Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1857-11-05
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For the Yorkville Enquirer.
The Grey CAT OF CAslL& GRYMME.
"Ku Ira auah brosin mhan, an u irsa altar noe al
eban"
"a dark and gloomy ruin-the abode of the bat
and venerable owl.) 49,
--..@ s- -s-~ F-~NTHE SA1DI HINDU.
"Sunt, gui enlistment, AMMAN post mortem in
corpore animalium uariorum tfgnStatam esse: usqe,
ante morten ali dicsnt, nam e,trabile scripu na7
per certiores facti sun,u-1ulfs probtsque marine
testibus-ut quidam puer in Jelind mutatus esset."
| -'s- Al6: Monach Angtc: DE aninad.
The forests were clothed in the gay and
variegated habiliments of autumn-gold and
crimson and brown and purple and green
The season of "the sere, the red, the yellow
leaf" was come, and as the dolphin is said
to assume every hue of beauty just before
its death, so the aged year, in his latter days,
was arrayed in his chameleonaike glory-robes.
The mournful gusts swept by, and stript the
trees, and bestrewed the earth with their TO-
liage.
+ 1t was a dark and sombre evening, and
gloomy clouds were foatingin fantastic mass
es athwart the leaden-c colored sky-cheerless
and chill. I had walked forth on my accus-
toned ramble, and whether or not, on this
particular evening, my spirits were more than
usually depressed by the utterly drear and
dismal aspect Of external nature and its po.
tent influences, or whether they were merely
affected by one of those unaccountable at
tacks of melancholy which often oppress us,
and for which We as often strive in vain to
assign cause, I will not pretend to say ),
but deep and settled sadness of heart over,
came me, and resisted every effort to shake
it off, .s,
Almost invariably I would seek the forest
for I love the shadowy and cressusenlar
dimness of the woods-and visit the ruins
of castle in the neighborhood and on this
occasion, in" an abstracted and thoughtful
mood I walked thither, and companionless,
for with the ldphilosopher, from philosophy,
/ have learned to converse with myself, l
needed no companion. The castle is situate
a5out half mile from my abode, and in the
very depths of the wosd-embowered and
nearly hidden from view by the dense and
luxuriant foliage Of the aged and venerable
oaks surrounding it. A dark and mysteri-
GUS black stream glides in silence along be-
side its mouldering walls, and is then lost
amid the gloom of the trees beyond. Still.
ness and desolation reign over all things, and
rarely, if ever, does human foot invade the
horrible solitude. The glad note of the bird
is never heard there, nor is one of the feath-
cry songsters ever seen, and the bat and owl
and toad monopolize its dusky shades.
The lowering heavens and dreary darkness
of the evening added to the sullenness, and
lugubrious effect of the scene, and as ap-
preached, my dependency sensibly increased.
The once, heavy, and ponderous towers, with
frowning front, rose stern and grim before
the eye. The other portions Of the castle
had long since crumbled away, while these
two tottering relics alone: were left The
ivy with fond embrace wrapt them with its
leaves, and crowned as wreath their en-
battled roofs; and the oaks with spreading
branch and low-bending bough shrouded
them in deep shadow. Bats fitted here
and there, and occasionally the shrek Of the
unmusical owl was heard. The stream wound
by without murmur, andas unruffled onits
surface as CLASSY mirror. 1t lay betwixt
me and the ruins, and as drew. near I
watched its silent current, refectf6g, how
striking an emblem of "this our mortal life. "
As it flowed black and soundless onward,
amid the dark forest, just so upon the tide
of life are men borne along, and noiselessly
passing, are lost in the shadows of the un-
seen land.
I seated myself upon pile of rubbish
near it, and gazed upon the desolate and de-
serted halls of the once proud and lordly
castle-the Castle Grymme! Weighed down
by melancholic reveries and emotions, I fruit
lessly sought to account for the unnatural de-
preston of my usually buoyant spirits; to d.
vine the cause of the gloom that now so filled
my soul-partaking somewhat Of the charac-
ter of presentiment t-boding good or evil,
knew not-a hopelessness of heart-a sad
ness overpowering my every nerve and ener-
gy. And cast my eyes where I would, the
same sorrow charged atmosphere seemed to
envelope everything, so that, in despair, I
succumbed to- the painful feelings that the
woe.stamped picture served to excite.
AS. sat in half-dreaming, half-musing
stupor-for can call it nothing else-and
was gazing upon the dreary towers looming
up there in the twilight haze of fast adve-
ming night, suddenly looking upwards, saw
in one of the higher windows of the western
side of the ruin, pair of glaring red eyes,
and glowing as fercely as living Goals of fire; ;
and oh how my heart thrilled within me at
the sight. Why? Was their owner more
than mortal that their effect was thus potent? !?
I could not say. With my attention riveted
to the spot, I presently and distinctly dis
cerned the form of some animal, but further
my vision failed me. In few moments it
again appeared, and full in the window; and
I could then plainly distinguish the outlines
of dark grey cat, of an enormous size, and
which still glared upon me with its eyes of
liv;no fire. most unlike those of any cat that