The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1861-03-13
VOLUME XVIII. s.s. 's.s3 ,l.s.
THE GOLD BUG.
J BIZ EDGAR A. poE, ESQ


eds aa4sgas 5--a IL iaM 5sid.
has iash BIZ EDGAR A. POE, ESQ sstafsf'
Eaqatas bgsf ys---sfs gBahtss7T aE
What bol Whathol this fellowi is dancing mad
He hath been bitten by the Tarantula
SH2 20 FALL In THE WRoNa.
usMany years ago 1 contracted an init,
macy with Mr.. William Legrand. b He
was of an ancient Hugh enot family, and
had once beeu wealthy; but. q series oI
misfortunes had brought him to want To
avoid the modification consequent upou
his sdisasters. he left New Orleans. the
city ofs his forefathers. and took up hin
rssidence at Sullivan's Island near Charles
ton, South Caroline. s4o3ss9oI4 gaan:as
This island is a very singular one.ma Il
oonsists Of little elser than thedsea sand,
and Is about three miles long, Its breadth
at no point exceeds . quarter of : q mile.
Ills separated from the main land By Q
scarcely perceptible creek, oozing its way
through . wilderness of reeds and slime,
q favoriee resort of the marsh shen.a The
vegetation, as might be expected, is scant,
or at least .dwarfsh. Ne trees of any
megnispde, are to. sbes ssesn. Near the
western extremity, where Fort Monltrie
stands, and where are some miserable
franc buildings tenanted during the sum
msy By tho fugi.ives from Charleston dust
and fever, may be, found indeed the brist-
ling palmetto; but the whole is!and, with
tAe exception, Of this. western point and
q cline of hard white beach on the sea-
eeast, tisa covered !. with "a dense nnder-
growth of sweet myrtle 90 much priced
kyrthe horticulturists of England The
shrub here often attains, the hight Of .if,
teen,ors twenty feet, and forms 40 almost
impenetrable coppice, hardening the air
With its fragrance. 1otas Ii zi,iftoas
10 In, the, most 5sequestered recesses, 81
this coppiee, not far, from the eastern or
more remote end of the island, Lsgrand
he'd builY himself 2 small hntig which he
occupied when 1 6rss, By mere accident,
made his acqusin tance. .gs. This soon, ri
peped into friendship; for there was much
iH,.he recluse TO excite interest and es;
seem,t I found him well educated. with
unusual powers of mind. but infected With
misaa;hropy and subject to perserse moods
Of Alternative enthusiasm and melane holy.
Hs had with him many books. but rarely
cmployed them. His chief amusemsnts
were cunning and fishing. or sanntering
aleng the bank and .hropgh the myrtles,
iIqpests Of shells, or; .entomologic .speci-
mems. =. His collection of the latter might
have, been snTied aby q Swammerdammo,
In these excursions he was ush ally accom-
panied by an old negro, called Jupiter,
yhos had beer manumltted before the re.
xerses of Tho family. but who could not
be induced, either By threats Ok by prom,
ises.i to abandon what be considered his
yieht, of attendance nppn the footsteps ot
his yppng s;,Massa ,WllLp II is not i'm
probable that. the. relatives of Legrand,
copcsivlpgl him to be somewhat unsettled
In intellect, had, .coptriyed to- instil this
.sbs.inscy sin:o Jupiter, with 3 yicv TO the
.sppervision and guardianship Of the l', yaa va
sderes. laueg zassas yg5 se .toq sa.z .,a;s
- Tha, winters in, the latitude Of SulIi
ran,s Island are seldom very severe, and
in the, fell Of the year, it il, a-rare event
indeed, when 4 fire is considered necessa
II. About middle of October, ls-,
there occurred, however. day of remark
able chilliness. Just before sunset
-sersmbIedsmyrwsy through the evergreen
fsithe hat Of my friend .sswhom / hadsao
syisited for several weeks my residence
being, at Ythatstime, in Gharleston, q dis
staaee of nine miles from the island, while
-the ifacilities aof passage and sre.passag'
Iusrssyeryfar behind those Of the presen
sdsy. saUpon reaching the, hut ] raped a.
sxes snys epstop, and getting no reply
soughtfof tho key where /, kneY, it wa
sseerbtted, spuIocked the door and went in
,Ai6as Gre MAS blazing spon the hearth
II vas :a1neyslsys and by no means an IN
msaeemeI oaeesiI threw of an oyercoat
Aeok aa'srm chair BY the crsckling logs
audi Nsisedi patisntly the arrivsl Of "a!
hosts. 'sgsa9
Soon after dark they arrived and CAV,
no & cordial oweicome. EJdpiter grinnine
ft6i cat TO ear began TO prepare some
4dnsfsh hens for supper Legrand dwasir
ode of biss g6tsLhowo else shall I tern
chem Eof snthusiasna He had found al
1dskaown bivaise. forming q new genus
and more than this, he had hunted dow'
and secured. With Jupiter's assistance,
!. .ssacarabaens which be believed to be total
lysnsw, ibut ia Ifespecsto which he wishes
.to Asse my -spiniou ON the morrow.o
> 1sek Ind Why not tonight sai Tssked rub
bing my hands over the blaize aud wish
ing the. whole tribe Of scaraboei ct th
devil. ~ I.ss ~ 8 -s.ss.gsg 1 s,f6.fs4
sAh. if I had only known you wer
hersp said Legran6, .bnt its.so long sine
/ saw ron: and how could 4 foresee tha
you would pay me visit this very nigh
Of ell others? As was coming home
met Lieutenant c., from the fort an
very foolishiy, I lent him the bug; SO
vilhbsimpossibls FOR you to see it unit
the mofniag.i Stay here stosnight5 and
wiif send Jup down for it at sunrise.
Is fhe loveIiest thing ia creationp