The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1856-04-09

latros, nt n ncighbor's did agree,
10 lea$e bis stecd, nad choose an easy sad
die,
Upon his ncighbor's gentle horse to st,ud-
die,
FOR through the mazcs of the dismal night,
CPon the river banks without light,
lie journcy'd to an lnsuIar plantation,
II spEcly carscd him some dclibcration.
On banks a'Qng the winding rivers side,
The son of -Escqlapius tqqk his rida
The distant fields that smiled With gpIien
grain, '''
Now hid from view, ep shnoadcl did rcmain.
With Eieasarcd steps his gentle stccd did
tsacc,
Ills journey to the destined island place;
And ere ut ten, the clock commenced his
stroke,
The blushing moon far in the East awokc.
The habitations now to view displayed,
latros felt how little he DELAYED.
And now the ever, anxious. restless mind
lRtert TO know That ills he there would
ind,
Began TO cogitate what wouid rc;icvc,
certain ailment, and the sick retrieve
1.-The thousand natural ills that flesh is
beir,"
Did each in varying forms, to him appear.
But strange to say. no lurid light was seen.
No one to welcome him; what could this
mean!
With quickencd pace, up to the house he
rode,
And knocked according to the usual mode.
TO wake the supervisor was his choice,
No living answer, save the ccho's voice,
When 10 within a negro hut close BY,
And dimly burning light he did cspy.
With hurried steps he rode, and did exclaim.
For Cuffy, Gumbo, or some other name,
When one of Afric's stont and swarthy sons.
Quick to the call, from his retreat he runs.
"Who is The sick that calls me here to night,
At yonder dwelling house, I saw no light,
l nt the threshold gave clam 'rous knock.
But no one came, or would the door un.
lock"
'Dere is no sick one here, sir, as knows,
DE gemman sleepin in dc house. 7 sposc,
y! go and harder knock and call de- name :,
80 here, latsos, in an angry frame,
PACK to the dwelling, did his course pursue,
And as the night advanced, impatient grew.
Again. louder voice and louder rap,
In hope that he might wake che slceper's $
pap.
But all in vain-there came no glad reply,
latros felt chagrined-he hcaved sigh;
tie knew not whether his return to make,
Hr rest content that 'swns gross mistake,
But lest, in bona .tfae, there might be,
a patient very sick--he did agree,
To search the nsgro settlements and find
4Ae truth-and thus relieve his anxious
mind.
but no success, there came the same reply,
No one was sick, no one about to die:
81 said, so done, he made no mole DELAY,
but spurrod kis horse. and quickly sped his
way.
The maoon' tho cid, she gave her lambent
light, y
Which did improve our anxious wanderers
sight,
In tired array he reached the friendly door :;
a country doctors life he did deplore.
And here, Amicus--such we'll call his
friepd--
Most readily, willing ear did lspd.
Ah said Amicus, do you not perceive,
That Ceres. at whose island place grieve,
You went this night, has on the main
FARM?
fis there the patient lies in great alarm,
No doubt mistakes will thus sometimes
arise,
To go and thus relieve. ! woald advise.
Iatros thus advised, again resumed,
His gentle steed, equestrian-like. assumed;
Soon on the road commenced hi, second
ride,
And In the silver moon, he did soafde,
Who ever fdthfn! guides the irav1ess way,
And so, iatros felt her lunar sway,
And ere the clock had chimed the midnight
hour,
latros rode beneath tie oaken bower.
But "sleep that kn'ts the ravelcd sleeve of
.care,"
Seemed here to reign, for no ono did ap-
pear;
R"' iH the culinary hoy ? close BY,