Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1850-10-11

clock, A. NJ, he fell into a kind of sleep
If that hard suffocating breathing, and heav
ing, and twitching, and jerking, which con.
tinued during his slumber, could be called
sleep. His heartbroken wife, like a minis.
tering angel, was watching by his side
He suddenly awoke in awful horrors. His
mind was wild, and affrighted, and wander
ing. Every movement in the room caused
him to startle with horror. He would clinch
his fists, grit his teeth, compress his lips,
knit his brows I; then sening the bedposts.
would piteOusly beseech US "to save him
from them"
de was under the impression that the off,
GERS OF justice were in pursuit of him, to ar
rest him for the commission of some infa-
nous crime. Then he a~pprehended that
0 was gazing on him in anger. He tried
in vain to avoid the gaze. Turn which way
he would, close his eyes, bury his head un-
der the clothes, still he saw those holy,
piercing eyes beaming wrath upon him.
He could hear the call for judgement. It
seemed to him louder than any sound NOR
tails ever heard. Useless was the effort to
stop his ears the sound rose f~earfully dis
tInct above the roaring and bursting of the
storm then raging in its violence. He was
certain that a legion of devils was about to
dash at him, and drag him, reluctant as he
was, in all his sins to meet his God and his
DOOM.
With unnatural strength and activity he
started fromhis bed to fee. and hide him.
self In death from the understandable torments
and horrors ofthe moment. His wife threw
her arms around him TO arrest his flight
He seized her by the throat, and with an
unyielding grasp and demon laugh, held her
at arms length, exclaiming OFT off! Her
face turned purple; her tongue lolled out
her eyes became blood-shot. But he held
on, laughing and exclaiming with loud shouts
OFF! off! Violent measures had to be m
ployed to rescue her During this storm of
the elements both without and within, the
aitrighted children were huddled in a corner,
joining their screams to the more than fearful
catastrophe.
He afterwards became more calm.
He desired to give bis drinking compan-
ions a parting admOnition. They refused to
come they dared not witness his death. .
He solicited me to preach at
his funeral, and at his burial to warn his
companions for him to forsaks their thoughts
and ways. They will come be said,
ITO my funeral, although they are unwill-
ing TO witness the death from which l desire
to warn them" Just before his death. he
desired bis wife to remind me of his wish
and not to fail to fulfil it.
l endeayOred to do it faithfully, plainly,
afbeetiOnately. They felt it tears stood in
their eyes. They thought they you'd heed
1t; they did not. They hardened them
selves against the truth.
On the way to the grave, two Of them
were conyersing about the recent and alarm
ing deaths and burials.
wonder" said one, "who will die
next2"
will, said the other, eff you will
agree to die the Saturday after, SO that Hunt
may keep his hand in Of preaching temper
anee.
Jestingly it was agreed to. They went
from the graveyard into the grogshop.-I
There were desperate darings in their do
lngs. That Sabbath night, however theyl
had slnned before, they -transgressed against
warnings and conscience. They sinned hard.
Their revel has been seldom exceeded for
noise and blasphcmy. The uproar was fu-
rious.
During the progress Of the debauch, when
every subject, sacred and p~rofane, had for a
while become exhausted, it was remarked
that two Of them had agreed to die on the
succeeding Saturdays, and be buried on
Sunday, for the honor of the glorious SO !"
They were called on by reclamation to pledge
themselves to their work.
Their glasses were filed one arose, and
volunteered thus to die. Amidst shouts oil
appreciation the glasses were drained and
again filed.
The second then arose, glass in hand, and
gave /" Here is for the honor Of the glori-
Gus 50 success to our cause and a pledge
to die the Saturday afer-.' The IN
roar de6ed description. Demons might en-
Wy the laugh, and fends be airightcd at the
shrleks and stamps, and yeIls and howls, that
followed this toast. They drank, Ca glori-
Gus resurrection to the drankmdAeternal
infamy upon all temperance men, They
called their hellish bacchanaI The Last
supper" The evening passed away in sin.
The week ended in death"
Strange to tell the first man died on Sat
urday. In the final struggle in the rawlings
Of mania potu, he " believed himself riding
a race with the devil, to HE'LL" and raising
himself to the posture of a race-rider, he
shouted | have beat him! l have won y
and fell back a corpse!
He was buried on Sunday
When his companion, who had volunteer
ed to follow him, heard Of bis death, he was
so much alarmed as to take his bed and for
a while it seemed as though he would die.