The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1866-12-01
No. II
The Effects Of q cnrsa

The Effects Of a Curse
ne following strange Circumstance, which
, occurred a number Of years ago, shows the
terrible effects which an excited Imagination
may have uyoa life The affair occurred
near the place of oar nativity, and partly
during our hoyhood and we 90 not remeul-
Der ever seeing It recorded ia print. Ne
viii give it therefore in the shapo that it Is
Impressed oa cur memory
A young man NAMED Comva bad FOR some
time paid attention to @ girl who was the
I belle ot the village, aud thew were at length
/ formally engaged. Elizabeth was of an ar-
dent temperament, loving Coulrn with her
whole heart, and sensitive 60 the slightest
/ appearance Of GOODNESS or neglect Il
lover quarrel spranS up for slight
+ cause. There Nas "a colJaes5 for day or
two, and GA Sunday afternoon ComYn es
cortea another young woman 30 church
I Elizabeth saw them pass her srindow. and
+ the GOODNESS. OF despair chilled through her
Recovering rom the shock, she took down
] her praFeI-book, aud turning down leaf
sentlt to C0mvp's house ] has done. She
! went to neighborins wood and hung her
self
I On returning from church her lover had
7 pFesentImen5 Of evil and went to her home
! She had not been seen for two or three
] hours. n terrible conviction flashed 10 his
mind, and he exclaimed, Good Heaveasl
/ she has destroyed herself" He WAS told
/ that book had been sent To his house, aud
/ on rennng thither he found the p1avcr-book
/ with tie leaf turned down to the I091h
Psalm and the following passage marked:
/ Let bis days be few, and another take
! his Office
Let his children be GathelIoss, and his
wife a widow.
Let his children be vagabouds, and beg
! their bread; let tdem seek it also in dosolate
/ places
Let the eztortionor consume all ne hath,
and let the stranger spoil his laborlS
Let there be no man to pity him, nor to
have compassion on his fatherless children.
Let his pOsterity be destroyed and in the
| next generation let his name be clean put
out
While reading this terrible maledietion,
word was brought Of the discovery of Eliza
beth's body, and of the manner Of her death,
Comyn rushed from the house, saving he
was ruined forever and ever, and for days
and nights ne wandered about the neighbor-
hood, half crazod with remorse and fear
\ ears passed away, but brought no allevia-
ton 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 would drive him from the
house. Disasters and misfortunes Of vari-
Gus kinds befeH him, all owing, he claimed,
to the curse which hung over him. His
nights were disturbed by frightful dreams
The dead gil appeared to him in his sleep
with her features distorted by stiangula-
ton, and her finger pointing to prayer
/ book open at the terrible curse. at such
/ time be frequently shrieked in agony, q O,
/ Betsey, my dear Betsey, shut the book-shut
! the book"
His friends persuaded him to marry, hop
! ing thus to break the spell that weighed
him down. Al length be assented and
offered his hand to a young girl She turned
from him with horror, asking If he wished
to bring down the crases Of the dead girl On
her head. Two other offers were refused
IN the Same manner but at length the chance
Of good settlement outweghed supersti-
/ tiOus fears, and a woman was found to accept
his offer
The wedding was described to US by an
eye witness. They were married in the
church and the way to it lay across an open
track When about midway, a sudden and
violent storm sprang up. Crashing thun.
ders, lncessant flashes of sheeted lightning
and bowling winds daun5ed even the least
superstitious with their Ill omens Comvn
throw hImslf to the ground on his face,
and groveled in convusiyc agony, shrieking
to be protected from the dead girl, who, he
said had come with thunder and lightning
to destroy him. he was led helpless to the
ceremony in Il stunned and bewildered man
uer.
For two years after the marriage Comyn
dragged out n miserable existence, BODY and
mind wearing rapidly away together He
became the father Of two children. both of
whom died shortly after birth. At length
he died, his end being embittered by terrible
visions, the horror Of which threw him into
violent commissions. To the last, the vision
of fba r5tr at f4a aIs,
seemed to scar his eyeballs, and he died
shriebing to his attendants to "make her
shut that book e.
Tie singular coincidence that bad terri
fed him during life did not cease at his
death. II was buried on 4 Sunday after
noon, and according to the custom Of that
neighborhood, the coffin was placed in the
aisle during the reading Of the regular sun
day afternoon service As the villagers
looked Gt each other IN GstonishmenC at this
coincidence the church clock struck four
the very hour at which Elizabeth Lampen
had gone cut to destroy herself
Singular as the above story Is, we can
youch for its entire truth, and there are
several others now living who can confirm
it in every word 1t is but another proof
that truth IS stranger than fiction
-e-s s-
The Round Table on Tilting Skirts.
That there exists an immense attraction
about ladies' ankles is certainly no proof Of
a want Of manliness in a community where
it is observable IF a woman's delicacy Is
shocked by the idea of too free an exhibition,
so far as her OWE case is concerned she has it
under entire control, and there is no lack Of
h0rrid example to illustrate the enOrBity
/ Of the practice and to sU gest inlallible
methods for its correction On the other
+ hand, pretty foot and a shapeiy ankle are
+ indubitably strong attractions ia a woman,
and if she chooses to show them she viii as
suredly never lack admirers to appreciate
the privilege There IS nothing intrinsi-
+ caIiy mo-e imlnodest IN showing the lower
limbs than in showing the upper ones, and
covering, and the formsr are not, the distinc-
ton, If any, is on the safe side Decidedly,
there is less stlagestian Of indcIieacE even IN