Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1851-04-24


instance of avarice occurred IN
Fraoce. A miser. Of the name OF
Foscue. who had amassed enormous
weallh by the most sordid parsimo-
nv and the most discreditable extor-
tion, was requested by the Cover
nent to advance sum Of money as
loan. The miser, TO whom a fair
interest was not inducement suffi-
cientIy strong 10 enable him to part
with his treasured gold. declared his
incapacity to meet this demand; he
pleaded severe poverty. Fearing,
however, that some Of his neighbors,
among whom he was very popular,
would report his immense wealth to
the Government, he applied his inge-
nuity to discover some efectual way
of holding his gold, should they at
tempt 10 institute search 10 ascer-
tain the truth or falsehood Of his plea.
: With great care and secrecy he dug
q deep cave in his celler; TO this re-
ceptacle for his treasure he Gecended
by a ladder, and to the trap door he
attached a. spring lock, so that, on
shutting, it would fasten- OF itself.
By and bye the miser disappeared;
inquiries were made; the house was
searched; the woods were explored,
and the ponds were dragged, but no
Foscue could they find; and gossips
began TO conclude that the miser had
fled with his gold to some part where
by living incognito, he would be free
from the demands Of the Govern
ment. Some time passed on; the
house in which he had lived was sold,
and workmen were busily employed
in its repair. In the. progress Of their
work they met with the door Of the
secret cave, with the key in the lock,
outside. They threw back the door
and descended with light.
The first object upon which the
lamp was reflected was the ghastly
body Of Foscue, the miser, and scat
tered around him were heavy bags
OF gold and ponderous chests OF un-
told treasure; candlestick lay beside
him on the floor. This worshipper
cinnamon had gone into his cave to
pay his devoirs to his golden god and
became sacrifice to his devotion!
What must have been the sensation
of that miserable man-what the
horrors OF his situation, when he
heard the door close after him, and
the spring lock effectually imprison
him within his secret minel-How
bitter must have been the last strug-
giles Of that avaricious SOUL How
terrible must have been the appeals
of conscience within that sordid sim
nerI How each bag must have dis
gorged its treasure, and each piece Of
gold have danced, in Imagination,
around him as a demonl How ha-
ted, when the gnawing pangs ot star
Walton came slowly upon him, must
have been that yellow vision; his very
. heart must have grown sick at that
which he once so dearly lovedl
Gold in bags, gold in chests; gold
piled in heaps, gold for a pillow;
gold strswed upon the ground for
him TO lie upon! Whilst his taper
lasted, turn where he would bis eyes,
nothing met them but his gold. But
when the last flicker died away, and
the miser was left in darkness TO
dwell upon his coming death, and
upon his many sins, how awful must
have been the agonies Of conscience!
How, surely, amidst the gloom OF
that sepulcher Of gold, must the poor
whom he had oppressed. and the
unfortunate whom he had ruined
by his avarice, have risen up TO re-
proach him; and when the mind be-
came fevered by its last deadly strug-
giles. how the faces Of haggard poy-
erty, Of hate and loathing for the
miser, in one, loud, discordant cho-
rus. have cried for vengeance and
retribution upon his guilty soul!