The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1849-01-04

sUpOS Vcctsscu so CIuuSp ubS euebgSeF, Upu.
king them unequal even 10 that last effort
Of all. A mist was over bis ewes; vet he
still saw through its gathering folds the
dark waving ghostly irees--the stars over.
head and the calm ripping WAVES below.
A, uncertain still, he seemed TO lean
over the parapcs. he felt il give way. A
shuddcr--an unconscious and vain efort 10
spring bsck--and the waters had drawn
him in. The terrible refuge which he
sought had Of itself opened its doors to re-
ceivc him--and there wns no retreat.
A in dreams, we sometimes feel our.
selves plunged deeper and deeper into m
abyss which we know to be fnihomIess. md
vet experience no terror, no pnin-so Iris
TIM ssnk. lie seemed to feel the cool dark
winters above him, around him, folding him
in m embrace which he knew was that Of
denth-and yet the parting Of soul md bo
dy brought no ngony. Ilc thought il
would have been a terrible pang-bus j,
felt only like the loosening Of a burden
the putting oft Of robe. He would MOI
believe in the reality Of the immortal
change.
Tristan felt himself rising up-up to the
surface of the river. A flint idea haunted
him that il was always 50 with the drown.
ing; whom the wave tnuntingly casts forth
once or twice-giving n chance of life be-
fore il swallows them in forever. He might
have one more sight of tho real world, be-
fore entering into tho land of shadows, on
whose verge he stood. lie could no, rec
onci!e to himself tho truth he had already
passed through the eternal gate-far he
hnd vet powers Of thought and sense. liz
heard the murmnr of the little waves. md
saw the stars shining through the waters.
He reached the surfacc-resolvcd to
make one struggle md rinse himself from
that dark nbyss. But there WINS M need
A. ensiy rs n winged thought, Tristan Eel,
himself discngaged from the winters aud
floating above them with the lich,ness Of n
bird. Then he knew that the mvsterinus
change had indeed passed over him--,hai
he was no longer living man. but spirit
And there. waited powcrle.slv to and
fro nv the eddics Of the river. with mo-
,ion ihat awfully stimulated life. las the
thing TINT had bcrn Tristan! The sou;
shnddcred rs il looked upon the dcnd form
lit knew then what was the guilt If mur-
der. Ave, although, this had been ito own
mortal dwelling place which il Ind DESTROY
ed, or wished to DESTROY still il wns n,,r.
der! ll"w dared he IN mike stiff md help
lees the hand which nigh, have aided n hu.
mnn broiher--wbicb had responded 10 ma
ny friendI. clasp? How dared he to
dnrken with Tint terrible 'glnzed stare the
orbs into which, bn three hours age. he
loved md most loving eyes had locked.
seeing there n reflected imagc-knowing
we'll that rs that image dwclt in his eyes
so il dwc't in bis heart, md blcst in that
knowledge? cast among the dirk
weeds the bright liair where her fingers Ind
right TO strav-ihe lips which hers Ind n
right TO press? Oh! il WINS n sin, n dend-
" sin; and he-ihe spirit Of the dead iris
,nn--iclt !, to be 50, now. Parted from lis
nortnliiv-from that chain which. bv the
might of the senses. had dragged it down
from NIL higher impulses --ihe soul knew
wherein il Ind erred. Yet something Of
the selfishness Of its earthly nature cncum-
bcred ii still.
III WINS n bitter md hesrtlcss world 10
mc' thought hc-fnr the spirit Of Tristan
was Tristan siill; 4 ever sought for good
therein and found none. NV friends
tempted me with kindness and left me 10
strive; nv very flesh md blood set their
faces against me; doubted Love itself
and had not cause? And now, what soul
IL there living that thinks of the one this
night thrust into tho land Of nothiugness ?
Would knewr
And with thnt desire came the knowI-
edge Of all the power that il possessed bv
a discmbodied spirit. The shadow floa'ed
on tho wings Of the night over the sleeping
city, and found itself ut tho entrance Of Il
house to which Tristan had crept not
twelve hours bcfore-n blot Of significant
misery ON its stately threshold-a butt for
the underling's i'll concealed scorn. So
deemed he then; and rejoicing pride
thrilled through the spirit now, rs, dcfving
all human power. all bars Of pomp and GER
cmony. he passed into the nnermost cham
Der. The man he sough, sat there, with
his wife at his side.
Tristan had never seen that face but
whom is lines were made hnrsh by the
pressure Of worldly cares. He could not
hardly believe il was the Same that now
wore pleasant, kindly smile, or that the
voice which chnttcd nbout the lively domes-
tic nothings was the very tone that sound
cd so cautious and severe among the array
If ledgers and check-books in . little dark
Office. Yet there they were. the cold man
of business and his fashionable wife, look-
ing contented, homelike, affectionate, talk
ing together after the day was done. Even
among the dazzling splendors Of that luxri-