The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-03-27


accompaniment.
SLEEP NO MORE.
~ sAs dying emhsn sitting, one sat watching |
Al alone IN night time dresry, while his eyes for
sleep wsts weary:
Or by dsowsy tickle taper,
Throwing out dubious light,
Conasd he o rr his weekly paper,
In the silence Of the night.
prsss without the winds were signing GU, the wall
OF autumn dying,
Fast and thick the snow was coming, IN the dreary
distant cleaning,
Hypsrborean ftosts were weaving
Over all The window pane,
Curious hgures that were leaving
0rotssqus pictures the brain.
Bs, beside The waning taper, coming Ger his
weekly paper.
Rsckd he little how without him winds might
caper all about him;
In the GOALS he thrust the poker,
Starting up anew the flame,
Then read another stale" or STOKE" or
Article without name.
Bu. adown the column Flooding, soon again he
And the lish. with fse6I. glimmer. fas, was waning
dim and DINNER,
And again The shadows nickering
Danced about the darkening room,
Till they seemed mocking, pickering,
M tne sleeper III INC BtooW-
Soon upon the door rapping. like some midnight
spectre tapping.
Or the guest whose ready sickle resps us down like
stubbls tickle,
Broke upon the midnight dreamer,
Az he sat in his unrest;
And the light fearful gmmer
Cast upon the midnight guest.
Gliding in with footsteps noiseless, saying nothing
- u voceisss,
Moving slow and stately nearer, while the room
grew drear and drearer,
he approached the inmate sleeping,
Sleeping there upon the chair,
While cold chills were FER him creeping
And with fear upross his hair.
Never visitor was rudsr than this spectral night
intruder.
In the room 90 ghost-Iiks stalking, like some
troubled spirit walking;
And the sleeper's brow grew pallid,@
Az the whitest marble stone.
And from restless sleep he rallied
As he looked the spectre on.
"Spsctrs in the midnight walking, and unbidden
on me stalking,
Why on ms thy cold glance bendes,, why the
frown thy visage lendesl"
Thus the host Intercepted,
While his cheek was white with fear
And the spectre he beraied,
Glided near and still more near
Ia his hand he hsld paper held il to the sickly
taper,
In his fingers long and bony, and his gaze was
fixed and stony
Twas a bill yet uureceipted,
from the sleeper long time due,
That his fearful gaze had greeted,
As the spectre nearer drew.
Twas the bill for that paper, he d been read
And for all the years he d had it, no, for any had
he paid it,
There before him was the total
Sum put down upon the BILL
And the dreamer forced 10 note all,
Gaxed sore ngainst his WILL
And the spectre still gazing, with ghos,ly
look amazing:
In that silent look and fixed, sorrow was with
anger mixed,
But the wakefu cock was growing,
And the daylight met the door,
And with morn the spectre going,
Spoke the sentence--'SLEEPH NO MoRt'
Then q sudden fash did brighten, that the dream
er's fear did heghtsn,
Flashed 20 brightly that it made him think the evil
spirit had him.
But it was his weekly paper.
Falling on the taper lower,
Falling on his Pickering taper,
"Only this and nothing more.
And the sleeper sore amazed stood erect and round
him gaxed,
farmyard clarion waking,
Diamonds glitering on the branches,
Fross were floating in the air,
And DER all the distant ranches,
Shows were heaped every where.
But that fearful midnight quaking, haunted still
his hours Of waking,
And that bill all unrscspsd every where his vision
greeted,
When the day again had closed,
And he shut his bedroom door,
Not in sleep was he composed,
For the sentence-'SLkEP NO MORE,
And for fear that spectre stalking come again at
midnight walking,
And in hope his eyes be greeted. with the paper
bill receipted,
That the dreadful spectre's sentence.
May more his midnight vex,
Please accept his deep repentance,
And enclosed find an X.
Yours, in hope, joins SM'rn, goth.
Mov~uvx~. I Neetv Johnsop having