The Richmond palladium., 1869-07-13
THE SKELETON HAND.

lowest point of existence. The habit
had altogether overcome me. In vain
struggled against it. The imploring
locks and words of my wife; the sight
of my wan-faced and emeciated child
rem turning their eyes to me, the author
at once of their being and of their mis-
cry the spectacle of the proud home
and broad land, once mine, but now in
the hands Of strangers-all these, which
might well have stung to madness or
driven to despair a less degraded being,
reached me not, nor affected me in the
depth of my degradation. had reach
ed point at which no motive that might
be urged could any longer affect.
One evening was sitting in my mis-
cradle house. The children we're asleep
in bed. They had cried themselves to
sleep in hunger. My wife sat opposite
me on the other side of the wretched fire
place stitching some rags Of clothing. /
was sullen and silent.
Atlast I felt craving for the stimu-
luS Lldt III" WoS hONSSo0Ay w AAAJ "AAS'
Rising, walked to the cupboard where
it was kept My wife knew well my in-
tention. She followed me with her
eyes. IL
only eager for the qualification of my
appetite. s.
reached forth my hand, tremblingly
seized the bottle and was about raising
| it to my lips.
But at that very moment, just as the
| bottle touched my lips, l felt terrible
| sensation. II was as though some one
had grasped my throat.
'Hag! do you dare p and turning with
clenched fist, struck at what l suppos
ed was my wife. For thought that
she was trying in this violent way in
despiration to keep me from drink.
But to my surprise saw my wife sit.
ting by the Fireplace wit her work in
hand, looking at me in wonder.
| 1t could not have been her, evidently.
| A terrible feeling passed through me.
Shudderingly raised my hands to feel
what it was that was at my throat, or if
there was anything there at all, which
seemed to be grasping me SO tightly.
Horror of horrors
AS raised my hand felt the unmis-
taxable outlines of a bony thumb and
bony fingers pressed against my flesh
1t was skeleton hand that clutched me
by the throat.
My hand fell down powerless by my
side; the bottle crashed on the floor
My children awoke at the noise, and
wife and children all stared at me with
white faces.
There I, trembling in every limb,
stood transfixed with terror, the awful
feeling of the supernatural now fully
possessing me. Unable to speak, I
gasped with fear. drew away my body
but my head was still held by the same
dread and invisible power. 1 could not
move that Unspeakable horror filled
me- None but those who have expert
enced something like know what it is to
have such feelings. The body seems
paralyzed, while the mind seems to be
endowed with extraordinary activity,
and thus possess new capacities for suf-
fering.
But at last felt the grasp relax. ]
staggered back, the grasp ceased alto
gether, and drew off to another corne,
of the room, endeavoring to go as lar az
possible from the place where this mys
terious thing had seized me.
Soon my wife and children turned
away, the former to work, the latter te
sleep. They knew not what it was tha,
had affected me, but concluded that i,
was some pain arising from sickness o,
sudden faintness. 1 did not speak 9
word, but resumed my former seat
And now, gradually, my craving re-
turned. Yet how could satisfy it P
My bottle was broken. 1t lay in frag.
ments on the floor. All my liquor waa
gone. What was I to do? The craving
! became irresistible. had to yield.
So took my hat, fumbled in my
pockets and found few cents, and ta>
king an old bottle that lay in q corner,
I went forth into the darkness. It was
not without some feeling of trepidation
that entered the passage way. Fear
lest the same thing of horror should re-
turn again. agitated inc. But passed
On uLharmed and reached my old re-
sort, where laid my bottle on the
counter. The clerk soon filled it. With
an irresistible impulse clutched the
bottle anG rushed forth to drink th e liq-
uor.
hurried of for little distance and
came to the head of wharf Here, un-