The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1853-05-13
THE RUMsELLER's DEATH BED.

Y
When entered the room the doctor sat
by the patients side, while he appeared in-
sensible. His face was turned towards the
wall and his eyes were fixed. AT length he
started, and then he said:
DO you think am in danger, doctorF
The physician was loath to say so, as ply
sicians usually are, and evaded the question
that deaths tide was at its full, and the sick
man grew worse rapidly.
oh doctor, DOCTOR said he, there is
something that preys on my mind-some-
thing more terrible even than this fatal dis
order.'
The patient tossed and tumbled about, his
eyes rolled and flashed, his brow was knit,
and mental Hurricane swept over him. His
wife attempted to soothe him, talked of
Heaven and mercy but in vain. / told him
of the dying love of Christ and the thief on
the cross, but all woull no. do. The ply
sican was equally unsuccessful in his en-
deavors to calm the mind of the dying man.
Take away your physic, doctor; it is use
less; it cannot cure the diseased mind
Again penitence and pardon were spoken
Of and the physician and the sick mans fam
lily endeavered to pour oil upon the troubled
waters. But they cast up mire and dirt.
Can you tell me what it is that troubles
your mind so deeply!
oh! doctor, doctor, do not speak of it!
knew it was wrong / have sent their souls
to hell! ] made them drunkards!
The doctor answered, 'You have done no
more than others; they would have sold if
you had notn
'Dont't tell me that Their blood is on
my skrts-tear it out Look! see their
faces, and their fiery eyes glaring upon me,
horror! horrorp
The physician soothcd him as he would
have soothed child. 1T will relieve your
mind' said he to the sick man.
oh! God! | wish could get relief!-See
doctor, see them pointing their skinny fng-
ers at me! Kill me! Kill me.
There's Mrs. Briggs, to whom I sold rum
the night her children starved. She asks
for money to buy bread-here she stands.
my God! have got the money-go to her
quick-oh! horror horror!
Heavens! doctor, do you call them shad-
ows! Keep them out there they come into
the room! Shut the windows and bar the
shutters! see old Griffin, who froze to
death-he is trying to come in. There's his
winding sheet! oh, don't burn mel
The physician then rose to humor his
miserable patient, went to the window and
closed the shutter
Look the, doctor! there's young woman
whose husband got drunk, and he murder.
ed her. took her coffin to pay his grog.
bill. She cries out against me-she shrieks
and tears her hair-oh, oh, OH
All efforts were found to be frutless
nothing could succeed in quieting the tumuli
in his guilty soul. AS a last resource, a
clergyman was mentioned to him, and with
the fury of demon he shouted
Don't talk to me of clergymen. My soul
is lost! lost lost! The spirits of the damn.
ed, whom ] have made drunk are let loose
upon me. They pinch-they burn, they tear
me-woe woe!'
And his burning eyes became fixed in their
sockets, the death-rattle came in his throat,
he clasped his hand convulsively together,
and died, and amidst the howlings of the
storms, were heard the walls and agonizing
cries of the heart broken wife and the terror
stricken children of The RumSeller.