The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1847-03-13

when passed away il mingles unseen
with those that remain in the flesh;
and when he came to speak of the ter
restrial body, and to depict that
| '- naked cage of bone,
From which the winged soul is long since flown,
the glory of the celestial body, whose
surpassing beauty he described. illumi.
mated his own countenance. His eye
seemed purified to discern, in what to
US was vacancy, the objects ofa spirit.
ual world. Isat very near to him, be.
cause clearly perceived that assidu-
GUS application had wrought to fearful
excitement a meluncholic tempera.
ment, tenacious of emotion, and strong.
ly disposed to sadness and fear, | was
therefore more than the rest prepared,
when beheld him stretch forth his
hands and beckon strangely, crying at
| the same time, in a sad and solemn
voice. Come! come! He fell exhaus-
ted into my arms, for there was but a
step between US, and with an incohe.
rent muttering, lost all consciousness
of our presence. Seeing the iaintness
continue, opened his vest and remov-
ed the covering from his bosom, that
the cool air might restore the suspen.
ded circulation; and saw depicted
thereon, as seal, in faint but certain
lines, the image of a spider! What it
did import knew not, but instantly
replaced the linen, lest this revelation
should cause the poor youth p ,in when
the cloud of his afIliction had passed
over him. His countenance was sweet
and peaceful, as if in sleep. Twice or
thrice, reviving as with loviag affec-
ton, we conveyed him to his lodgings.
He opened his eyes, and seemed to
smile with gratitude and recognition
upon us. Tomorrow shall seek him.
| bless God that he is nigh at hanaw
"I1e is gone-that dear youth-for
whom my soul travelled, to the abode
Of his uncle in the pleasant village Of
s.. He has written to desire me
TO 60 to him, ere the silver cord be
loosed. l will hope, notwithstanding
his presentiments, that he may yet live
many years, and rejoice ia them aIl.--
| will 60, for the request is of God.
Mag | carry with me comfort and con-
ISOLATION, for indeed he is not to me as
the son of the stranger"
"Twas after the toilseme Journey
of day, through the solemn forest,
that travel-soiled and weary beheld
before me the dwelling OF any afflicted
scholar. Surely the spirit of heaviness
had written upon the door.posts "Des.
olate." The house was lofty and spa
cious, but it was sad and still. The
blinds were closed, and | heard no
voice of gladness, nor any sound save
my heavy tramp over the scented leaves
through the damp aisles Of the grove
which curtained the building. Alas!
| found him lying upon couch, pale,
attenuated, spiritual. He welcomed
me with heavenly smile, and bade
me sit near him, that l might not lose
the faint whispers Of his voics:-and
when ! began to speak words ofencour-
agement, he gently pressed my hand
and raised his eyes TO Heaven, and af.
ter the silence which folio wed he told
me that he had urged my coming from
the conviction that he was about to
die: and that might remove or explain
the anxiety from which he suffered,
but before he would confide to me its
source, he wished me to answer few
inquiries. Willingly | consented; and
then fixing upon me his eyes, which
were black and full of the deepest mel
ancholy, he asked me whether ! thought
that any one of the millions of disem.
bodied spirits around and among us can
at pleasure assume a mortal shape and
communicate with the living world?-
| ans wered him that certainly it was
possible TO Omnipotence to change the
mode in which the powers of Nature
act; that it would doubtless be a mira
Gle, which before we admitted we
should rather explain by attributing il
10 the diseased action of the body up
on the mind, or Of the mind upon the
body, or TO a combination of mental
with corporeal deluion. He next in
quired whether, after the flood had
swept away the isslles of intermarrJap
between the "Sons Of God" and the
daughters of Adam, witchcraft was re-
cognizsd in the Old Testament. To
this ! replied, that believed its denun-
Citations were aimed at idolatrv and
poisoning, and that the witch Of Endor
herself was more astonished than Saul
at the apparition Of Samuel, and that
under Christ nothing ofthis kind was
permitted; fdr that, be the old things
what they may, assuredly all things
were now made new. = EisS