The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1848-08-10
A FEARFUL DREAM.

from the extreme profligacy Of iis members
and the RIGHTEOUSNESS Of their orgies, wns
commonly called the He'll Club. Besides
their nightly or weekly meetings. they
held one grand saturnalia, in which each
one tried to excel the other in drunkenness
and blasphemy; and on these occasions
there was no star among them whose Iurid
lirh, wns more conspicuous than that Of
MIR. Archibald B, who endowed with
brilliant talents and a handsome person.
had held out great promise in his boy hood,
aud rased hopes which had been complete
~ frustrated by his subsequent reckless
designations.
One morning. nficr returning from his
annual festival, Mr.. Archibald B. having
retired to bed, dreamed the following
dream:
lie fancied that he himself was mount.
ed on favoritc black horse, tina, he always
rode, and that he was proceeding towards
hi, own house-thcn country scat EN-.
powered by trees, and situated upon hi II
now entirely built over, end forming part
of the city--whcn a stranger, whom the
darkness. Of thc night prevented his dis
,inc,ly discerning, suddenly seized his hnr-
se's rein, saying, 'you must 60 with me"
And who nre vocg exclaimed the Young
man with vclley 81 oa,hs, willis, he strug
sled 10 free himself
That YOU will sec b. and by,' returned
The other, in tone that excited unaccount.
able terror Ia the youth; who plunying his
spurs into his horse, attempted TO fly but
in vain. However fast the animal flew.
the stranger was still beside him, iill at
length. la his desperate eiior,s tn escape,
the rider was thrown; but, instead Of being
dashed to the earth, rs he expected. he
found himself falling -falling--iallinr .,i!l,
as if sinking into the bowels &c the earth.
At length period hcing put TO this mvs-
icrious descent, he found breath Ia inquire
of his companion. who was still bcside him,
whittier they were going.
.Wherc ami? Where nrc you taking
mer he exclaimed.
IT" hell . replied the stranger: mud inn
mediatclv in,erninahle echoes repeated the
fearful sound. To hell! to hell! To hellr
Al length light appeared which soon
increased 10 blaze; hut, instead III the
cries. and .reans aud lamentations. the ter
riticd traveller expected, nothing met his
ear bni sounds ii mir,h and ipl,tv; aud h.
found himself NJ the entrance al n sapcrh
building, Car exceeding anv he Ind seen
constructed by human hands. Within. Too,
what scene. M amusement, employ.
snent or pursuit of man on earth, hnt war
here being carried On with a vchemencc
There The Young md lovely still swau
| through the mazes al the piddv dance! -
There the painting s,eed still borc his bru,a
rider through The excitement of the goa,lcd
race, There over The midnight bowl tho
incorporate still drawled out the wan,ou
song 90 maid'n blasphcmy! The gambler
Piled forever his endless gamc, aud the
slaves 81 Manmon ,oiled through c,er-
nity their bitter task; whilst all the
IN. cniticencc Of eosth palcd before iha,
which now ;nct his view
lie SION perceived that be WIS amongst
cid acqnair,anccs, whom he krcw Ia be
dead; and each, be observed. was pursuing
the object whatever il WAS. that had irmer
" encrosscd him; when. finding himself re.
Iicved al the presence ot his un~elcome
conductor, lie ventured To address his former
friend Mrs. D. whom he saw sitting
ne was her wont on cirth, absorbed nj loo
requesting her 10 rest from tho game, and
iniradnrc him 10 the pleasures Of the place,
which appeared To him TO be very unlike
what he hid expected. BIT with a cry al
agony, she answered, that there wns no res,
in hell; TINT they must ever toll on ., those
very pleasures; and innumcrable voices
echoed through the in,erminnble vaults,
there i no rest in hell. whilst throwing
open their vests. each disclosed in his ho-
som m cvcr-burning fame! These they
said, were the pleasures of he'll; their choice
on earth was now their inevitable doom
In the midst Of the hnrror this sccnr inspi-
red, his conductor returned, and nj his earn
Is, entreaty restored him again to earth
but no he Quilted him. no said, Remember
in year md dav we meet AGAIN.
Al this crisis IL his dream the sleeper
awoke. fevcrish aud i'll; and whether from
the effect ofthc dream or Of his preceding
orgies, he was So nnwell ~ to bs obliged
to keep his bed Tor several DAYS: during
which period he had time for many scri-
aus reflections, which terminated in res
oIuiion 10 abandon the club end his licen-
tons companions altogether.
lilo WINS no sooner well than they flncked
around him. bent on recovering 30 vnIna.
able member of their society; md. has.
ing wfung from him . confession oi the
cause Of his detection. which. ~ nav b.
supposed appeared To them emincn,ly ride
ulous, they ann contFived To mako him
ashamed nf his good resolutions. He joir.
ed them again: resumed his fsmer course