The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1850-02-01
THE FATAL SECRET.

AL aSeu man, Without al enemy III
the world, in his own house, and in his
own bed, is made the victim of a
butchcrly murder, for mere pay
Deep sleep had fallen on the destined
victim, and on all beneath his roof.
~ healthful old man, to whom sleep
was sweet, the first sound slumbers oil
the night held him to their soft but
strong embrace. The assassin enters,
through the window already prepared,
into an unoccuped apartment. With
noiseless foot he PAGES the lonely hall,
half lighted by the moon; he winds up
the ascent Of the stairs, and reaches
the door OF the chamber. OF this he
moves the lock, by soft and continued
pressure, till it turns on its hinges
without noise; and he enters, and be.
holds his victim before him. The
room was uncommonIy open to the
admission of light. The face of the
innocent sleeper was turned from the
murderer, and the beams of the moon.
resting on the gray locks of his aged
temple, showed HIM where to strike.
Tbs fatal blow is gwen! and the vic.
tim passes, without n struggle or mo.
ton, from the repose of sleep to the
re?ose of death 1t is the assassin's
purpose to make sure work, and he
yet plies the dagger, though it was
obvious that life had been DESTROYED
by the blow of the bIudgeon. He
even raised the aged arm, that he
may not fail in his aim at the heart,
and replaces it again over the wounds
Of the poniard! TO finish the picture.
he explores the wrist for the pulse !!
He feels for il, and ascertains that it
beats no longer! 1t is accomplished.
The deed is done. He retreats, re.
traces his steps to the window, passes
out through it as he came in, and es.
capcs. He has done the MURDER
eye has seen him, no car has heard
him. The secret is his own, and it is
safe
Az! gentlemen, that was dreadful
mistake. Such a secret can be safe
no where. The whole creation of
God has neither nook or corner, where
the guilty can bcstow it, and say it is
safe. Not to speak of that eye which
chances through all DISCUSSES, and be-
held everything, as in the splendor of
noon. such sec cts of guilt arc never
safe from detection. even by men,
True il is, generally speaking. that
murder will out True it is, tina,
Providence hath so ordained, and doth
50 govern things. that those who break
the great law of heaven. by shedding
mans blood, seldom succeed in avoid.
ing discovery. Especially, in case
exciting so much attention as this.
discovery must come and will come,
sooner or later. A thousand eyes
turned at once 10 explore every man,
every thing, every circumstance. con
nected with the time and place; 4
thousand ears catch every whisper, a
thousand excited minds intensely dwell
on the scene, shedding all their light,
and ready to kindIc the slightest cir.
cumstance into a blaze of discovery.
Meantime, the guilty soul cannnt keep
its own secret. 1t is false to itself, or
rather it feels an irresistible impulse
Of conscience to be true to itself. IL
Iabors under its guilty possession. and
knows not what to do with it. The
human heart was not made for the
residence of such an inhabitant. 1t
finds itself preyed on by torment
which it dares not acknowledge to
God or man. A vulture is devouring
it, and it can ask no sympathy or as
sislance, either from heaven or earth.
The score. which the murderer pos
sesses soon comes TO possess him; and.
like the evil spirits Of which we read,
it ovcrcomcs him, and leads him with.
ersoever i, will. He feels il beating
at his heart, rising to his throat. and
demanding disclosure. He thinks the
whole world sees it in his face, reads
it in his eyes, and almost hears its
working in the very silence OF his
thoughts. 1t has become his master.
It betrays his discretion, it breaks
down his courage, it conquers his
prudence. When suspicion from with
out begins to embarrass him, the fatal
secret struggles with still greater
violence to burst forth. 1t must be
confessed, it will be confessed; and
there is no refuge from confession but
suicide, and suicide is corfession.-
Daniel Webster.