The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-08-24

- - 49, 2
ElleA t0 defend new life ana her ichsIs-
idren'U any hian6an. being should come
near2 He sRel1tly shook the door.
then proceedsd TO- more vio}ence. md
forced 4; open. JIG was &Iie door Of q
great dining -room on whose lefty
ceiling, as he entered q, twreaths of
smoke rolled, which the air, had put
in motion, snd q heavy sznall, "a. of,
burned charcoal, lcstruck him as he
entered. There were no living ersa-7
lures inhabitants were al dead,
in the last posture OF life, The Table
was covered with silver and gold xes-
sells, and among them were dead
flowers and fruits, dried by the close
chamber. It should seem they had
drunk deeply before they died here:
perhsps they had collected the last
liquids and resolved to. perish when
they had once 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 fam
tastically covered with jewels; and
velvet, and all sorts of rare and aex.
quisite ornaments. Some were still
on chairs, some fallen forward on the
table, some PROSTATE, as if they had
laid down to sleep. There were frag-
ments Of shiyered glass on the foor;
there was statue broken. to pieces
on the table, ON the pedestal Of which
was written 'Patience;" there were
pieces of torn paper in the hands of
one, which seemed a letter; all these
faint shadowings of long stories, and
Of scene Of which there remained
no witness, struck Paulett's eye. One
had sunk down by the silver tripod
in which the charcoal had been burn
ed, aud the match that fred it was
amongst his garments. One face was
there resting on q sofa, still perfect
enough to show it had been beauti-
full woman, 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 con-
fined the ringlets-diamonds SPAR
kled 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 knew not
where. Paulett asked himself where.
"a little longer" said he, "and they
must have died; could not they wait
their time, and take patience with
death? Must they die in drunken.
ness, in madness, worse than beasts?'
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 draueht-to
satiate his thirst with water. He
drank and revived, and then blamed
himself for yielding SO passionately tc
the impulse which was now passed
away, and rs it passed, the horror oi
the scene around him acquired great.
er force, and he longed to be out OF
it's influence. He made haste to col
lect all tue jewels around him, and
when he had done so, found that his
burden was as much as be could
safely carry. He went hastily out o.
the room, as if any of these figures
could rise and follow him, and fast
ened the door again where the Grim.
had been wrought. He hastily cross
ed tie marble halls and came ont il
the sunlight-the solemn sunlieh,
that looked upon q burnt-up world.
TO BE CONTINUED.