New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1859-12-26
srxEE rGxGExT-wATCEE,
4 ~ 1, aI.-.rron tho Missouri Republican.
aOh have passed 4 miserable night
6ofujl Of fearful dreams, and ngly sights
y I would not spend smother such night
Thoarh 'tweTc to buy a wcrii Of happy days
"a fuN nf dismal Terror xss the time q =.

:
or delay, and there was need for me to hasten. A
" Florence had received summons to return t,
my father, who was thought to be dangerously i'll
and 50 had come with all the speed Of locomo
tive and steamer till was once more in my natv,
England, and on the train which was to bear m,
home. As the train passed through scenes so ia
miliar but 50 long left, many and many recol
lection Of old times arose in connection with him
whom could now consider only as dying An,
led on link by link my whole past life was brough
in review before me, and bore such painful con
trast 70 the terrible present. that my long pent W
feelings, ere was aware, had vented themselves
~ = Hood OF tears. As moved to take handker
chief from my pocket, my eyes met the steadfast
gaze Of fellow traveller who sat in the opposite
corner. Mortified at having attracted attention by
such display of emotion, turned my face away,
and steaithiiy wiping my eyes gazed out OF the
window. Curiosity soon prompted me turn again
and see if was still the object of observation
was startled to find that the stare had not abated
one jot, and was Of an intensity and power which
impressed one with uncomfortable feeling which
/, was ashamed to confess. felt as If some mag
a netic influence had been exerted over me, which
4 placed constrant upon every motion, and held
my eyes directed to those of the stranger with a
lar one in may respects. The skin was sallow and
rough, with a beard Of q few weeks growth this
i and the thick coarse hair, being alike Of a coal
black. The eyebrows heavy and very prominent,
but forming the base of a retreating and very low
forehead. The nose large and aquiline, the mouth
/ firm set and large, with gross thick lips. But his
eyes those eyes which had SO benumbed me, drew
all attention from the other features to themselves.
/ They were as black as the ink with which now
write. The pupil was SO tilated that it seemed to
have usurped the space allotted to the other col
ored parts of the eye, and possessed brightness
and keenness which i never saw equaled. They
were still bent on me with that same piercing and
4 unsparing gaze; and this was continued SO long
that it became uncomfortable.
Rising from my seat crossed over towards
where he was sitting, and meeting his eyes with
my own said, : May ask, sir, for what reason
ana thus the object of such marked attention i"
He said nothing, but starting from his seat at
tempted to raise his hand if to strike, when he
/ was seized by two stalwart men, who sat one on
each side Of him. At the same time perceived
that the hand which he stroye to use was bound to
its fellow by pair Of heavy iron letters, and it
was unnecessary for any comprehension of his
condition, that his guard should say to me as he
did, in 9 whisper, Let him alone; he is crazy"
As attempted to retire the mailman muttered,
Don't you know ?-he's dead. But I'll see you
again. / started, but in a moment rejecting
that these were probably chance words of mind
diseased, returned to my seat and was soon alb.
| scrbed in the same train Of thought which had
been thus strangely interrupted. On went the
train plunging through the hills leaping over val
legs, flying across the level plains hiding in the
woods, and again flashing into the sunlight;
| through villages. towns and cities, through fields
Of grain, green in the summer sunlight; over bar
rem moors, peopled by wild fowl, over rapid
river or sluggish canal-onward, ever onward,
Will u Speeu WHICH rfVateu the WINGS, DuI yet
far too slow for my anxious Thoughts, which
were already far ahead of me by that bedside,
and with him who lay upon it. But in even time
with them flew the recollection of those portent-
Gus words Of the mailman" DON'T you know p
he's dead.s Everything outside looked fresh and
full of life; the trees were covered with a living
verdure and full of sweet singing birds the stream
over which we dashed was a stream of living
water, and full of living creatures. All nature,
animate and nanimate, was teeming with life and
health. But in horrible contrast was that crush
ing thought, che is dead At last the trees fit
BY more slowly, the fields grow more defined,
there is sudden jar, moment while the cars roll
smoothly along, another jar, jerk, and we stop.
