Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1853-03-01

TOund ncr WIFI sIllIIIIiS Ihecs, oHh CoNc'
ing her with their gosamcr wings. And
when at length death lays his hand up
on her, they received her liberated soul,
and nesting it close ia their bosoms,
bear it away to regions beyond the
skies, where poverty, and suffering, and
death, never enter. So she died, "ns
fades tho morningstar before the light Of
heaven"
But at the mansion house the stage Of
life presents quite difIcrcn, scene. The
old building blaxcd with thousand
lights, which turned the darkness into
day. Within was assembled a gay mul.
titudc of both sexes, who amused them.
selves with all the foiblcs Of arbitrary
fashion. The younger portion whirlel
away the evening in the gildy dance
while the older ones separated them.
selves into squads ofthrcc or four, watch.
ing with eager interest lheir younger
pro,sses, or else criticisins the dress Or
manners of each other.
The Earl in the meantime with few
choice friends, stole away from the gay
throng TO an adjoining room, where they
seated themselves around table groan.
ing under a load Of precious liquors, pre-.
sen,ing most inviting rcpast. Glasses
were filed and drank, as toast after toast
went round the festive board, until the
nervous hand and unsteady eye warned
them 10 desist. All but the Earl arose
when a golden goblet was brought
forth, and filled to the brim with sparkl.
ing wine; at single draught he drained
it to the last drop-powcrlcss his arm
fell, his eye glazed as in death, and he
was carried away senscless and laid up.
on silken couches-resloralives were
applied, but all in vain! He had over.
leaped the bounds of life, and his life
must pay the forfeit! His blood grew
icy in his limbs--a horrible shuddcr
shook his frame, and cold sweat gath.
cred on his brow, like "dcw drops upon
marble" His eyes saw strange figures
dancing around him, and death ap.
preached HMM his long skeleton fin.
gers he clutchcd his hour. glass, in which
swiftly ebbed the sands of time; on his
arms he bore his ruthless scythe, from
which danglcd great drops of blood, and
his eyes garel with consuming fire
upon the sick man, who turnel away
when he bcheld host oTIead men com.
panions of his former revcls, who had
died before him, standing beside him;
and they "barcd their bosoms to show
g. him the worms feeling upon. their
" crumbl;ny flesh" and the qucnchlcss
fire burning, yet not consuming; and
they stooprd over him and pressed their
deadly lips to his, anl blood tricklcl
down from their ashy brows upon him,
and he could not resist. And then an
angel stood beside him, and the sick
man besousht him to save him, but the
angel sorowlully said no hope! there's
no hope! "Didst thou remember the
" lathorless and the aflictcdT "lt is
' easier for camel to 80 through the
" eve of q needle, than for rich man to
-" enter into the kingdom OF Heavcn!"
" How hardly can rich man enter into
" the kingdom of God!'' "Rcmcmber
"t that thou in thy life time receivcst thy
good things, but now thou must be tor
mented." And behind all these he
bcheld two fair faces and gentle forms,
who looked sadly upon him, but were
driven off and hurried from his gaze.
They were the widow and her daughter,
whom he had murdered by permitting
them TO die of want when God had made
him his steward to relieuc their neceSSi.
ties. The sands of time having run,
death laid his clammy hand upon him,
and hideous demons seized his soul, and
with mocking JOY bore it off, down to re-
gions of eternal night. And then came
the funeral; his corpse followed by a
long train ofmourners, was borne to the
village church, and placed upon the al.
tar. The village pastor in prieslly robes
osrended up into the pulpit, while the
choir chanted in solemn strains "Bless.
Il arc the dead who die in the Lord," al.
ter which lc preached from the same
text, and told his astonishel auditor S
that the good Earl died by visitatiom Of
God, and tllst his soul is now with God
in Paradise; and he told them of the
wondrous goodness Of heart the Earl pos.
sessed; how he had built that edifce to
God, and given thousands to support the
church, but he failed to tell them how
he murdered the poor widow and her
daughter, and how he defraudel his ten.
ants out Of f,heir just earnings, and that
he was harsh. unfeeling, and cruel