Weekly Trinity journal., 1858-03-06
Manuscripts Found in a Deserted Cabin
NV History.

They tell me am mad that ! am stricken
with the curse of gold But no, am immortal ;
l strove with Death on the confines of his dark
domains, and won from him the pledge of per-
petual youth. Look at these strong limbs Of
mine through which the blood has been coursing
for many centuries, and put your ear to my breast
and hear the throbbng of the fountain that has
been yelling up its purple streams for a thou
sand years. | am treasurer of the hills, patron
of all these sweating, toiling mortals that are dig
gng gold for me, in my possessions. Talk to me
of chains and cells, and death. when have seen
the beginning and the end of thousand gener-
atons.
/ Ages ago, I came to live among the worship
pers of the Sun ; I had heard that human sacrid-
ces were offered on an altar of gold. A great
plain stretched away from the sea, and when tho
sun rose from the ground the people covered their
faces and bowed low to the earth and in the eve
ming they all went down to the sea side and
stretched their hands toward their god sinking
! in the waters. Then there were no mountains,
no hills, no perches for the vulture and the con-
dor no hding-place for the cougar and the gri2-
zly bear no cascades eaping from the rocks
with their manifold rainbows but all was one
vast plain, with a broad, deep river rolling slug
gishly and noiselcssy over the sands.
Once, at the dawn Of day, before the fire. god
had lit up the world when the priests were busy
witheing dawn the morning victim, black and
many folded banner was seen hanging in the east
ern sky the priest laid down the sacrfcial knife
and the fire was left to burn down, and hide it.
self among the ashes. The pillar of clouds rose
higher aud higher in the heavens Great masses
broke from the column, and rolled down and fell
to pieces each fragment sending up its little spi-
raj column until the orient was black with clouds;
still the god of day came not
Then the ground trembled the priests went
down from the altar and bowed themselves low
on the ground tho attendants fed, throwing
away their knives and the incense MS they ran.
Presently the pillar of clouds was cleft by myr-
lad tongues of fire that crept up its sides, aud
united in a burning pyramid which sent forth
from its apex great seething masses OF fire that
circled away and fell to pieces rs they went
Still stood by the altar Of Gold the priests and
people had fed, and even the morning sacrifice
had broken the withes and sought refuge under
a rock at the sea shore. All, it was mine The
idol of my souls idolatry. What cared for the
war of the elements, or for the cleavng in sun
der of the earth, or for the birth Of mountains,
or for the melting down Of the arch of heaven
/ Gold was mine, Furnished with the blood and ash
es OF half million of victims, the only god
had worshippod from my infancy. Aye gold,
massive and glittering was mine
BuJ tOc air grew not, Hllu ptnbcu loI DtehlH
! went down to the river 70 drink, but the river
had dried up, aud the little holl0ws in the rocks
had been empted by evaporation. Then felt
n fever in my brain, and my veins sweled with
thirst and cursed my kingdom of gold and fled.
| found a little spring by the sea side and saked
my thirst, and then looked back for the pillars OF
clouds and fire but they were gone Noun
ans of ashes and cinders stretched away beyond
my vision not one living tree, not one moving
creature and | believed that | was dead and
sent to wander alone amidst the ruins of de-
serted world
After that, knew nothing Of time the sun
came and went, but | took no note Of day or
night. The river, that had been buried under
the ruins, broke forth and ploughed deep fur
rows down toward the ocean, and the huge rocks
looscned and fell down from the cliffs left bare by
the waters one lofty peak still wore its crown
of fire, and now and then | could hear its labor
ed breathing, and feel the ground trembling, as
though giants were heaving under the hills.