The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1869-05-20
DIANA, THURSDAY, MAY 20, 1869.

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but the poor wretch had not strength
enough left; this was her fifth day
Then the words of Wolfgang returned
soul becomes exhausted, the vegetable
soul gets the advantage; the hair and
nails grow under the ground the green
moss takes root in the openings of the
skull"
pictured to myself the old woman re-
duced to this state-her skull covered
with moldy lichen, and myself, lying near
her, our souls INTERVIEWING their vege:a-
ton, the one with the other, alone in the
silent darkness
This image took such possession of my
mind, that scarcely felt any longer the
cravings of hunger. Stretched out
against the wall, my eyes wide open, l
stared before me into the empty space.
As lay thus, more dead than alive, a
faint light penetrated the surrounding
darkness. | raised my eyes. The pale
face of Wolfgang appeared at the opening
He did not laugh; he seemed to expert
ence neither joy nor satisfaction; he
merely observed me with a cold, pitiless
eye. Thus we remained, our eyes fixed
upon one another-I, fear -stricken-he
cold, calm, attentive, as though looking at
some lifeless object The insect, pierced
by a needle, which we look at through a
microscope, if he could think, if he could
understand the mans eye, would have just
such vision as l then had. l saw that
prayer would be worse than useless, and
said nothing.
After scanning me thus, the maniac
turned his head In order to look at the old
woman. 1 followed mechanically the
direction of his gaze. What | saw the
human tongue cannot express; a face
CHASTITY meagre the limbs shriveled, and
so sharp that they seemed about to pierce
the rags which covered them; something
shspeless, frightful-a deaths head, the
hair matted around the skull like long,
withered grass, and in the midst Of this,
two eyes burning with the fever light, and
two long yellow teeth; and. horrible to
tell, saw two snails crawling over this
living skeleton.
Then, closing my eyes with convul-
sive sigh, said to myself, "That is what
you will be in five daysp
When l again opened my eyes, the light
was gone.
Wolfang," cried 1, God is above us
God sees us, Wolfang; His curse be upon
you"
My worst suffering was from thirst; at
this point it was intolerable. When the
first uncertain light of the morning ap-
peared, suddenly wild fury seized upon
me.
"The villain is there" said to myself
he has some bread, pitcher of water
he drinksp'
Then imagined him raising the pitcher
to his lips. seemed to see the torrents
of water pass slowly down his throat 1t
was delicious stream which flowed
flowed increasingly; and l saw the throat
of the wretch rise and fall voluptuously
with the refreshing current. Anger, de-
spsir, indignation, seized me, and began
to run round my prison, crying out, Wa
ter, water, water"
And the old woman reused up, repeat
ing after me, Water, water, waterp'
In the midst of this scene, the face of
Wolfgang appeared for the third time at
the opening Then, stopping, 1 said to
him:
"Wolfgang, listen; let me drink only
one draught from your pitcher, and you
may leave me to die of hunger. / will
not reproach your And l wept Then
l went on, Your immortal soul will an
swer for this before God Yes, for the
life of this old woman. But L have
studied, and | find your system very fine,
l admire it. Let me only take drink of
water. l have never seen so sublime
conception as yours. 1t is certain the
three souls exist Yes, will proclaim it
1 will be your firm adherent. Won't you
let me take single swallow of water?"
He drew back from the opening without
answering. My evaporation then knew
no bounds. | leaped against the wall,
bruising myself / called upon the
wretch in the hardest terms could COM
mand.
In the midst of this fit of fury, sudden
ly noticed that the old woman had sunk
down all in heap and the idea came
into my head of drinking her blood.
"What need has she of blood ?" said l
to myself. "She must soon perish, any
way. If delay, all her blood will be
dried up!"
Red flames passed before my eyes and,
az | bent toward the old woman, my
strength gave out, and fell near her In a
swOOn.
How long 1 remained unconscious l
know not | was reused by strange cir
cumstance, the remembrance of which
will remain with me always; was awak-
ened from theswoon by the plaintive howl
ing of dog-by a cry more piteOus, more
moving than that of human being |
rose, my face bsthed in tears, not knowing
whence these cries came, so suitable to my
own agony. listened, and judge of my as
tonishment when found that it was my
self that lamented thus, without being
aware of it. The animal soul Here was
the explanation
From this moment all remembrance
ceases. All that / know is, that L remained
two days longer in my prison house, under
the eye of the maniac, whose enthusiasm
at seeing the triumph of his idea was such,
that he did not hesitate to call in several
of our philosophers, that he might wit
ness their surprise.
Six weeks after / awOke in my little
room in the Rue du plat d'Etain, surround
ed by my comrades, who congratulated
me on having escaped this lesson in tran
scendertal philosophy. Poor Catharine
Wogel had died.
1t is needless to add that justice Ia Id its
heavy hand upon the wretched Wolfgang
but, in place of hanging him. according
to his deserts, after six months investiga-
ton it was established that this vile fel-
low was lunatic of the most dangerous
kind. He was placed in cell of Klingen-
munster the mad-hOuse of Rhenish Ba-
varia, where visitors heard him dilating
in quick, peremptory tone upon the
three souls.
A Live Man In a Dead Mans Coffin.