But meanwhile clouds had overspread the horizon,
the night had come on and with it dismal, driz-
zling shower of rain, and when we stopped | was
glad to take shelter in carriage and bid the
driver to hurry to my home. We had hardly
started when just under lamp we were detained
Q moment and while we waited head was thrust
up to the open window, and felt those same eyes
peering into the corner where | was and heard
that same voice say: !" Oh! here you are-well,
dedd!n With these words he disappeared, and
while was riding home the real anxiety and
trouble OF my situation expelled all remembrances
of my unwelcOme intruder.
At length my journey was ended. But it had
been accomplished too late. That for which had
hasted, and travelled night and day without cessa-
ton or rest was denied me- and my fathers eyes
had been closed indeath without one last glance
IOF lue.s Alreduy lie was arrdyeu III Tile CerementS
of the tomb and laid out in state, to await burial
They led me to the coffin, and looked on those
features, now SO rigid, from which had beamed so
kindly many light on the path Of my youth and
earlier manhood. The face struck me with
peculiar disgust such has never before or since
attached itself to any corpse. Should / attempt
to explain the reason, doubt if should be under
stood. The cause was not fully defined in my own
mind. Possibly it was the almost supernatural
change which had taken place in year of absence
and q long period Of painful sickness. The usual
marks Of death were stamped with painful, hide
GUS distinctness in every line and every feature
of his face. They were such marks as we consider
matter of course with the body of any one else
but when exhibited in the form of one who has
been dear to us as life ITSELF greet them with an
adherence which is almost UNDESIRABLE. The hair
which, at our last parting, had been only tinged
with gray, mad become in course Of long trial
face had been shaved close but, from that singular
freak Of nature, which puts exuberant life into
one part OF mans organization when the whole is
dead, the beard had grown 50 as to make the face
rough with white hair already. The cheeks were
hollow and pale the skin drawn SO tight that it had
broken and displayed the raw flesh on the cheek
bones. The eyes were sunken, and the alfopen
lids showed the balls to be covered with that film
which is SO surely indicative of rapidly approaching
decay About their sockets, well as the nostrils
and the lips, symptoms of modification had begun
to manifest themselves. have never seen a face
which gave such unmistakable token of speedy
unmlstakable token Of speedy dissolution Per-
haps it was this which produced the unutterabIe
horror which experienced as / gazed on the
corpse He had died early the evening before
As the rays Of the sun fell fainter and fainter upon
the earth, the light of his eyes went slowly down.
As the sun sank beneath the Western hills, his
life's taper flickered in the socket; and al the
shadows of night fell over the world, the shadow
of the dark angels wings fell on his face, and
spread thence over oil the house. They had laid
him out in the room where he died, and there they
brought me to him.
The house was rambling sort Of building, which
had been erected piecemeal, and could boast of
dates varying from the time of the Stuarts to that
Of the present Sovereign. Apart from the main
building, and connected with it only by a long
had probably formed a part of former mansion
on the same spot, and remained firm and mistaken,
while the rest had fallen into utter ruin. This
tower my father actuated by some strange fancy,
had caused to be put in order, and furnished with
all the possible appliances of modern luxury with
out disturbing the insignia of ancient heraldry or
the ornamental devices of past generations Thus |
the interior presented unique, and vet not dis.
agreeable mosaic of ancient and modern art and |
taste. Here was stags horn hung, with the |
swords and muskets OF some laird of the olden |
lines, and next to it some device of modern up |
holstery, displayed in window curtains There was |
set Of armor Of the chivalric days, and leaning
against it flag wound about spear staff. and |
Immediately adjoining, a bookcase filled with the
choicest productions of modern genius The walls |
were concealed by rich folds of silk, worked with
figures Of various shapes and designs by the hand
OF some ancient artist. There were grotesoue
representations Of geni, dragons, all the super
hatural Delngs with which the superstition of the