The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1854-08-11

man tnat the Nessel cOntalneu mysterious
and subtle essence. Foled in gratifying his
curiosity by the means he had adopted, he
held the bottle to his ear after he had shaken
it we'll "Ah" said he, 81 thought so J"
and he appeared not to be disappointed, for
at FIRST he thought he heard low murmers,
that gurges forth elastic bubbles given of by
the volatile essence that had now began to
ierment from the shaking it had received.
In the excitement of the moment the phren.
zied Imagination of tho achylymist heard
halfformed worls, broken expressions, COM
posed of curses, blessings, oa'hs and entrea.
ties; but the noise was as indescribable as bits
Of dreams, and like u tale mouthed bya mani
nc, was full of sound and fury ,signifed moth.
ing tha, was'intelligibe.
And now cold trembling crept over the
old man, yet he could not help listening ;
he felt entranced, spell. bound, for the mur-
mers within the bottle seemed to hold com.
munion with himself and to be answered
from The very depths Of his brain. He tried
10 speak, to utter u counter charm-he made
his cabales,ic sign, bu, all to no purpose !;
for his tongue refused to give voice to the
strange workings and yearnings within him,
and an awful Consciousness grew up in his
mind that subtle spirit in his own heart was
conyersing with subtle spirits in the myste-
riOus botlle.
His FIRST impulse was to fly: his second
was to tear away the seal with which Pru'
denee had covered the neck of the bottle
For an instant he hesitated: but in q rash
moment, acting under the influence OF some
unaccouutablc spell, he gave the seal a
wrench, and settled the business. For few
moments Alchymy stood somewhat amazed.
astOnished ~ his own temerty,as he started
back instnc,ively, and placed the open bot.
! tie upon The floor OF the laboratory. But as
nothing very alarming ensued, he gradually
took courage and approached the vessel: and
then he discovered that subtle and volatile
spirit was fast escaping from the aperture.
and was rapidly filling The apartment with
an overpowering and Intoxicating exhala-
ton.
Alchymy regarded the rapor with much
surprise, but presently he felt himself ire
sistibly attracted towards the bottle by the
seductive odor OF the essence that escaped
from it. Influenced by some charm he hes
tated at first, but at length his curiosity
overcame his Judgment, and placing the
bottle to his lips, he slipped, and slipped !;
but finding it impossible TO come to satisac-
tory conclusions by such dribbling process
us that, the fatal bottle became glued to his
mouth, and he swallowed copious draught
OF its contents. Aud Achymy knew that
he mad imbibed subtle spirit, for there
gradually crept over him drowsiness, Is
eyes rolled in their sockets,his senses reeled
and the essence ofthe bottle rushed through
every vein and artery OF his frame until he
fell, at last ,insen.ible upon the floor.
While he was in this condition. vision
ofa strange, awful, but indefinite form,
floated before his eyes-a hideous figure.
that seemed to be neither man nor woman,
appeared before him. Its face was bloated,
haggard, worn into deep furrows and ruts,
and distorted bv maddening passions and
its withered body was so covered with filth
and rags, that its sex was not to be distin-
guished. 1t held dIinkins.cup in its lrem-
uIous grasp, which it continually applied
with fierce thirst to Its parched, ,ieyerish lips;
and us 1t sighed for more drink, its breath
poisoned the very sunbeams.
And Alchymy knew that he had liberated
an evil spirit for soon after, in his vision,
he saw issuing out the neck of The bottle
other wicked and powerful demons, similar
to the one he had swallowed. A, first
they came forth in small numbers, but they
soon swelled into myriads over The earth, like
waters from gushing well.
But what appeared most incomprehenSible
to Alchymy was, that the footsteps OF these
hideous hags should be followed by a host
of obsequious worshippers, who laid down
all their most priced aud cherished objects
IN barter for drink on, of their maddenlnS
cups Joyous hearts, happy homes, health,
honor. nay, their very souls. were freely
offered in exchange for u pernicious and dead.
" poison. Though the fearful demon stood
impeached to every one, in the name OF all
things pure aud beautiful, rs the pitiless in
vader Of every human blessing-nay, though
it devoured its victims nj MONDAY, ,and sowei
the land broadcast with misery, violence, and
crime, yet none Of these evils appeared to
warn the poor deluded victims OF the tremen.
dous sacrifice they were making, for al
though the very air was laden with sighs
and dcsolation, squalor sat upon every brow,
and covered the sad scenes with the spirit oil
the demons presence, yet the worshippers
offered themselves up in hecalombs upon the
alars OF these Evil Spirits.
Everywhere its commissioned agents plead
their fatal cup-everywherc they spread
abroad the means Of intemperatc indulgence
all over the land ESQ it appeared to Alchymy
in his vision) n)-myriads ofdemons were sys-
,ematically and diligently employed, ,enlicing,
corrupting. and recruiting the wasted ranks
OF the staggering, rolling, and fallen devo-
tees and sustaining. with terrible cilicien-
cy, the whole baneful system Of destruc-
ton.
II was astonishing 10 witness the effec,
Of the fatal cup upon ditieren, individuals.
In some il bligh,ed all the social affections,
and violated the sanctuary OF domestic
peace in brief space Of time. ltanpeared
10 be a bitter loo 10 all social blessings, for
sacred interests Of which home is the cen.
ire. Some OF the poor, infatuated wreichcs,
indeed, put OH All air OF boisterous merri.
men, Tor a time; but il was shoIlllved, for
dilapidallon and ruin spread all over them,
and they were rapidly pushed through
career OF shame and sin, into graves OF IN
fanny. In many the pernicious draughl
brough, on arrangement Of all their pow.
ers, aud wrought them into an unnatural
stale Of excitement, or delirium. Then,
when their brains were fired aud whrling
with phrenzy, they were ripe for any wild
act that fancy, depIaved heart, or the
promp,ings Of The Evil One might suggest.
Aher passing through this state. the course
assumed another form; for when the par
oxysm Of fierce bus,er was passed, i, was
usually succeeded by a moody sulleu s'upe.
faction.