The Lambertville press. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1858-1???, 1861-05-08
The Effect of a Curse.

The Effect of a Curse.
The effect of Imagination, as shown
in the case of hydrphobia on the
West Side, recalls to our mind re-
markanle circumstance which occurred
many years ago, and in which an ex-
cited imagination brought about mis-
cradle life and terrible death. The
affair ACQUIRED near the place of our
nativity, and partly during our boy
hood, and as e-do not ever remem-
Der seeing it recorded in print, we will
give it in the shape that it is impress
sed on our memory.
A young man named Comyn bad
for time paid attention to girl
who was the village belle, and they
were at length formally engaged
Elizabeth was of an ardent tempera-
ment, loving Comyn with her whole
heart and sensitive to the slightest
appearance of GOODNESS or neglect.
A "lover's quarrel" sprang up
from some slight cause. There was
GOODNESS for a day or two, and on
Sunday afternoon Comyn escorted an
other young woman to church. Elz-
abeth saw them pass her window, and
he GOODNESS and despair chilled thro'
her. Recovering from the shock she
took down her prayer book, and, turn
ing down a leaf sent it to Comyn's
house. That done she went to a
neighboring wood and hung herself.
On returning from church her lover
had presentment of evil and went to
her home She had not been seen for
two or three hours A terrible con-
viction flashed to his mind, and be ex
claimed, Good heavens !! she has
destroyed herself" He was told that
book had been sent to his house,
and on returning thither, he found the
leaf turned down to the 100 Psalm,
and the following passage marked:
Let his days be few and let another take
his Office.
Let his children be fatherless, and his wife
widow.
Let his children be vagabonds and beg their
bread let them seek i. also in desoIate
places.
Let the extortioner consume all that he hath
and let the stranger spoil his labor.
Let there he no man to pity him, nor to have
compassion upon his fatherless children.
Let his posterity be destroyed and in the next
generation let his name be clean put out"
While reading this terrible maledic-
tion word was brought of the discov-
cry of Elizabeth's body, and the man.
ner of her death. Camyn rushed from
the house, saying that he was ruined
for ever and ever, and for days and
nights he wandered about the neigh
-borhood, half crazed with remorSe and
fear
Years passed away, and brought no
alienation to his mental torture.
He was afraid to enter a church lest
he should hear the dreadful words
read The sight of bible or prayer
book wonid drive him from the house
Disasters Of, various kinds befel him
His nights were disturbed by fright
fnl dreams, The dead girl appeared
to him in his sleep with her features
distorted by strangulation, and her
finger pointed to prayer book
open at the terrible curse. At such
times he frequently shrieSed in agony,
40 Betsy, my dear Betsy shut that
book-shut the book !"
His friends persuaded him to mar
ry, hoping thus to break the spell that
weighed him down. At length he
assented and offerd his hand to a
young girl. She turned from him in
horror, asking l. he wished to bring
down the curses of the dead girl on
her head. Two other offers were re-
fused in the same manner, but at
length the chance of good settlement
ontweighed snpersti .ious fears, and a
woman was found to accept his Of
fer.
That Wedding was described to US
by an eye witness. They were mar
in the church, and the way to it lay
across on open track. When about
midway sudden and VIOLENT storm
sprung up. Crashing thunders, in
cessant flashes of sheeted lightning,
and bowling winds, daunted even the
least snpersitious with their i'll omens.
Comyn thre@ himself on the ground
on his face, and grovelled in convul.
sive agony, shriekiug to be protected
from the dead girl, who, he said, had
come with thunder and lightning to