Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1850-01-24
nlistcllnncous.
from ihc New Monthly Mnslzne.
Posthumous Memoirs of Myself.

Posthumous Memoirs of Myself.
BY HORACE SMITH, ESQ, AUTHOR OF ERAM-
BLETYE HOUSE, sc. &c.
Continued from our last
CHAPTER VI.
Il was now clear. manifest, indisputable,
that had been Intentionally poisoned by
NV most uugralciul and unnatural son and
ihii was 10 be hurried into The grave with
~c1udaiu precipitation, lest the return
Of Dr. Lluuci, id.d an examination of the
body. might lead TO detection of the vii
lanyi To the lingering h pc by winch
had been hitherto su>tainod-the chance Of
revivil1 during the week that usually inter-
vcncs between death and interment-now
succeeded an utter despair, aggr waited by
an intense rage against the nlscreant to
whu-e Vaccinations had fallen victim,
and ieelIne of ,lnu,terahle loaihiug and
horror It the prospect of beng buried alive.
Thi> volcano If iieryplssion burnt inward
y with thc more terrific energy. because 1t
was denied all outward vent, either by voice
or ge~ture. Grusns and cries, fierce invcc-
tive or convuiSNe violence, are the outbur>ts
which nature has provided for the manles
tatl.u aud relief Of mental or corporeal az
ony; but while my anguish was probably
more acute rhan human being had ever
previously suffered while my life might yet
be slvcd bv the uticrauce of a sound or the
movement Of Il hnger, | remained dumb,
helpless, and imnorable-a living corpse!
II might have been ihunght that the misery
of my plight was hardly susceptible of in
crease. vet the necessity of listening to the
heaFile>S. the atrocious language of my son,
rendered my tongut-tied Impolency Il
Thousand times more Iutolerable.
Alas / was quickly doomed to hear still
more revolving, still more cold-blooded or
ders issued by the parricide-ior snch he
might be termed IN intention, though his
guilty purpose had not yet been consumma-
ted Not very long after the retirement of
my daughter from the paror, the underta-
ker made his appearance, wearing his pro-
fess.oual face Of incousollbe woe, and
walking as noiselessly as if he feared that
his tcolfali might revive the deceased, and
50 occasion the loss of lucrative Job.
well, Tomkins, SAID the young repro
bate. who had been solacing his grief with
bottle Of Madeira, aud some sandwiches,
'you guess, / dare say, why have sent for
You
Yes, sir; melancholy business, sad af-
fair; very sorry to hear IT.
Come. come, Mr.. Tomkins: no hum
bag. no humGaerv! What undertaken was
ever sorry 10 hear Of death! Nonsense |!
people must die-always have, aud always
VIII nothing new, so You need not look so
coulaundedly miserable Now to business.
should wish tie old gentleman to have a
hands me funeral
'Oh certainly, sir, certainly. gentle
mon Of your fine fortune would desire, of
course. to have everything suitable
Yes, but | am not golng 10 leave 1t to
Won. Here are my orders, all written down.
No extras, You see; everything can soon be
got ready, aud SO we Will have the funeral
on Friday
Dear me, did you say Friday, sir That
viii be only three days after the death; aud
few people are ever buried under a week,
ualess th re are particular reasons.
Well, but there are particular reasons
He died OF an infections disease of very
viraleut and malignant kind, aud so for the
sake OF the living we must pep HIM under
ground :~ fast as possible. GU can have
everything ready by next Friday, suppose
In iact you met.'
j question whether we could get tho
leaden coffin soldered together III such q
a hurry Mr.. Briggs, You see, must firsi
come 10 take measure; then-'
why, then we won't have one at all
An elm coffin wall do-keep him tlght e.
nouqh, ! dare say. Not afraid OF the corpse
ge;lng out, are your
'Oh dear, no, sir; we screw ZEN down
too tigll for that; only, when we bury IN
yauli, (vuurs Is a capital o.e, sir,) 1t Is Gus
tomary To have lead
VI eli. we'll, the old gentleman will be
among his own family; and though reia-
tions are so apt to quarrel when alive, be-
IIeve they are very good friends alter death
You never heard Of their collins standing
on end and running a-ilit at each other, die
you p
Tucked by the absurdity of this idea, he
again INDUCED III burst of that inane and
hldeous laughter by which had previously
been reyolted; and having dismissed the
undertaken with a renewal of his peremp
Tory orders, he walked up aud down the
room. qnafiing fresh glasses OF MADEIRA
Enthusiastically swinging his arms, and chuck
Jnp as he mutiered to himself, Capita
DODGE about the malignant fever Tomkin'
will spread it everywhere, and so explain
the hurry. Good, good?
CHATTER VII.
Abandoned once more TO solitude, silence
and NV own miserable thoughts. had nc
other occupation than to count every knei
of the clock that brought me sixty minutes
nearer to my living burial, doom iron