The weekly Panola star. [volume] (Panola, Miss.) 1857-1881, 1870-08-20
cHArTEaIos's D

CHATTERTON's BURDENS.
A boz stood unon be table In The cham.
YER ~ an Old eeHtlemrn n the name q
ckattefton, who occupied an upper apsft.
nsnt In . very exemplary and decent part
OF The tswn.
The bex was laequetct II was twelve
inches either way you measured. IL bad
ND Of two inches IN depth, and, besides
the usual aperture Of the he's. hole, 10 also
had another, which disclosed a spindle
similar 70 that IN the face Of a clock or
music box. II was INDEPENDENT Of the
table, but still confined upon II by four
stout steel bands which euciroled Il close
y on each Of the four sides, and which
met at the top, where they we're fssteued
by a paddock with q circular combination
lace. The bands were secured 10 the
heavy wood OF the TABLETOP In the stout.
est manner, bu, still the very nominal
weight of the table itself suggested that
the ~precautioa cf the bands was meant
to battle ordinary curiosity, and not rob.
berry.
This object they had fulfilled admirably,
and the servants and inmates OF the house
had long ceased to wonder at the use Of
the box, or gape al its tempting proper
tons and the rumors and speculations
regarding its contents, and their rather
civil, deeent-appearing owner, had grown
gradually into s~taleness, snd, in the
course Of months, ceased altogether.
This owner was q man well turned Of
sixty years, erect, kindly-spoken, tolera-
bly, and suitably dressed in blscs, and who
carried in his face an III defined look Of inn
patience and anxiety. There wasa certain
aimlessness In his manner of stepping and
speaking, q certain lack of vigor and di-
rectness in his way of looking, and a Ger
tain of manner, all of which
gave him the appearance of n over
whom something was impending, and
upon whom some dreadsd circumstance
might leap without warning. He YVES
careful and correct in his habits, p~unctual
and regular in his comings and goings, but
almost wholly reserved with those with
whom he came in contact in his domi-
cile.
On the particular day on which he first
becomes Of interest to us, he entered his
room al five o'clock in the afternoon, and
Immediately drew his chair and set down
before the box. With a trembling hand
and dilated nostril he slipped the dial OF
the curious paddock round and round un-
til the bolt sprang back and the four steel
arms leaped from their confinement and
fell with a CHATTER upon the tabletop, al
ready deeply indented by such often,re-
peated blows. He then fumbled in his
pocket for a key Of ordinary appearance,
which he placed in the hole and turned.
Here he rested q moment, with bowed
head and trembling lips, seeming TO dread
to proceed and TO encounter what might
confront him In the next moment. he
looked cautiously about, and after a long,
silent gaze at what lay before him, he put
his thin veined hand upon 1t with sus-
pended breath and opened the lid, and
then instantly sank back with along, deep
drawn sigh-a sigh SO sad, SO hope.
less, 60 woe-begone, that it seemed
TO linger about the room and
chill and Cypress with sorrow all
within it. The raising Of the lid dis
closes simply this: a plain, black, polish
ed surface, with an aperture an n c
square, across which lay q narrow strip
Of porcelain, Oyer this there ran a mar
rover band Of thin .woye silk OF q vel.
lowish color, and 1t was upon this that
the old mans eyes rested, and rested so
despairingly. Through that part OF the
scanty space not occupied by the porce-
lain, the eye could peer into the dim re-
cesses, beneath which appeared to hold q
countless number OF springs, wheels, and
cogs; 80 varied in size, shape, and man.
rer Of disposition, that they seemed
thrown there hap.hazard, and without
intent or use.
The old man remained silent for some
moments, and perfectly still but soon his
burdened thought broke into a querulous
murmuring. "Ah, why did he leave 1t to
me-to mes So poor, so weak, so old
the one torment | already have is wear
ing me down. They poster me, dog me,
question me; but l know nothing, moth
ing, nothing. I can't bear elders eyes,
they're so sharp. I should know about
it but I was never told, and / can't tell
him but still, how he frightens me when
he comes 90 suddenly upon me, and sc
often, tool He's been wronged and
cheated ; he who did it Is gone and left
me to bear the burden Of 1t. And now
what may this cursed box turn out to m
Some new load, some journey, perhaps
at any rate, something to load me 70 the
breaking Of my back. Two miseriesl Two
torments One of them nameless anc
unknown, and the other hiding behint
bushes, and doors, and alley ways, (
come upon me at any moment M beg
and scare mer
Here his eyes, wandering about, res
upon q well thumbed piece Of pspel
pasted upon the inner side Of the cover
and thew read 1t over aimlessly, as they
have done hundreds and thousands 0
times before. 1t goes thus in a crampet
hand:
7b nv Ste,cord and Friend, Thomas Gattsrtoa:
One day this slip of silk will wind around ant
show you a command which you have solemn
promised to obey, even II Il takes your lifetime =
alone know when this message VIII appear
and have timed 1t for o certain purpose, IL VI
be forewarned by an hour, by a strip of Que rnH
ANY neglect or lirregularity may spoil me ms
chinery, and l order you, in the name OF Jusuc
and mercy, to open the box only between hve an
si1 on each days evening, and to wind 1t careIuli
during the same hours on Sabbath sf ernoons.
As heaven is about to lake my nie, may
grant you yours until lou have fulfilled this con
mand Of mine. RuFus SUDAN.
MAY Heaven spare mine, he says
pondered the old man, with the same III
happy tone. "There's three weaIin
years gone already, and God and his ow
miserly spirit only knows how man
more are to come. What can 1t be?-Whs
can it be
He sits thus droning and complainin
far into the twilight, staring without slgI
at his motionless oppreasor, and sighln
out wishes and prayers that 1t would VI
fold its we'll kept secret, and leave M
free of this horrid, protracted suspens
He would welcome d command 70 tortul
himself, to wander forever on foot throug
city, town and country, TO commit son
dreadful crime, rather than 70 stare \
ever and aver at this same horrid, yello
silk, day in and day out, for dreary montl
and years.
Suddenly there breaks IN upon him
consciousness Of something happening
the world without his own breast, and
starts erect and listers. II - too true.
Is o grinding, I~esolute step, wendiHg
way upward from below.
Aglhblng cry haTsta from hin and
hastily gathers up the four steel lant
closes the lid. and winds them oycr I