Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1851-08-04
'-7--17777-777'177'7''7'7'7''7'7'7' = = :
POETRY.
sleep mo- More.

sleep no MOTes
SEM 10 tic Editor 81 The RePnitiern Jurnat, enetos
ing Y.
By the dying enbcrs sitting one sat watching shad-
ows flittering.
An alone in nighttime lrcary, while his eyes for
sleep weary:
Or by drewsy tickle taper,
Throwing Out dul'i,ms light,
Conned be DER his weekly paper,
in the silence Of the night.
Dfcar without the winds were signing, the wall
Of autumn dying,
Fast and thick the snow coming, in the drcnry
distant cleaning.
Hvperborcan fros,s weaving
Over all the window pane,
Curious figure. that were leaving
Grotcsquc pictures the brain.
But beside the waning taper coming DER his week
lypsper,
Reckd he ti,tle how without him winds might ca
per all about him:
In the Goals he thrust the poker
Stnrtiag up anew the fame.
Then read another tale, joke"
krtirlc withou,
But adown the column Flooding. agaiH he
took TO nudding,
And the light with feeble slimmor, fast was waning
dim and DINNER,
And again the shadows hickcrlng
Danced about the darscning room.
PHI ,hcy seemed moeking. pickering,
A, the sleeper in the gloom
Soon upon the door raPpiag, like some midnight
spectre tapping.
Or ire guest whose ready sicSlc rcaPs US down Ike
stabble tickle,
Broke upon thar midnight dreamer,
As he snt in his unrest;
And the light a fearful glinrmer
Cast upon the midnight gust.
tn,inr in with footsicp noisclcss, saying nothing as
If voicclcsg,
Moving slow and stately nearer, while the room
grew drcar and drcarer.
fle approached tho iBmnie sleeping,
Sleeping there upon the chair,
While cold chills were DER him creeping
Aud with fear uprose his hair.
Never y;ster was ruder than this spectral night inl
tnider, =,
In the room so ghost like stalking, like some troub-
ed spirit walking;
And the sleepcr's brow grew pahd,
As the whitcst marble stone
And from restless sleep he rallied,
As he looked the spectre on
Spectre in the midnight walking, and unbidden on
stalking,
Why me thy cold glance pehhes'' WY liio INV "
thy visngc lcndcsti"
Thus the host Intercepted,
While his check was white with fear,
Md the spectre he berated,
Cilded nearer and still neat
In his hand he held paper, held it TO the sichly
taper,
In his fingers long and bony, and his gaze was fixed
and stony:
Twas n bill yet unrcccpted,
From the sleeper long time due,
That his fearful guze Ind greeted,
As the spectre nearer drew.
Twas tho bill for TINT same paper he'd been read
ing by the taper. .
And for ali the years he had it, not for any had he
paid it;
There before him was the total
Sum put down upon the bill,
And the dreamer forced TO note oil,
Gazed against his Will
And the spectre still was gHzng with ghost.y look
amazipg,
In thu, silent look and fixed with anger
mixed:
But the wakcful cock Growing,
And the daylight met the floor,
And with morn the spectre going,
Spoke tho scntcnce-'' Sleep more.
Then a sudden fash did brighten, thai the dream
cr's fear did heightcn,
Flushed so brightly that ii made him think the evil
spirit had him.
But it was his weekly paper.
Falling the taper lower,
Falling on his Pickering taper,
'Only this and nothing more
And the sleeper sore amazed, stood and round
him gazed,
In the east morn was breaking, and the farm yard
clarion waking,
Diamonds glittered ON the branches,
Frosts floating in the air,
And o er all the distant ranches,
Shows were hcaped every where.
But that fearful midnight quaking. haunted still his
hours Of waking,
And that bill all unrccciptcd every where his vision
greeted.
When the day again had closed,
And he shut his bed room door,
Not in sleep was he composed,
For the sentcnce-"SlecP no more
And for fear that spectre stalking, como again a
midnight walking,
And in hope his eyes be greeted with the paper bill
rcceipicd,
That the dreadful spccrc's sentence
May no more his midnight
Please accept his deep repentance,
And enclosed find an X.
Yours, in hope JONI Suiru, 99th.