The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1869-04-10
5eIrttto altstrlluup,
THE SKELErON HAND.

FIELDING t0 Hi lntseIAOie uanlb ldQ ru.
ined me. sGtshad blastsd my prospents,
destroyed my business, alienated my
friends, and brought me down to the low.
est point Of existence. The habit had al.
together overcome me In vain / strug.
gled against it. The implOring looks and
words Of my wife; the sight of my wan
faced and emaciated children turning
their eyes to me, the author ut once-of
their being and of their misery; the spec
tacle of the proud home and broad lands
once mine, but nowin the hands Of straf,
gers-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 degrade.
ton. had reached a point at which no
motive that might be urged could any
longer affect me.
One evening 4 was sitting in my nisef,
able home. The children were asleef Iii
bed. They had eribd themselves 70 sleep
in hunger. My wiie Sat l0pposite 10 me
on the other side Of the wretched fire
place stitching some rags Of clothing.
was sullen and SILENT .s ,ya-5
At last l felt craving for the stimulus
that now was necessary to my life. Ris-
ing, l walked to the cupboard where IL
was kept. My wife knew well my inten-
ton. She followed me with her eyes.
went there desperate and Careless
only eager for the qualification of my ap-
petite. .'as.ts. sIgEE
l reached forth my hands, trenblingly
seized the bottle, and was about raising 1t
to my lips. t5 &r.s i5a EaE
But at that very instant, just as the
bottle touched my lips, felt terrible
sensations IT was as though some one had
grasped my throat.
Wife, ! cried, In deep, fierce voice
"Hag do you dare 2''and turning, with
clenohed fist, / struck at what supposed
was my wife. For l thought thatshe was
trying In this violent way IN desperation
to keep me from drink.
But to my surprise saw my wife sitting
by the fire place with her work In her
hand, looking at me in wonder.
1t could not have been her evidently.
A terrible feeling passed through me.
Shudderingly raised my hand to feel
what it was that was at my throat, or If
there was any thing there at all, which
seemed to be grasping me so tightly.
Horror of hoFrorsl
As raised my hsndI felt the unmis-
taxable outline Of a bony thumb and bony
fingers pressed against my flesh. It was a
skeleton hand that Glutched me by the
throat. So, ~ .s1 ef'
MY hand fell down powerless by my
side the bottle crashed on the floor. My
childen aWOke at the noise, and wife and
children All stared 1t me with white faces.
There l. trembling in every limb, stood
transfXed with terror, the awful feeling Of
the supernatural now fully possessing me.
Unable to speak, Il gasped with fear ]
drew away my body, but my head war
still held by the same dread and invislblf
power. could not move that.
Unspeakable horror filed me. None
but those who have experienced some
thing like this know what it is to have
such feelings The body seems paralyEed
while the mind seems to be endowed Will
extraordinary activity, and thus possesse:
new capacities for suffering. sse Wax
But at last I felt the grasp relax.
staggered back, the grasp ceased alto
get6er, and | drew of to another corner
Of the room, endesYoring to go as far al
possible from the place where this payste
rious thing had seized me.
Soon my wife and children turned
away, the former to work, the latter Il
sleep. They knew not what 1t was tina
had affected me, but concluded that itwai
some pain arising from sickness or suddeI
faintness. l did not speak word, but re
sumed my former seat &ffrs
And now, gradually, my craving re
turned. Yet how could satisfy it !? NJ.
bottle was broken. It lay in fragment
on the floor. All my liqh0r was gone
What was / to do2 The craving becam
irresistible. I had to yield.
So I took my liAf fumhled 81 llly poel
cts and found few cents, and taking q
old bottle that lay IL a corner, 1 Wet
forth in the darkness 1t was not withot
some feeling Of trepldation thstI entere
the dark passagesWay. Fear lest tie sam
Thing of Horror might return agitate
me. But / passed on. unharmed, an
reached my old resort, where laid m
bottle on tho counter The clerk BOO
filed It. With an irresistible impulse
clutched the bottle and rushed forth
drink the liquers 5 WI
/ hurried of for 4 little distance a
came to the head off q wharf, Here, y
able any longer to resist my craving,
pulled out the cork SO as TO drink.
II was very dark. No one was near n
In the distance arose the Low hum Of q
CITY; out IN TIC Ibrb0f might be hea
the noise Of sailors and boatmen. ! h
a general idea OF this as | stood thei
though all my thoughts were concentrat
on the bottle. AT last raised It TO =
mouth. fFfE&9EF NJ
Scarce had TIE bottle touched 1hyli
when again experienced that terril
feeling
My throat was seized this time nc
violently, more fiercely, as If by soi
mower which had already warned me, q
was snraged at having 70 repeat the wsi
ing. MY thr0atvf compressed paintl1
IN that fierce gripei there was anger IN
A thrill of horror again shot through 2
Again tbe bottle lell from my trembli
hands and was crushed 70 fragments up
tho stone pavement,
Aeain raised my hands 20 my thrc
tbouqh ii deadly fears but the mot
waa mechanical "a natural and ingoli
tary effort 10 tear away the slsfna that
sejsad nv throat 10 fee myself from
nain and horror Of that inysteripas ere
Sgein fben / raised ny hands, aEd se
fslt there under my touchl plainly
nnmistakablg, the long, hard, bony b
ygbieh T had fslt before One touch
ena,,gb NV bands OH down, I tfies
ahfieR bns fl vain. gasped tor Drel
ana thonebt fhat 4 would be sHiionalec
nut u length the grasp slowly ana
willingly fslafed. q ! hfeatlett q
freely Atlenfsh tho toacA s9ae 1a9 ion
felt
Ipaced Che streets i1f aI9ng kilils.
freteYefy tlna almy ahpsllts nAll z
driven avs by ibe h0fH0r ii
raeut As time passed u begaa "a fets
Once more ] felt the cragil fpe
fear AZ another aftsck was efrongi and
& long Tine deferred las BIZ { W.
craving glsW tQo etFang iof ihs Eeati