The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1859-09-21
From All tho Year Round.
A Story Of Presentiment.

az Whicn you can DC put up IoT the hIgh' p"
and entertainment, very much as European n
travellers who are crossing the Alps are re- p
ceived at the great st. Bernard. Among v
the party who had newly arrived was one p
who-as had been the case with myself
had got the lock OF his pistol SO deranged
that it wOs impossible to stir it, and as he,
like myself and most other Eastern travel. t
ers, very much dslked the idea of proceed i
ing on his journey unurmed, he was anxious I
to have the defect in his weapon attended to
at once. 1t was easier to feel this want than I
to get it supplied, there being no one at that
time in Jerusalem who would be at all likely
to understand the pistol in question, which
was revolver, and furnished with the latest
improvements. At length, however, after
, much consideration and casting about as to
what was TO be done, one Of the lay broth
ers of the convent suggested way out OF
the difficulty which seemed promising
enough. There were, he said, a couple Of
German travellers sleeping that night in the
convent who were locksmths by trade, and
he had little doubt that one Of them would
be able 10 do what wGs necessary TO the pis |
tol, il anybody could. The weapon was
handed over to the lay brother, who at once
took it to the room which the two Germans
occupied, and explaining to them what was
amiss, asked if they would undertake to set
it right. The traveller, he added, would pay
them literally for their trouble.
The two Germans were sitting at supper
when the lay brother came in with the pistol
in his hand. The elder of them, whose
name was Max, getting up from the table,
took the weapon from the monk and carried
, it to the window Gas the light was fadlng)
that he might examine it more completely.
His friend remained at the table, sitting with
his back towards Mex, finishing his supper
in philosophical manner enough. The
German who was examining the pistol had
= been go occupied for a couple OF minutes,
when it went off with loud noise. At that
L moment the poor fellow who was sitting eat
ing his supper fell forward without utterng
sound. The charge had entered his back.
:, He fell upon his face on the ground, and
- when my friend, who told me the story
J and who as surgeon to the embassy was sent
for at one--when he arrived, it seemed to
- him ut first that two men had been killed in.
stead of one, for both the Germans were
stretched upon the floor, and he who was
the survivor, holding the other locked in. hif
- arms, wore upon his ghasty countenance
the deadlier lock of the two. 1t was quite
a difficult thing to separate them. The
. wounded man had got the others hand ir
his, us if by that to reassure him, and tc
show him that he loved him all the same.
The surgeon ceused the wounded mani
was but TOO evident that he had not long t.
:, live-to be removed TO the infrmary ant
. laid upon bed to die. 1t was a bed tina
= stood beneath o window, and across which
- - when the sun was sitting, the shsdow of
., cypress fell.
A very brief examination showed that an
- attempt to relieve the dying man would b
useless, and they could only staunch tn
blood that flowed from his wound and watc
. with that breathIess ogerness-there j
none like it-with which men watch thei
brother, when each short breath, drawn les
. and less, often seems as though it were th
,. lest. AS for the other German, he wa
=. sunk in heap upon the ground beside tn
bed in speechless stupefaction. One of hi
hands was on the couch, and the expirin
i, effort Of the dying man wus to take this pa;
sive hand in his. Those who were aroun
him seeing then change upon his fact
-. Ieant hastily over him, for they heard hiI
os whisper, family. =.
"Poor Max" he said--"poor Max" TIL
ho m last act of the man who died was to pity tn
- man who lived.
- And we'll he might.
=, For some time it was very uncertoi
=, whether the man who had thus slain his be-
80 and dearest friend would not speedily folio
so him into another world, go fesrlully was h
~ affected. For still longer period it WI
~ doubtful in the last degree whether he wou
II retain his reason. And, indeed, at the tin
=, when the story was told me he could hard
.,r be said to be altogether of sound mind. 4
-, the time the man was haunted by ixt
presentiment that he should die one day
:, his friend had died. No reasoning with hi
in had the least effect; the presentiment hi
M ia ken hold upon his mind, and nothing cou
shake it. Those who had wished him we'll
,ue and there were many--had often tried
Der lead him to happier frame Of mind, and
arm make him take ON interest in his own futu'
for They had urged him, since he had taken
on. his abode in Jerusalem, to settle there mo
MS. comfortably, to get into better and me
,rs. convenient workshop, and, since his skill
em workman always insures him the means
.om a living, to marry. For they knew that
ies. fresh interests of domestic nature wor
the be of the greatest possible service to hi
will "The day will come," was his invariat
( answer to such advice" the day will col
when some one will shoot me with pis
through the back just as shot my friend.
That duy will surely come; what have l
DO, then, with a wife, or cbildren-with
had wife whom I should leave widow, W
l. fail mao