New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1848-03-30


was nearest, was some miles away. Here he ahght
ed then and going straight into the tavern, unob
served by any one secured two rooms up stairs com
mnnicaiug with each other. and sufficiently retired
His object was. 10 rest and recover the command
Of himself and the balance Of his mind. lmbece
discontinue and rsge-so that az he walked about
his room. he ground his teeth-hst complete pos
session Of bin. His thoughts no; to b. stopped or
directed. still wandered where they wond. and
dragged him after them n was supplied, and he
/ wss wearied 10 death.
But as If there were curse upon him that he
shoold never rest again. his drowsy senses would
not lose their consciousness. He had no more in
fuence with them. in this regard than Il they had
been another mans. 10 was not that they forced
him u take note fpresent sounds and objects bnt
that they would not be diverted from the whole
! hurried vision Of his Journey. Ii was constantly
before him all at once. She stood there, with her
. dark disdainful eyes again upon him aud he was
riding on nevertheless through town and country
] light and darkness, wet weather and dry, over
road and pavement, hill and valley, hight and Dol
low. jaded and scared by the monotony OF bells.
] and wheels and horses feet and no rest
what day is this p he asked of the waiter.
who was making Preparations for his dinner
Day, Sir p
lis it Wednesday
/ w Wednesday, Sir No Sir Thursday. Sir"
/ d" | forgot How goes the time My watch is
/ unwound"
/ Wants few minutes OF i've O'Clock, Sir Been
travelling along time, Sir perhaps p
Yes
by rail, Sir ?"
Yes
"very confusing. Sir. Not much in the habit OF
travelling by rail myself Sir but gentlemen ire.
/ qaently say So
DO many gentlemen come here
Pretty we'll Sir in general. Nobody here NJ
present Rather slack just now. Sir Everything
IS slack, Sir
He made no answer: but had risen into sitting
posture on the sofa where he had been lying, and
leaned forward, with an arm on each knee, staring
at the ground He could not master his own st
tention for a minute together. 1t rushed away
where il would. but it never, for an instant, lost
itself in sleep.
He drank quantity Of wine after dinner, in
vain No such artificial means would bring sleep
to his eyes. His thoughts, more incoherent, drag
ged him more numerically after them-as If
wretch. condemned to such expiation. were drawn
at the heels of wild horses. No oblivion, and no
rest
How long he sat, drinking and brooding, and
being dragged in Imagination hlther and thither, no
one could have told less correctly than he. But he
knew that he had been sitting long time by can
delight when he started up and listened, in
sudden terror
For now, indeed it was no fancy The ground
shook the house ratified, the fierce impetuous rush
was in the air He felt it come up. aud 60 dart
ing ~ aud even Wnen Ne Udu uufflfu 10 tue VIII
dow, and what it was, he stood shrinking from
il, as lift were not safe too look.
A curse upon the fiery devil laundering along
so smoothly tracked through the distant valley by
a glare Of light and urid smoke, and gone he
felt ms If he hsd been pucked out OF its path, and
saved from being torn asunder IL made MIN snrinA
and shudder even now, when its faintest hum was
hushed and when the lines Of iron road he could
trace in the moonlight running 10 point were as
empty and as silent as desert
Unable t. rest aud resistibly attracted--or he
thought so-to this road, he went out, and lounged
On the brink of il, marking the way the tram had
gone By the yet smoking cinders that were lying
in its track. After lounge of some hali-hour In
the direction by whichit had disappeared he turned
and walked the other way-still keeping u the
brink of the road-past the inn garden and long
way down. looking curiOusly at the bridges arg
nails lamps aud wondering when another Deyil
would come by.
A trembling of the ground, and quick vibration
in his ears distant shrek dul light advaDc-
ing, quickly changed TO two red eyes, and herce
fire. dropping glowing Goals an irresistible bearing
on of great roaring and dllsting mass; high wind
and a rattle-another come and gone, and he hold
ing to a gate, as if to save himself!
He waited for another. and for another. He
walked back to- his former point. and back again 70
that, and still, through the wearsome vision OF his
Journey looked for these approaching monsters.
tie loitered about the station, waiting until one
was detached for water, he stood parallel with IT,
watching it's heavy wheels and brazen 'front.', and
thinking what a cruel power and might It had
Ugh To see the great wheels slowly turning
and to think of being run do and crushed!
Disorde red with wine and want OF rest-that
want which nothing although he WAS so weary,
would appesse-these ideas and objects assumed
a diseased importance ia his thoughts. When he
went back to his room, which vas not until near
midnight they still haunted him, and he sat listen
ing Tor the coming OF another
So in his bed, whittier he repaired with no hope
OF sleep He still lay listening, aud when he felt
the trembling and vibration, got up and went to the
wirdow 10 watch las he could from it's postioo the
dull light changing b the two red eyes and the
fierce fire dropping glowing Goals and the rush OF
the giant it fed past and the track OF glare and
smoke along the valley. Then he would glance In
the direction by which he intended 70 depart at
sunrise as there was no rest for him there and
would lie down again, 10 bs troubled by the
vision OF his Journey and the old monotony oil bells
and wheels and horses feet, until another came.
This lasted all night. so far from resumlng the
mastery of himself. he seemed. If possible to
lose it more and more. as the night crep, on
When the dawn appeared he was still tormented
with thinking, still postponing thought until he
should be in better state; the past, present and
future all oated coniusedly before him, and he had
lost all power OF looking steadily at any one OF
them.
. A, what time" he asked the man who had
waited on him over night, now entering with
candle d" do leave here, did you say T.
About quarter after four Sir. Express comes
through at four, Sr.-Don I stop
He passed his hand across his throbbing head |
and looked Mt his watch Nearly hafpast three
Nobody going with you, Sir. probably, observed
the man Two gentlemen here, Sir, bat they re-
waiting for the train to London
Il thought you said there was nobody here,
said Carker turning upon him with the ghost OF his
old smile when he was angry or suspicious
Not then, Sir Two gentlemen came in the
night by the short train that stops here, Sir
w arm water. Sirl
mo and take away the candle. There . day
enough for me-
Having thrown himsolu poe the bod halt dressed.
he was 81 tho window the an left tho room. The
cold light OF morning had succeeded 10 night and
there was already IN the sky tho red saiiusion %
tho coming sun. Hc bathcd bis head and face with
~atcr-there was no cooling influence IN u TOT hint
hurredly put on his clothes paid whs, no owed aud
went out
Tho air struck chill and comiortlcss as Il bresthed
upon him There wa. heavy dew and, hot as ho
sa. IL made him .hivrr. Aner glance At tho
place where no had walked last night and at Ihe
signallishi. burning ieoby In tho morning and DO
frit OF their significance. ha turned 20 where the
sun was rising aud hcheli IT, In It's glory. 40 h
broke upon tho scene
In Is boaufy. a. al.