hair, and Eeard them howl. He
saw them come and go inccs an.ly. lie
saw them riding downward, soaring up
ward, sailing of aiar, perch d near at
hand, all restless and violently active.
Stone, and brick, and slate and tile,
became transparent and clear TO him
as to them. lie saw them in the hou-
scs, busy at the slcercrs' beds. He saw
them soothing people in their dreams
he saw them beating them with knot
ted Whips, he saw them yelling in their
cars; he saw them playing softest music
on their pillows; he saw them cheering
some with the song of birds, and with
the perfume of flowers; lie saw then
flashing awful faces upon the troubled
rest OF others, from enchanted mirror.
which they carried in their hands.
He saw these creatures, not only
among sleeping men, but waking also:
active in pursuits irreconcilablc with
one another, and possessing or assum-
ing natures the most opposite. He saw
one buckling on innumcrable wings to
increase his speed; another loading
himself with chains and weights To re.
tard his. He saw some putting the
hands of the clock forward. and some
putting the hands Of the clock back
ward. and ondcayoring to stop the cloc k
entirely. He saw them representing
here a marriage ceremony, there Il
funeral, in this chamber an election, in
that ball.
Bcwildcred BY The hos. oi shifting
and extraordinary figures, as well rs
by the uproar of the Bells, which all
this time arc ringing, Trotty clung TO a
wooden pillow for support, and turn
ed his white face here and there in mute
advertisement.
As nc gazcd, the Chimes stoppcd.--
instantaneous change! The whole
swarm tainted; their forms collapsed,
their speed deserted them; they sought
TO ny, bat in the act Of falling, died
aud melted into air. No fresh supply
succeeded them One straggIer leap
ed down pretty briskly from the surface
OF the Great Boil, and alighted on his
feet, but was dead and gone before he
could turn around. Some few OF the
late company who had gambolled in
the tower, remained there, spinning
over and over little longer; but these
became at every turn more faint, and
few and feeble, and soon went the way
Of tho rcst. The last OF all was one