Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1860-08-11
@Ountain Democrat.
THE FIRE EIEND-A NIGHTMARE.

THE FIRE FIEND-A NIGHTMARE.
TloH An rxrrBlIsnED MSS. OF Edgar a. LOB.
In the deepest dearh of ndn gh; While the snd and
solemn swell
stn floating family echoed from the forest chapel
bell
Fsinty, falttrneiy floating DER the cable waves Of
air,
That were thro' the midnight rolling chsfed and blOwy
with the tOllng-
In ny chamber lay dreaming, BY the hTsight' h'fu
cleaning,
And my dreams were dreams foreshado~ed on a heart
foredoomed 70 eare
A. the last long lingering echo of the midniShtS mystic
chime
lifting through the sable biOw OF the thithsr shore OF
Tine
Leaving o. the StartesS silence token trace
In QuiveTing sigh departed from my couch 10 fear
stATtedi
Started to my feet in terror my dreams phSntamA
Ps,uted In the 6tful are frshtful, nendi'h asm'rC
face!
On the red hsaTthb redde,t center from blarng
ofOsk.
sesnsd gbs and grin this phantom when terror
awoke
And ny SlumoeEous Syslids sTaipipg. staggered to
the floor,
sau In that dread Sssuing. turned my gaze to-
ward the gisaming
Hearth. and there oh God saw 1t and from its
flaming Jaw It
Opas esasslsS', Sss,hinG. Kissing, bubbns, gurglnV
stream Of gore!
Spssehls struck With stony silence, frozen the door
I stood.
Till usthousht my brain kissing with that Kissing,
bubblinE blood
Tin felt my life ooInS, ooling from those lam
bent lips
TIN the demon seemed to name me, then wondTouJ
calm came DER me, "
And my brow grew cold and de~y, with death-danp
stif and glucy,
Asd fell back MY pillow, apparent 'eul eclipse.
Then - In deaths seeming shadow in the icy f. Of
Hay. stricken came hoaISs and hidsouS murmer to
my ear,
Came murmeE like the murmer Of assassin in their
sleep
Mustsring higher: higher higher am demon of the
Fire!
Ian Arch-Ticnd Of the Fire and each blazing roof
my pyrs,
And my sweetest Is the blood aud tears VIC
tam wseps!
- How Trvei tho prsIre nov ImonCIt the
pines!
How laugh when from the village DER the the red
Dame ShinsS,
And hear the shrisk' Of terror, with life in every
breath!
Ho~ scrsam with lambert laughter, - huri each
cracking raftcr
Down the fell abyss Of drs-untii higher! higher
Leap the high priests Of my altar in their merry dance
Of death
al an Monarch Of the Fire: III am vAssal King Of
Death!
weird enrichinS, with the shadow Of doom upon my
breath
Witt the symbol Of Hereafter flaming from my fatal
6ee!-
command the Eternal Fire Higher higher! higher!
higher!
Leap my mnistsriug demons. like phantAsmaEOrie L.
mans!
Huggng Un,versal Nature their hidsouS embrace :"
Then sOmbrs silence shut me In solemn. Ihroudns
sleep,
And Slumbered like 40 infant In the "erade of the
deep"
Tin tho belfry in the forest quvered with the matin
stroke,
Ard the mattins, from the edges Of Its lchcn ddcd
lodges,
shimmsed through the archer, where the light
In torn 6leS mareheS,
Like routed army struggling through the ssrTsd ranks
Of oak.
Thro' my tVy.frst:sd easement, Uttered in usmuOu'
note,
From the tall and stately linden where the robin Swecd
his throat
QuerulOuS quakerbr robin, calling quantity for his
mate
Then started up unbdden from my Lumber, ghtmare
ridden,
With the memory Of that dire demon in my central fire.
On my eye's interior mi. like the shadow Of fate
All the hendiSh FIRE had SmOuldered to white and
forlnlesS heap,
And no knot Of oak blaming as 1t famed upon my
sleepi
But around lite very CENTER where the demon face had
shone,
Forked shadows seemed to linger, pointing, as with
spectral finger,
To Bible. massive, golden, en- a table carved and
olden;
And bowed aud said, IAN power 10 Of God-of God
alone ="
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