Southern standard. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1851-1856, 1853-01-22
A Camhler,S End.


not for US mortals to explain their nature, as how
can we explain the commonest incidents of our
every day life? Yet as there is an unearthy still
ness Immediately proceeding the furious rush of
the hurricane, as momentary palsy, frightful
from It's lndlstlnctness appears to peryade nature
on the eve of an earthquake so may the shadow
OF this upffted arm be seen athwart the sky ere
the Avenger has dealt the blow which is to pros
trate us in the dust An icy chill crept over me,
foreboding of evil came upon me, as walked
up the steps of Hillingdons well known residence,
long before / discovered that the shutters were
closed, and that the house bore the solemn, mys-
ferrous air, which, we cannot tell why, is inseper-
able from the abode of death.
glance at the pale face of the servant who
answered the door, hasty inquiry for Captain
Hillingdons own man, and staggered into chair
In the hall, with the whole truth inedibly and I'M
errlngy impressed on my brain. 1t was needless
to explain-I required no hesitating sympathizer
to break to me, forsooth, the ghaStly REALITY
knew it before l was told--Hillingdon had shot
himselfthat very morning Strange as it may ap-
pear, 1t was more difficult to realize the truth of
the awful things, hen the old and faithful SER
want himself bowed down and Frustrated with hor-
ror and CONSERVATION, stammered out the particu-
lars into my ear, than in that first moment of con-
seriousness, when without the aid of any outward
voice, knew the frightfu truth.
There, in his own sitting room, his hat and
gloves the table, the very cigar case | had Civ
en- him lying ready for use--it seemed impossible
Every thing betokened life, and. life's enjoyment
the colors were scarcely dry upon his easel and
those very flowers which he had himself disposed
in their vase, with his womanly appreciation of ev
rythlng that was Lowell y, those flowers were bloom
ing fragrant ever, and could he, the master, be
} lying up stairs with cloth over his head, a mu-
tilated corpse? And such an ending To die
; by his own hand
; ldared not pursue the train of my thoughts any
further and it almost relief to sit and listen
to the poor old domestics broken narrative of the
S events which had led to the fatal conclusion we
could even scarcely bring ourselves to believe.
One thing remarked, and one thing only which
might lead me to suppose that change had come
over the habits of my friend. Occupying prom
inent situation in his sitting room portrait hung,
which ever since had known him was carefully
D yelled by black curtain. Not one of his friends
had ever seen the painting, and the suppostion
that it likeness of the unfortunate Austrian
lady to whom in early life he had been attached
was sufficient to check all curious remarks or Ill
timed illusions, as regarded subject on which he
: himself preserved an unbroken silence.
S The curtain was now removed, and as | sat op-
pose the picture, listening to the dreadful details
of her lovers death, could not keep my eyes
S from dwelling on the gentle features of her who
had exercised such baneful influence on my
: poor friend She was portrayed as a fair, high
born looking girl, of some nineteen summers, but
what was most striking in the countenance was
that eager, high souled, and yet suffering expires
sion which gave such interest to poor Hillingdon'
features-that unearthly look which those who
Y are doomed to early death to bear on thei
foreheads, the premonitory seal of the destroy
era spirit beauty which the spirit claims to wea
here consideration of its premature release anC
, this was as manifest on the lovely portrait of hi
!, youthful bride as knew it to be on that glorious
IS countenance which was lying up stairs fixed anc
e cold in death.
c Let me draw veil over the scene that followed
, over the servants lamentations and my own un
bearable grief saw him-I saw the we'll below
. ed face, the admired form-and | shuddered t.
think of the state in which l saw them. Day
l. elapsed ere l could bring myself to make the ne
;, cessary arrangements, which, his intimate
friend, devoved upon myself, and to the details @
D. which it was loathsome to see how Mammon crep
even into the chamber of death. 1t is sufficien
to say that from the accounts of his servants ant
g the examination of his papers, which became ne
, cessary, gathered, clearly that my poor frien
Is had been decidedly and undoubtedly insane 70
H. some time previous to the fatal act, and this wa
all the consolation, since consolation it unquestion
ably was, for the loss of the brightest, truest
knQeSt SplIII tDat ever cnaItu Wltnln us IeneneH
of clay.
- And it was play that had brought the enthus
= asst to his selfselected grave. Play; first the sc
ductve pastme, then the invincible habit; lastly
despotc infatuation from which there is no escape
. Deeper and deeper had Hillingdon been drawn il
- to the whirlpool, and this was the result. A pu1
4 suit first adopted to deaden the stings of cor
-, science and hush the importunate wailings of RI
~ MORSE had at length become the object of e.
istence, the whole being of the man. Lose
- course he did, and largely. Nor were the char
ces of the gaming table sufficient to allay the cr
~ wings of excitement, which indeed too sure
- ''grows with what it feeds on Stock jobbn!
~ railway shares, mining investment, all and evel
- thing that promised hazardous ventures and di
- proportionate returns, were embarked in with
eagerness too much in character with that mag
native disposition which made him an artist, a
ct, and Spectator.
err For time Hillingdon's speculation had m
with tolerabe success; enough indeed to encou
age him to push his ventures up to the verge of
q his available fortune; and his masters sprts
10 the old servant described them, were higher TIL
mr. he had ever known, for I think l have alreat
wv mentioned the singular impassveness ofmy FRIEND
nv outward demeanor; but even during this period
temporary sunshine his eccentric habit was nev
led broken through of sitting undisturbed for pc
ton of each day, gazing on that portrait, viii
of appeared to comprise all he valued and loved u
Mt on earth This was an unalterabe rule, and d
nm after day his cheek was paler and his eye me
on haggard after the communion, which he strove
her think he thus held with his spirit love. Th
nd came reYerses and failures. Those IN whom
Ill confded abused his trust Shares went down