Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1850-01-24

ceased father By the trampling of hoofs
the rolling of wheels, and other indications
became aware that my funeral not beln.
deficient in any of the customary parapher
malta, | was TO make my triumphal process
sion to the grave with all that mockery o
earthly grandeur which is usually display
ed when a gentleman's corpse is about Il
be subjected TO the worms. The bearer o
the black panache marshalled the array,f fol
lowed by horses with nodding plumes anc
housings of sable velvet, and mourning
coaches whose occupants seemed TO be any
thing bur mourners, and wand-bearlng foot
men, and the decorated hearse IN slow and
solemn stateliness, conveying earth to earth
with all the pride, pomp, and circumstance
of glorious-duSti
On the arrival of this idle pageant, the
vanity of vaniies, at the church door, the
coffin was borne INTO the sacred building
and the funeral service, of which, from my
position, did not lose single word, was
performed by Mr. Mason, the curate, with
Il more than usual impressiyeness and feel
ing. When | rellected-ior had time fol
thought even in that narrowing moment
that had not only refused my daughter:
hand to this gifted aud excellent man, bu
had impoverished her, should she marry
him after my decease, in order still further
to enrich my unnatural son, my heart be
came penetrated by pang of the most IN
tense shame aud remorse. Blind and errlna
mortals that we arcl How often and how
completely should we alter our wills, could
we look forward for "A few days or even for
a few hours
Gallons indeed must be the heart of the
mere spectator who, when the coffin Is low
cred, aud he hears the mould rafting on
the I'D, accompanied by the solemn'words
8 Earth 10 earth, ashes To ashes, dust To dust,
remains unaffected by an audible announce
ment, telling han, as If 1t were a voice from
the grave, that fellow creature has been
consigned 10 that final resting place, whittier
he himself, perhaps at no distant date, must
inevitably follow him. What then, must
have been It's elect upon me, 10 whom that
sound was literally death-raltle, utterly
cXtrngulshing hope. and mpartng to my
dark aud dismal apprehensions suit black
er despair A few Steps IN the churchvard
usually covered with Il slab of stone, led
down 10 the door Of our family vault
Down that slope was carried; was borne
INTO the sepulchre, by the direction Of the
underlaker's foreman was deposited on the
ground near the entrance; the men with
drew the door was locked heard the de-
parting footsteps of the assembled specta-
tors all was over; was buried alive
Long a had anticipated tins fiighlul
result, had hitherto been unable to realize
it 10 my own mind aud even now that the
catastrophe had actually occurred, my
thoughts, strange To say, dwelt more on Ii,
immediate than its ultimate effect. 1t had
ever been my ambition, stimulated perhaps
by my dislike of It's proprietor, Godfrey
Thorpe, to become the owner of Oakiield
Hall, with its extensive deer-stocked park
and wide domains; and | conirasted thai
coveted possession with my present habita-
ton. My Elzabethan mansion was a coffin
my deer-stocked park was narrow vault
occupied wl.h mouldering corpses four
mlldewed walls were It's ring fence; and
instead of lis broad acres, the sunny cope
OF heaven. and the living face of nature,
was the lord of sepulchral darkness and
noisome death. The miserable bitterness OF
the contrast seemed to possess some unac-
countable attraction, for it engrossed my
reflections during several minutes.
Anon, as my mind wandered back to my
past life. to the fine fortune had made, and
to the occasional Manifestations by which !
had unfairly augmented it, deep contTtIon
and humiliation depressed my spirit; and
made vow to my soul that If ever should
be restored to lle-improbable, not 10 say
impossible, as such a contingency appeared
i would make restl'utIon, and thencefor.
ward lead a righteous and bamcIess life III
the sight Of God aud man In this frame o.
mind prayed long and fervently for par
don q. my misdeeds-a penilent appeal tc
Heaven which afforded ne momeutary so
lace.
CHAPTER TX.
Quickly, too quickly, however, did m,
thoughts, recurring to my miserable plight
begin to speculate upon the nature of the
horrors IN which 1t must inevitably termin
ate. Should |, recovering my muscular
powers and my voice, make desperate anC
frantic efforts to force up the lid of the cot
iin and, falling in that struggle, madl,
scream and shout for assistance 2 Fam
and furlorn must be such hope, for Tho
church was an isolated building. and there
were neither houses nor footpaths in lis i'm
mediate vicinity. Even If succeeded il
escaping from tie coffin, | should still be
prisoner IN the vault, to stumble over tbt