Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1847-11-10
"A Tale of Horror.
By e. A. P.
insanabile multos

fsss By e. A. P.
ssTenet insanabile multos
as scribendi caceethesn [Juvenal
Il did not see the lad. To that will
lake an oath--any oath you please, on
the Bible, the Koran, or Tooks' Fan:
fheon. | did not see the lad--yet
knew he was behind me--that he had
followed me for several squares up
Breadway-I knew that he wore but
ona shoe--I knew also, that he was
black, though / will again swear that
did not see bis shadow. How dld
you know allthis?' impatlently de-
mandslhe reader. Simply by my ana.
iy,ical facuhy-by resolving thought
into its constituent elements. This
was the magDun arcanum of my GER
tain and at first view, mysterious
knowledge Of these facts. Thus
knew that il was myself he was follow
ing, because amid all the hurrying
crowd, he had maintained so close a
proximity, that could distinctly hear
his Iabored respiration. knew that
he wore but one shoe, by the different
sounds made by the two feet in de.
scending.
Suddenly I turned upon the lad. and
said sternly--"what want you with
me?' The boy absolutely shrieked
with surpiise and terror--his ebony
complexion changed to ghastly blue,
and his enormous eyes rolled up till not
a particle of the iris was visible.
When sufficiently recovered, he pla.
ced in my hand a soiled and crumpled
note. on reading which, | ordered him
to conduct me to place therein desig-
mated. On. on, deeper and deeper, into
the most squalid and heaven-forgotten
portions of the city, was | led by my
1rchin guide. AT length we paused be-
fore tumble down. castle of a building
--the ne plus ultra ofall wretchedness,
where, after pointing up erumbling
fight of stairs. my ragged cicerone
held out his hand for a sixpence. An
old woman was standing in the doorway
"a Aeshless. stoothles, half sightless hag,
with grizzly elf locks struggling over
her shfiveled face, munching crust of
mouldy bread, forcibly taken from
starving dog. She took no notice oil
me, as Ipassed her TO ascend to the
third story of the house. The first two
or three stairs gave beneath my feet,
not having felt the weight ola
wellfed person for years. Shaking
from me the dislodged spiders and scor-
pions. which were running in an direc-
tions, shudderingIy but safely reached
The top of the stairway. Here closed
door obstructed my passage. To this
| found no handle, but percieveing
|ong black cord hanging through an ap.
erture, / concluded it was what is call.
ed a latch string, and gave tia vigor.
BUS pull. What was my horror to feel
i gliding from my grasp! 1t was the
Tail of an enormous rat. Raising nv
loot. Ievelled the door at once. and
second flight of stairs, found
myself in a small and most miserable
apartment. .
On table before me lay huge pile
If manuscripts. beside bottle labelled
Ink" but which had been last used as
candles,ick. On a wretched bed in
me corner, was extended the wasted
igure OF man. His emaciation was
% extreme that in some places. the
zones were protruding though the skin!
lis hair and beard of great length;
we're grizzly and matted. His nose
vas transparent in its ,hinness, and his
yes were sunken almost into indivisi.
,iEty... On the stand at his feet, was
'erched, what at first took for raven
ut presently discovered to be a wild
fsaged black cat,also fearfully a,tenua.
ed. ~
The sica man was quite insensible;
nd dying fast, but by few mesmeric
asses, and an intense concentration of
viii, / was able TO revive him for few
loments.s He opened his eyes-he
knew him! Ay, this for.
arn being was the once distinguished
AdoIphus Twiggs, the poet and novelist
the most successful delineator of the
.shionable and sentimental which our
ouatry has ever known! ayes my
lend" he said, 'you see before you the !
ictim Of the miserable compensation
warded to native genius-and of the
rant OF a law Of International copy
ght!', Then he added, with touching
npfessiveness, "Sum .quod eris fni
uod sis."
"How long have you been in this con-
ition7" ] asked.
"itis now two years." he replied,
since the Harpers, refused to bring G
ut my greatest work, fashionable