Oregon Republican. [volume] (Dallas, Or.) 1870-1872, 1870-07-02

body. The walls were hung with it
the floor was carpeted with it; and
heavy folds of the same ensanguined
hue draped the high windows and ex>
cluded every ray of light. The vast
ceiling was frescoed to represent cur
tain parted in the center for the de,
scent of an angel, and the face of the
angel was the face of my bride.
All around the walls. near to the
ceiling, burned continually tall, slender
spears of fame. Tn the center of the
room-the only object in twas the
catafaIque. Upon it, covered with a
pail of white velvet, rested the form
which | had preserved from decay.
White and cold, like marble, but yet
flexible, it was and would remain the
only incorruptible animal matter upon
the globe.
In this mausoleum [ spent the ma
jority of my time. No other human
being knew the secret guarded by those
| locked doors | held no converse with
my fellow men [ lost count Of the
days and months-yes, even Of the
years My world was the scarlet hung
garishly lighted room my companion
a human form, long lifeless, and immu
tably staid on the verge of dissolution
| But as my crime was unparalleled,
so was nay punishment to be unprece-
| dentcd
| There came at last message from
the outer world. A kinsman lay dy-
ing, and I obcyed the summons. The
night that succeeded that days jour
ney was the first wherein [ had not
rested beside my wife's bier, and slight
ly slumbered there-ever dreamily con-
scious of her presence.
Thrice that night [ became obliyious
and each time it was broken by long,
wailing musical note. 1t was like the
sound of an Kolian harp. save that it
did not vary. 1t seemed to come from
window which was close to the bed
head [ arose, and without lighting
my lamp. drew aside the curtains. The
window was high from the ground, and
being unbalconied, was accessible only
from the interior. The moonlight,
,aleful and dazzling, flooded the whole
silent landscape. I passed my hands
over the sash to see if l could discover
any hidden mechanism; but neither by
sight nor touch could | find the origin
of the lugubrious sound.
l find it impossible to explain this
phenomena, even to myself, and it is
difficult to describe it. 1t was like an
audible sigh, or breath made in a mu
sical note 1t realized perfectly my
idea of "a Mcmnon, smitten by the
morning SUM-" 1t came each time
when I was slipping into clumber, and
ceased after the third time, when, hav-
ing been broadly awakened, | afterward
slept by snatches. n
At last the morn broke, cool and fair.
The sun, large and yellow, came slowly
rounding into sight above the horizon S
blue rim 7 stood in the garden look
ing at it. I was thinking how bright
ly and how vainly it shone upon those
heavily draped windows behind which
lay my dead. | wished to be there
Outside of that room the world seemed
big. and coarse, and hard That form
lifeless, empty as it was, was dearer
than any living mortal.
All me! [ sighed the same odd
weary sigh. The fresh. sweet morr
grew dark and old, and life hung upor
me like an i'll fitting garment With {
passionate, hopeless moan, l turned my
back to the blushing, frightening East
But, in so turning, confronted wo
man who was perfectly in consonanct
with the new born day, and so out O
all unison with my funeral meditations
She was fair, as are all women wher
fresh from Heavens mint, and unpoi
luted>by worldly circulation. Her reye'
were dark, ard clear, and azure, lik'
the summer sky at early eventide. He
lips we're folded in kiss no passion
vet had caused to blossom. When sh'
smiled, little dimples came out and sun
ned themselves She was the personi
fcation of youth and vitality.
AS our eyes met, seemed to me thai
the corpse | had SO long pressed to m.
breast dropped from my embrace. (
great instantaneous revulsion of feel
ing took place. Who was |. that
should seek to perpetnate and emplo
death !? Why had | believed that al
: life lived but to die, when, in truth,
died only to be reborn?
, ",Tis life, not death, for which we pant
Moe life, AMI fuller, that we want
Why had I sought to keep mass
matter from being recreated, and stay
ed and fixed it on the verge of dissolu
ton ? What mad purpose had | achiev
ep in thwarting kindly nature, VIII
would have made thousand Lowell
living forms of what had decree
should remain horrible incarnation
death Z