The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1871-11-18

] OFF. 1t steadied my nerves. and sat
down to commence my songs.
For some time l. could gain no
ideas; the dull silence Of the night.
broken only by the heavy breathing OF
my wife, and a low purring sound that
ratified at her chest, palled upon me
| the dull glilnmering light ofthe caxlle
that threw a melancholy light over oiIr
wretched room; the thin, wedgc-lille
face, half iii shade, that rapoaed on the
| pillow; the ghost-lille hand that lay
so still, stretched ont OH the coveriet-
all seemed to crush me. How, Witll
such things around me. could | write
| of mirth, drink and ;ollity?
Il pressed my hands over my eyes,
and the hot tears forced themselves
through my fingers. | grew hysteri-
cal. [ felt as ii could have screamed
with laughter. | could not write. but
the songs must be done or | should not
get the money. In hopes Of gaining
more calulness | drank more brandy.
Glass after glass of the burning fluid
poured down my throat. ! felt mad
l was not tipsy, but delirious. I could
hear the rattle of glasses, the merry
shouts OF laughter, strange tunes. such
is would have suited orgies, held III
praise of Bacchus. rang in my head.
seized my pen ard wrote rapidly;
some fiend seemed Whispering the
words to me, they We're SO full of recll-
leSsness and abandonment.
My candle burned ont, but con-
| tinued writing by the grey cold light
OF day-break that came slanting over
| the house tops. At last my task was
| done. and springing up, / fastened to
my wife to tell her my success and
to cheer her with the assurance that
| these wild songs would make my name.
l felt my blood rushing through my
veins as leant over to kiss her; our
| lips met, but / started back with wild
cry of terror-she was DEAD.
| As he spoke, Burden stretched forth
| his thin hands and closed his eyes. as
| if TO shut: ont the painful memory, but
the tears that rolled slowly down his
| hollow cheeks showed the immensely
| of his agony.
Il do not remember anything after
/. that for some weeks. | had brain
fever,'' he continued, after a short
pause. ''When recovered. she was
gone. had never again kissed her
fore was able to crawl out, but orders
for songs poured in thick and fast.
My last songs had been success !;
their wild diSsolute tone had suited the
young fools with money, and had be-
come small mine of wealth to the
publishers"
sslears have passed since then. but
from that time i have never written 4
song of that Kind, although large sums
have been offered Inc. | hate them.
Day and night hear them buzzing i'll
my ears. Scarcely i week passes but
hear one Of them shouted ont by
some idrllnkaru as lie staggers home.
and then the whole of that terrible
night Of misery comes back to me.
They are devils TINT have haunted me
night and day: they have made me
shrm my fellow man, they have made
me live in this seclusiOn. Day and
night. i live in terror ofhearing them.
Sometimes in my dreams l hear, Milly
singing the first song gave her, and
in the midst of this happiness some
devil seems to chant those cursed songs
i'll praise of wine.
'.Hu>h, hear her voice; she sings
the song gave her iii those happy,
happy days; she i going away. L
must follow her. Hush! She is sing
| ing me. to sleep. Milly. my own
dear MiIly::'' -
/ 1t w:ls broad daylight when we re-
gained Fielding's house. Little Char
on Was with us, weeping bitterly for
the Kind friend he lad lost