The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1866-09-22

death! Oh, flcnd! Oh, devil! is this
your reycngc?"
lie dashed himself upon tho ground
in agony tears burst from him, and the
sweat stood in large drops upon his face (;
he sobbcd aloud, he tore his hair, he
rolled about like one suffering intolcra-
bic anguish of body, and would have
bitten the iron floor beneath him; he
breathed fearful curses upon Toln, and
he lay still, weeping as child would
weep.
The twilight of departing day shed its
gloom around him ere he arose from
that posture of utter and hopeless sor-
row. Ue had taken no food. Not ono
drop of water had cooled the fcvcr of
his parchcd lips. Sleep had not visited
his eyes for six and thirty hours. lie
was faint with hunger; weary with
watching, and with the excess of his
emotions. lie tasted OF his food he
drank with avidity of the water, and
recling, like Il drunken man, to his
straw, cast himself upon it to brood
again over tho appalling.magc that had
fastened itself upon his almost frenzicd
thoughts.
He slept, but his slumbcrs were not
tranquil. lie resisted, rs long as he
could, their approach; and when at last
cnfcebled nature yielded to their intlu-
ence, he found no oblivion from his
cares. Terrible dreams haunted him 4;
ghastly visions narrowed up his imag-
nation; he shouted and screamed as if
he already felt the dungeons ponderous
roof descending on him; he brcathed
hard and thick, as though Writhing be-
tween its iron walls. Then would he
spring up, stare wildly about. him,
stretch forth his hands to be sure that
he yet had space enough to live, and
muttcring some incoherent words, sink
down again, to pass through the same
fierce VicissituGos of delirious sleep.
The morning Of the fourth day dawn
ed upon Nivcnzo; but it was high noon
before his mind shook Off its stupor, Ol
he aWoke to full Consciousness of his
situation. And what n fixed energy of
despair sat upon his pale features as he
cast his eyes upward and ga2ed upon
the three windows that now alone re
manned! The three! there were ne
more! and they seemed to number hi,
own allotted days. Slowly and calmly
he next surveyed the top and sides, and
comprehended all the meaning OF The
diminished height of the former, IL
well as OF ,he gradual approximation
of the latter. The contracted dimen
sions of his mysterious prison were
now too gross and palpablc to be the
| iu"~le Of his heated Imagination.
Still lost in wonder ut the means, vi
venziO could put no cheat upon his rca
son as to the end. BY what horrible in
gcnuity ii was contrtVcd that walls and
roofs and windows should thus silently
and impcrccptibly, without noise ant
without motion, almost fold, as it were
within each other, he knew not. lie
only knew they did 50; and he Vainl&
strove to rack the miserable wretch who
might be immurcd there with antiripa
tion merely of fate from which, in thc
crisis of his agony, he was to be re
prievcd.
Gladly would he have clung even t.
this possibility, if his heart would have
let him; but he felt dreadful assuranc,
of its fallacy. And what matchlcss in
humanity it was 20 doom the sufferer
to such lingering torments; to lead hin
day by day to so appalling Il death, un
supported by the cOn.olatiOns of rcli
giOn, unvisited by any human being
abandoned to himself, deserted of all
and denied even the sad privilege OF
knowing that his cruel destiny Woul(
awaken pity! Alone he was to await ;
IsloW-cOming torture, whose most CNqui
site bangs would be inflicted by tina
very solitude and that tardy coming.
"It is not death fear" he exclaimed
but the death | must prepare for. Ne
thinks, too, | could meet even tina
all horrible and revolving as it is--if i
might OVcrtake me now. But where
shall find fOrtitudc to tarry till itcome
How can | cultivate the three long day,
and nirbt, I have to live. therc is n,
mower within metobid the hideous ,ppc
tre hence. nonn to make If familiar +,
NV thoughts, or myself poticnt of if
errand. My thoughts rather will ile,
from me, and crow mad in looiing =
IT, on far n dcon sIann to fall mo,
me, That 50, in deaths likeness.
MIGHT embrace death itself and drjnI