The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1865-12-12


held the fallen estate of those who had been
men in the uncovered shame Of death; open
ile, the sunken eyes over which the eyelid
WAS undrawn, the sullen tongue, the frame
writhed into an expression Of anguish, re-
vealed all the pain and shame Of death. But
here and there the hand Of some one who had
been survivor was visible in the at tempt TO
conceal all this. In one place there was a
shallow g1 gr1"ys s into which body had been
in heap of clothes, out Of which bones
appeared, there was spade, with which
the unfinished work had been attempt
from sum and moon by a mans cloak, and a
few PAGES OF lay man, whom nothing had
shielded. There was an infants skeleton,
wrapped In woman's shawl, under what had
perished attempting to find water, or had laid
her child down and gone away, like Hagar in
the desert, not to see it die. The poor inno-
cents skull was turned on its shoulder; it's
cheek must have rested there while the face
remained. Itwas too young to have struggled
much. Paulett thought on his little Alice !;
of her Inconsistencies to the fate around her:
II what would be her and Charles and poor
Ellen's fate il he failed in his search or per-
ished by the way He reused himself from
looking ON all these sOrrOWful objects and
went on his dreary way. The second day after
he left the cavern he came to = stately pile of
building, which he determined to explore for
the life giving stones he was in search Of. 1t
stood upon its terraces, surrounded by it's col
lOnades and garden and steps, in all its old pride
and glory. Its forests were witheretl, indeed !;
its gardens burned its fountains dry; but the
palace glanced back the sunlight, and was as
steadfast and perfect as in the days of the liv-
ing. Paulett drew near, and found, as he came
close, signs Of the last days of life in it. The
doors were open to the air, and Il few marks Of
objects removed remained in the outer rooms
There was scoring and dragging Oh the marble
floor and Paulett doubted for q moment what
had loft these marks, till he saw on one side of
s1aAr3
which the top, rs it seemed, had been acci-
dcntally knocked, and the liquor had flowed
out. The marble bore the stains of wine, and
where it had flowed the slabs were broken in
two places, perhaps from the violence of the
struggle OF those who saw the liquid flow TO
wet each one his own parched lips. Paulett
thought the lord of the castle had probably
deserted it before the worst crisis had arrived
and had tried to remove what was most yalu-
able in his possession. He went on through
long galleries and magnificent rooms, all silent
rs death; statues which represented man in
his glory and in his strength books which
were the work of that high spirit, now extin-
guished under the pressure of bodily want !;
luxurious superfiuities which were for better
days of the wOrld-all was valueless, all open;
no might 60 where he would, until 1T length
one door resisted his efforts, and seemed to
have been barred With a certain care from
within.
Paulett's heart beat high. Was there some
one still living, like himself? another human
world, and guarding, as he had done in his
cavern, his treasure Of water? Should he
have another companion to speak with an
other with whom, perhaps, to get over the evil
days; to whom to communicate his secret of
producing water from diamonds? For the
hrst time since he left the cavern he spoke
aloud he called-he called in the great silence
Of the earth, but nothing answered him. Ii
any one was still alive, he might be afraid Of
another living creature. Had not he himself
left pistols loaded for his poor Ellen to defend
her life and her children if any human being
should come nearY He gently shook the door :
then proceeded to more violence, and forced it
open. 1t was the door OF a great dining room,
on whose lofty ceiling, Us he entered it,
Wreaths OF smoke rolled, which the air had
put in motion, and q heavy smell, as of burned
charcoal, struck him as he entered. There
were no living creatures-the inhabitants We're
all dead In the last posture OF life. The table
was covered with silver and gold vessels, and
among them were dead flowers and fruits,
dried by the close chamber 1t should seem
they had drunk deeply before they died here
perhaps they had collected the last liquids and
resolved to perish when they had more
feasted for there was wine still in some of
the vessels nay, in one there was water and
the ghOstly shapes were adorned and fantasti-
cally covered with jewels and velvet, and all
sorts OF rare and exquisite ornaments. Some
were still Oh chairs, some fallen forward on
the table, some PROSTATE, rs if they had lain
down to sleep. There were fragments Of shi-
vered glass on the floor; there was statue
broken 10 pieces ON the table, on the DcOeStll
Of which was written {" Patience there were
pieces Of torn paper in the hands Of one, which
seemed letter ull these faint ShadOWings OF
long stories, and OF u scene Of which there re-
mained no witness, struck Pauletts eye. One
had sunk down by the silver tripod in which
the charcoal had been burned, and the match
that fired it was amongst his garments. One
face was there resting on Il sofa, still perfect
enough to show It had been q beautiful WO-
man and roses, artfully made close to nature,
crowned the long hair which fell upon arms
from which the flesh had withered. On the
neck were diamonds, on the hands diamonds
diamonds had confined the ringlets-iiamonds
sparkled ON her feet. Paulett shuddered as
he took them away. The spirit, indeed, was
gone; but here was the last act of the spirit
before it plunged into an unknown region-it
where. "A little longer" said he, "and they
mast have died; could not they wait their
time, and take patience with death? Must
they die in drunkenness, in madness-WOrse
than beastsS" Then his own thirsty eyes
fixed on the table. where, in the light of the
sun, the water sparkled and gave rainbow
rays. He forgot all beside in the impulse
which urged him TO seize and drink-tO drink
the first draught-tO satiate his thirst with
water. He drank and revived, and then
blamed himself for yielding so passionately to
the impulse which was now passed away, and
as it passed the horror of the scene around
him acquired greater force, and he lOnged to
be out Of it's influence. He made haste to col
lect all the Jewels around him, and when he
had done. found that his burden was as much
as he could safely carry. He went hastily out
Of the room, as if any of these figures could
rise and follow him, and fastened the door
again where the crime had been wrought
He hastily crossed the marble halls and came
out in the sunlight-the solemn sunlight that
looked upon a burnt-up world.
s9s CHAPTER III. "
Meanwhile poor Ellen waited anxiously in
the cavern and as soon as the first possible
moment for Paulett's return was passed, her
fears grew strong. There was 50 much danger
for him in the bare desert, with his scanty
supply Of water, that she might well listen 70
fear as soon as 1t had any reason to make itself
heard and with this dread, when she next
drew water from her scanty supply, came the
horrible torment Of the anticipated death by
thirst, which seemed descending upon her
children aud her. The day she had thought
he would return rose and set, and SO did an
other and another; and from fearing she had
begun to believe, indeed, that Paulett's y earthly
hours were passed; yet hope would not be
subdued entirely; and then she felt that per-
haps by prolonging their lives another day
only she should save them to welcome him,
and TO profit by his hard.earned treasure
The store Of winter was sacredly precious.-
in hn