The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1869-03-06
Selected AIistellanp.
THE ALCH EMIST.
BY ABBY SAGE.

AT one end Of a large room, so oldand
dusty that it looked as If ages had passed
since the ponderOuS brown rafters in the
ceiling were first fixed in their places, a
huge fire roared with a hollow sound in
brick furnace, Over this furnace sat a
deep brazen cauldrOn, filled with boiling
liquor, which looked like molten gold, on
whose surface and brim danced blush,
lambent flames. AnOld man, with stream
ing white hairs, bent over the Cauldron.
His figure was crooked and deformed with
age and continued STOPPING, and his hair
and long, silVery beard were dry and
crisp, as if they were singed in the fierce
heat in which he worked This old man
was Peter Althausen, who was working
night and day, and had been working
night and day for fifty years, to ind the
Elixir Of Life,-that wonderful liquor
which would make youth immortal and
keen the body always vigorous and
fresh. .a
On this day the old AIchemist was
wondrously happy, Never had the fire in
the furnace roared so deeply. Never had
the mixture in the CauldrOn borne such
bright, changeful bubbles on its surface
Peter watched it with the fierce glow
from the fire reflected in his eyes. At
length he cried,
"There is only one thing wanting
now, The Elixir Is nearly perfect It
needs only a portion of life blood from
young veines"
As he said this he looked wisttully athis
barred arms, but the sight of the faCcid
flesh and wasted veins made him shake
his head despondingly- After amoment's
pause, he went to a staircase which as
Cended from one corner of the roQm and
called in shrill, tremu lOus voice, " Made
laine MadelaineN
A light foot was heard upon the stairSin
answer to his call, and Peter AlthauSen's 8
youngest daughter the only remaining
child of his old age, came slowly down into
the laboratory
"Didst call me- fathers" she asked
softly.
All Peter Althausen's family wore the
traces of subdued grief on their faces.
They had waited so long for the liquid
which was to give them immortal youth
that their youth and prime had wasted in
the slow fever of anxious expectancy.
Their voices we're low and mournful, they
stepped slowly and irresOutely, as if all
the freshness and buOyanCy oflife werede-
ferred for them, and they were waiting in
a patient quiet till 1t came.
Madelaine paused and repeated, "Didst
thou call me, father"
Gay, my child, said the old man, look
ing up from his task of stirring the mix
turG in the cauldrOn; E'the potent liquor
isnearly completed II lacks only little
life-blood. from young er and fresher veins
than mine. Hast courage to bare thine
arm to me kThink, child the Elixir that
is to make US all INN Ortal"
The young girl smiI ed little-a sort of
sad, weary smile, and asked, as it well
tolive always, father ? | feel sometimes
tired-so tired Perhaps we might some
times be glad to die"
Nonsense childr' said he, impatiently,
81 am fouTscOre and five years, and am
most eager to live To the young death is
far off; they do not fear it. But decide
quickly. seel the liquor foams higher
and higher" .-
The girl barred her white, thin arm, anC
Peter pierced a vein with sharp lancet
The blood trickled in a tiny stream into {
silver bowl which he held close to the
wound. When it was half full he bound
>
that she had tainted in the chair W ere sh'
had seated herself,
The mixture in the furnace en-
crossed all his senses. It was grow
ing more and more brilliant, and the glow
ing bubbles rose higher and higher
till they ovcrf1owed the cauldron's brin
and we're devoured by the lesping flame
. beneath. Peter emptiedslowly, drop pafte
drop, the contents Of the boWlin theboil
ing mass. ..a-ula
Then, from out the Cauldron and en-
Circling it, Yapor began to rise : yapo
which grew larger and denser, till a
length it touched the ceiling like a fame
cOlored cloud. The cloud began gradual
to change in form and shape ITSELF til
while the old man looked, the Cloudymas
put on the sennblance of a gigantic huma
form. Though II was like the figure of
mar, 1t was still the color Of fire, Th
streaming hair and beard were like lich
ing tongues of fanae The eyes weT
glowing Goals, and the robe which sWeI
about this WondrOus image from the heaC
and throaf, and shoulder to the cauldron
brim whereon its feet were set, fell i
quivering folds like sheets Of glitterint
yellow fame.
Peter covered before the presence, BIT
did not speak. The spirit did not wa
for him, but spoke in deep, mutterin
tones, like the distant roar Of a herC
fire:
"Peter Althauseu, thy life-work
finished. In the bottom of this cauldro
are some precious drops OF the Elixir
Life--enough to make thee and thine in
mortal II is thine-the reward Of tn
whole lifeslabor. Drink, If thou Wishe
il; but pause ere it sat thy lips, Ont
having duafed II, thy life Is no long
subject to the laws which govern the hv'
Of other men. Thou art forever shut oT
from sympathy with them. Thou can
never again know any tender emotion, f
II thou shouldst weep from any caus
from love, pity, or sympathy, the spell
broken, and thou art once more o poo
infrm old man with only q few hours
life remaining. Count the cost, then, b
fore drinking the strange draught.p
Peter Altl1ausen heard as X he were
a dream. The human shape turned baC
to cloud again, the cloud melted into tn
yapor, rolled away from the eau Idron. al
dissipated itself ana ong the brown rafte
Of the ceiling. Peter looked into the w
sci At the bottom were few Crops, n
more than small vislfun, Of q liquid
clear as crystal and yellow as molten gol
BE dipped intoit a. small Pdle Of silv'
and quickly collected every drop into
crystal drlnkinggla Whichhe had read
When he had taken up the last drop, 7
huge cauldron, with q loud crash fell
pieces, and its broken fragments FED t
flames which had so long nouTlshed
Peter held up the glass and looked for
moment at It's bright contents,
II will drink d fewdropso he said
drop win suffice 20 make me immort
The rest | yin share With Madelaine q
her mother"