The Kansas herald of freedom., 1859-04-30
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nOIllOuJ nlueOuS UtaOAnesS eholS OusH-
shrouds all mortal vision, and still that
old man stirs not, speaks not, but gazes,
peers in the direction Of that dreadful
place. Tremulous, voiceless he stands,
wrapped in the folds Of that blackness;
he heeds, he sees it not; his eyes are fixed
in their gaze, his mind is upon the dead.
And thus that old man stands there, soli-
tary, gazing, pondering, voiceless, motion
less. What wild, dark thoughts possess
his mind? Does he mediate, purposes of
direful, dreadful revenge? Does hepledge
himself anew upon the bloody altar where
the innocent have been inundated, to
renewed efforts in behalf of oppressed and
suffering humanity? We know not. We
only know that wrapped in the shroud OF
that starless, rayless, blackness, he stands,
mindless of the world around him, gazing,
pondering, voiceless, spell-bound, on that
fatal spot.
Look! A solitary, luminous spark ap-
pears before the vision Of that old man as
he stands thus gazing, pondering, silent,
unconscious of the world around him.
That luminous spark is directly before
his eyes, and seems suspended and slight
ly tremulous in the surrounding blackness.
What strange, startling contrast We
cannot turn our eyes from that luminous
spark, SO strangely suspended upon this
black shroud of night. Howstrange, how
unearthly that spark Of clear, pure, white
light. See! it moves, it enlarges how
clear, how pure, how wonderful We
look, we gaze we cannot turn our eyes
from that luminous, that unsubstantial
spark, suspended in the darkness.
The old man gazes upon it-ponders,
wonders. How strapge-it still enlarges,
expands, intensifes, glows, and he stands
gazing, wondering, ponderiug, speechless.
Still it grows, expands. God it has as
sumed a human form-that luminous
spark-and stands there clear, pure,
bright, glowing, spiritual, ineffable.
The old man gazes upon it; gazes,
ponders, wonders; a sudden impulse
moves his mind, and with solemn awe
he speaks "Thank God, it has come to
strengthen, encourage, council"
There is voice in the surrounding
blackness; whence it proceeds is un-
known; but it is clear, distinct, soft,
sweet as the voice of seraphim. "Ah
you shall have council" And still the
old man gazes, ponders, wonders, as he
stands surrounded by that blackness, and
that clear, pure, spiritual body, of ineffa-
BILE light, with human form and Inca.
ments stands before him. From the hips
upward, We behold the body, the arms
the hands, the neck, head, face, glowing
eyes and bloodless lips, and thus i
stands, human form of clear, pure
ineffable, spiritual light.
The eyes of the old man droop for {
moment toward the ground.
See the lips Of that clear spiritual es
sence move; it speaks; hark
Crook, look on mew He raises hi
eyes in hope; horror, what change
That pure, glowing, spiritual body il
mutilated, bloody. Great God how
strange, how terrible His skull is cleft
there is cash in his throat, another il
his side, and the hot blood spouts, oozes
trickles down, and horribly stains, OBJ
scures that pure, glowing, spiritual form
"Rook look on me; do you know
me ?" repeats ths strange, unearthly
voice. The horror stricken man is speech
less, voiceless, dumb; his eyes seen
bursting from their sockets; his hands
are thrust forward, as if to repel the hor
rid vision, and his whole frame vibrate
and quivers with terror.
"Rook, you have forgotten Wilkinson
slain one dark Saturday night on Potto
wattomie creek? You have forgotten th'
widow and the two fatherless children?'
Mute with horror, the old man gazes
ponders, still upon that appalling, fearful
vision.
Look f! by the side of that blood,
specter, only yard distant from its side
see, another luminous spark; it is exactl,
like the first clear pure, white, spiritua
light 1t glows, eularges, expands, un
dulates and assumes human form lik
the tirst-pure, BRIGHT inefAble-anC
now it transforms in appearance like tn
other, and its glory is stained will
blood. Hideous to behold. His skull i
cleft in two places there is hole il
his breast; his left hand is nearly cut of
and hangs dangling by little piece o
skin. How these bloody, gaping wounds
like mouths, move and essay to speak.
"Rook, look on me. Do you remem
Der Sherman, slain one dark Saturda,
night on Pottowattomie creek ?"
Still that old man stands there gazing
more deeply horror stricken, yet mute
moveless. Wonder upon wonder, horro
upon horror! See in line with thos,
ghastly, bloody forms, are three luminous
sparks, exactly like the first in appear.
ance; they seem at first quiescent and
suspended mysteriously in the shroudins
blackness; now they enlarge, expand,
undulate and assume human forms like
the others; first pure, clear, spiritual, in.
efable light, yet emitting no ray beyond
the outlines of their forms, and now they
are transformed like the others. The
fsightful wounds cape hideously the no,
blood spouts, oozes, trickles down and