The southern enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1854-1870, 1860-01-26
The Death of De Quincy.
A noaASrIc AND. oAnpryAL INCIDENT ~ ms

tue Deatn VI Oe Gu1ncy.
A RoaASrIc AND CARDINAL INCIDENT IN ms life
The life Of De Quincy has been one of vicissi.
tudesr--sOmetimes strange and romantc--some
times horrible. and sometimes fair and most hon.
orable. He was born Of good parentagc, and
Iet at the age OF seven years to the care of four
guardians one Of whom undertook his education
and raising, Immediately placing him at school,
where he attained an early classical distinction,
writing Greek before he was thirteen with facil.
ity. Two years after, his teacher said of him to
stranger, that boy sir. could harrapgue an
Athenian audience, better than you or 1 could
address an English one" Nor was his proficien
cy in other classical and scientific studies less
wonderful. A master of Latin--a thorough ma
thematicinn--an acute English scholar. But
school life, and especially it's associations, illy
suited him, and early one morning his room was
found vacant as air. He had borrowed eI O from
q. lady friend Of high rank, and had, before the
gray of morning, set off for the great city of
London, with little purpose and very vague and
shapeless hopes -. s........l -.
When--aftcr divers adventures, painful and
harrowing--he reached the moving world of
London, he found himself In the confused and
busy horoughfares n friendless stranger, desti.
tute of money and even of comfortable clothing
homeless and houseless ON the brawling, town.
walking up and down the thronged streets by
day, and the deserted lanes and by-ways by
night the companion and associate of the wan
and dark beings of humanity, who are wont thus
to wander for the needy pittpncc of beggnry or
crime. that must alone sustain life
Among these he found strange associate and
friend-one Of the many outcasts Of tender age.
which every city ,Yawns upon--a girl younger
than himself whose only name was that of Ann
"a poor, ruined creature, with whom hour after
hour he roNmed, each bearing :Ae!r own deep
sorrows and sympathizing the one with the 9TH
er, as they shared the scanty bread that they
Glanced to pick up here and there--children
both out on the great city OF London.
And while thus MISUNDERSTANDING, starv-
ing. sleeping in great rickety house on a pallet
of straw. which the generosity Of a question able
tenant bestowed, began the first taking of that
poison-the curse Of his life. .'" P.
|, Zone night" Gays he, when Ann and / were
pacing slowly along Oxford street, and after
day when had felt unusually III and faint, I
| requested her 10 turn of with me into Soho
square. Thither we went; and we eat down on
| the steps of house. which to this day I never
pass without pang Of grief and an inner act of
homage to the spirit Of that unhappy girl, in
memory of the noble deed she there performed.
| Suddenly, as we sat, grew much worse. had
been resting my distressed head against her bo
som, and all Mt once l sank from her arms and
tell backwards upon the stone steps From the
sensations / then had felt an inner conviction
| W pt hx,s It.
ulus, should either have died on the spot, or
should have at least sunk to point of exhaus-
lion from which all reascent, under my friend
less circumstances, would have soon become hope
less Then Il was at this crisis Of my fate, that
my poor orphan companion, who had herself
met with little but Injuries In this world stretch
ed out n saving hand to me- Uttering a cry Of
terror, but without moments delay, she ran off
into Oxford street, and in less time than could
be imagined, returned with a glass oi Port wine
and landnnum, that acted upon my empty stom-
| nch (Which would at that time have rejected all
solid food) with an instantaneous power Of re.
suscitetion; and for this glass the generous girl,
without murmur, paid out of her own humble
pittance, Mt time, be 1T remembered, when she
had scarce wherewithal to purchase the bare ne.
cessities Of life, and when sshe could not expect
me ever to be able to reimburse her"
From this time. or actunted by that gnawing
OF hunger at the stomach which only opium re.
lieved, he began the growing use of TINT horri-
bic and life dealing poison. At length. during
temporary separation from poor Ann, lie lost
her, and sought for her in vain--.gone, no one
knew where gone, no one. save her grateful as
soeiate, cared where and at length hisgunrdian
discovering him, reconciliation was effected,
and his return home followed; his re.entrance
into college, his continued success his marriage,
aud finally his fame, full.blown and commanding
"a fame which he could enjoy, surrounded by a
peaceful, comfortable homo, where he might
write with n calm mind, and whence he might
send, drop'by drop, those little shining globes of
his rare genius. 20" "''
But the bane OF his existance was never ceas.
Ing, relentless tormenter; the demon, opium,
robbed hirN Of its wonderful joya, and only re-
tanning the after time of its dreadful misery.
In that remarkable book, the Confessions of an
Engiish Opinn- Eater, are TO be foand some of
the most striking pictures Of this great, gloomy
vice that one can well conceive pictures Of such
clear outline. such marvellous coloying, such pomp,
spch Pageantry as the eye can only imagine when
the brain is lit up like grand theatre and the
vision, and heart. and soul, and system is con
! troled by the magic spell Of the dipefnl. marvel
| ous prodigy, opium opium. like tie rattle-snakc G.
that shines and dazzles, and strikes TO kill.
!