Star of the Kanawha Valley. [volume] (Buffalo, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1856, 1855-02-14

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rose slowly on his knees and pressed him.
4 seIf against The trunk Of . 81. and stood
upright and followed the child. The pas
sapc was dark, until within three strides
length Of It's termination. When itturned
suddenly, the thick black trees formed q
How arch, and the moonlight appeared tor
Ia moment like dazzling portal. Enos ran
before and stood in theopen air, and when
Cain his father emerged from the darkness
the child was affrighted, for the mighty
limbs Of Cain were wasted, as BY nre MS
hair was black, and matted into loathy
curls, and his countenancc was dark and
wild and told in a terrible language OF ago.
1nies that had been and were, and were
still to continue to be. The scene around
Twas desolate AZ Ear as the eye could reach,
lit was desolatc, the bare rockl need each
other, and left u long andwild interval Of
their white sand, You might wander on
and look round, and round, and peep into
the creyices Of the rocks. and discover
nothing that acknowledged the influence
of the seasons.
There was no Spring, no Summer, no
i Autumn, and the Winters snow that would
.ihaye been lovely, fell not on those hot
rocks and scorehing sands. Never morn
ling lark poised himself over this desert,
but the huge serpent often Missed there
beneath the talons ofthe yulturc, and the
vditure screamed, his wings imprisoned in
the coil Of the serpent. The pointed and
sheltered submits Of the ridgesoftEe rocks
made arude mimicry Of human concerns,
and seemed to prophecy mutely Of things
that then were not--steeples, battlements,
and ships with naked masts. Asfarfrom
the woods as boy. might sling pebble
Of the brook, there was one rock by itself
at d small distance from the main ridge it
might have been precipitated there perhaps
by tile terrible groan the earth gave when
four first father fell. Before you approach
lit appears to lie fiat on the ground, but its
base sla4ted from lis point, and between
its point and its sand "a tall man might
1 stand upright. It was here that Enos had
found tie pitcher and cake, and to. this
place he led his father But ere they ar
rived there they beheld human shape,
his back was towards them and they were
looming up unperceiyed, when they heard
him smite His breast and cry aloud. ''Wo
/ is me-. wo is me. Unjust never die again,
and yet Il am perishing with; thirst and
Fhunger.'P The face Of Cain turned pale.
Enos said, 'ere yet could speak am
sure o, my father thatI heard that voice,
Have | not often said that ] remembered
sweet voice, o, my father this is it."
Cain ,trembled exceedingly. The voice
was sweet indeed, but it was thin and
querilous, like that of q feeble slave in mis-
cry who dispairs altogether and yet cannot
refrain from weeping and lamentation,
Enos crept softly round the base Of the
rock, and stood before the stranger and
looked up into his face, the shape shrieked
and turned round, and Cain beheld him
that his limbs and his face We're those Of
his brother Abel, whom be had killed
Cain stood like one who struggles in his
sleep because Of the exceeding Iterribleness
of dream, and ere he had recovered him.
self from the tumult Of his agitation he
fell at his feet and embraced his knees and
cried out witha bitter out-cry. "Thou
eldest born Of Adam whom Eve thy moth
or brought, cease 10 torment me. / was
feeding my foeks in green pastures by the
side Of quiet river, and thou killest me,
and now | am in misery" Then Cain
closed his eyes and hid them in his hands
and again he opened his eyes and looked
around him and. said to Enos. "What
beholdest thou, didst thou hear voice
my SON." eyes my father, saw man
in unclean garments, and he uttered q
sweet voice full of lamentations. Then
Cain raised up the shapethatwas like Abel
and said. 1.-THE creator OF our father who
had respect unto thee and to thy Offering
wherefore hast he forsaken thee" Then
the shape shriekeda second time, and rent
his garment, and his naked skin was like
the white sands under their feet, and he
shrieked yet third time, and threw him
self upon his face on the sand that was
black with the shadow ofthe rock, and
Cain and Enos safe beside him, the child
by his right hand, and Cain by his left.
They were all there under the rock and
within the shadow. The shape that was
like Abel, raised himself up and spake to
the child. 4 know where the cold waters
are, but I may not drink, werefore didst
thou take away my pitcher?' But Cain
said didst thou not find favor in the sight
ofths Lord thy God?' The shape answer
ed, The Lord is God Of the living only,
fthe dead have another God" Then the
child Enos, lifted up his eyes and prayed,
but Cain rejoiced secretly in his heart
"Wretched shall they be all the days Of
their mortal life, exclaimed the shape,
who sacrifice worthy and accessible sa-
critics. to the God Of the dead but after
death their toll ceaseth. Wo iscme, for
was well beloved by the God Of the Lying
and cruel vert thou o, my brother who
didst snatch>me from bis power and do
minion." Having uttered these words he
rose suddenly and fed over the sands
4 Then Cain said in his heart. 1.-THE curse
ofthe Lord Is upon me, but who is the
God of the. dead, and he ran after shape,
but the shape fed shocking over the sands
and the sands rose like white mists behind
the step Of Cain but the fact Of him thai
was like Abel disturbed not the sands
He greatly out run Cain and turning short
be wheeled around and came again TO. the
rock where they had been sitting where
Enos still stood, and the child caught hold