The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1858-02-10

tence, had Old Tom Stoddar. felt So SUI
premely happy. All external interests
and s"!'cllnde were shut out; the ou,er
world, including home itseIf--lhat home
"here she, without whose tender mnistra
ton It could no; lear that blessed name,
was even then trembling within her very
heart from apprehension at his uuaccus
TONED 'ahsence-was forgotten in the
madness OF the hour. ......
Aud every now and then one or other
OF the mad group would pledge the old
man IN fresh brimner, while ali shout
ed, IN dlScordant chorus, 'uurrah, he's
oGe Of u.s.
Many and many an anecdote and re.
memlrance Of the pas, vas trough, up
each serving rs food for Increased mir,h,
the most puerile aud foolish which seem.
ell, AS the afternoon waited, to awaken
fresh ouibursrs OF merriment. There WAS
no cessation To the CONTINUOUS orgle; il
was rs .i"ugh ihev all had conspired to
prevent Tom from having All instant
wherei" he could separate his thoughts
from the present on.rushing current OF
revelry.
The shadows Of twilight now began TO
gather slowly over the land, yet still the
joyous laugh resounded through the space;
early evening approached, and deeper
shade. but louder and louder grew the
rotous din: night, black and solemn, tell
suddenly down like = shroud, ana vet il
! q"e'Ied not the fearful tunuIt-w hile,
stimulated thereto ty The wild co,nI,an
iorshp and The thought destroying rntln.
ence OF the fiery liquor, old Toms voice
rose high above the rest, and he hee,led
not the fight of time or the Increasing
darkness, in the mad delirium Of the mo-
ment.
At length it occurred to him, that. "a
! there was candle on the table, he might
rs well light It; and after sundry inetiect.
u"l efforts TO kiudte n match, he ut last
succeeded in doing so; but the laugh
died away on his lips, and the blood re
bounded from his very heart, VIXEN he
hehed the abhorrent sight which the il
Elimination revealed. Simultaneously
wuh the first flash Of light, all symptoms
u hilar'ty ceased, aud Was sureeed"d Iy
silence appalling from its very perfect
| ness. Not a sound could old Tom hear,
tut the beating OF his own heart, which
thumped and thumped against his ribs
like the mutll'd ticking q n large clock
And. oh, heaven ! the joyous companions
with whom he had drink and revelIcd to
such pitch Of insane enjoyment, sta,k
aud denuded OF their l,bilimenls and their
flesh. were nothing but hideous, grining
sSeletohs-all but Sanders, whose yet
more fearful appearance WAS that of a re
cent corpse, already green with approach
ing decay. sitting bolt upright in the chair
before hun, and clad IN the garb OF the
grave!
Old Tom. glued 10 the spot bv the mos,
ove'po"ering terror, tried 10 cry out, but
IN valn-for not the slightest approach
TO An audible sound could lie, by the mos,
violent exertiou, force his paralys ysed tongue
TO utter.
And still those terrible shapes nodded
and gibbered at him, occasionally gripping
the glasses with their buny fingers, AMI
pouring the useless fluid through their
open jaws, from whence it would splash
upon their whitened ribs aud siuk into
The sanded floor beneath. Bu: more aw
fully horrible yet it was to see that rigid
dead form Immediately before his lace,
the glazed and rayle eve fixed upon his
and the half open mouth settled into
stony. Tread inspiring smile! Fascinated
Ms II were. 10y the irghtiuI spectacle, lie
had not power to withdraw his gaze from
the revolving Object, although instantans
ously rendered sober hy The horror Of the
scene, and Nil his faculries slarpened to
their utmost acnteness Of perception.
And now, TO his increased terror, the
shape opposite rose slowiyifrom the chair,
and, standing upright, gIared more in.
tentIy on him with It's sigIlless balls the
ngid srns slowly moved into meracing
position, and the thing commenced to
make circuit Of The table. Our poor,
half demented friend old Tom, on witness
ing this appalling demonstration. with n
desperate plunge, AID shrek which star.
tied the surrounding neigbborhood, dash
I'd himself through that little door, aud
fell down on the ground beyond, where
he lay for some time, deprived OF con.
sclousness, and to all appearances as de-.
funct as any OF his recent companions.
The considerste bar maid, however.
with the assistance of a pitcher of cold
water, vigorous shaking and other san
iiary appliances, had the satisfaction Of
seeing the russell brown color ieepen over
old Toms cheeks once more. With a
prodigious sigh, he ejecte'l the n,oribnnd
tenant who bad taken premature posses
SION OF his anatomy, and gszed, but with
haIffesrfuI look. upon the brgh; world
again.
Where are they 7 he asked. in ,rem.
bling whisper. Are tl.ey still there q
and he shnddered as he inquired.
Are who there. Mr.. Stoddartr she
asked, with siinper that he quailed at.
'Whor be continued, why, the--the
sharps, the spiritsF
why, deary me, what is the man talk
ing about 7 said the girl, with merry
laugh. Where did you meet such com.
psny, Mr.. Stoddarti'
In that parlor, Mary replied old Tom,