Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1871-09-21

DlItu Jldtt.
The incidents of travel and of new
scenes broke the monotony, and dispel-
led to some degree the gloom that had
taken fast hola upon me. In short
period | found myself rapidly ImprOv-
ing Every week brought me an in
crease of strength, and / suffered less
frequently from these frightful attacks.
Although they occurred at longer in
tervals than formerly, they seemed to
grow more severe III character; the con
hict was tiercer, and my mind made a
more desperate effort to gain the supre-
macy My whole frame would berack-
ed by the intense struggle winch con.
stantly maintained, though constantly
yanquished.
The increasing delight I took in the
beauties Of Nature, the continued ex-
ercise and excitement, almost drove de-
SPAR from me, and hope once more
frightened my countenance. [ began
to look forward to the time when my
health would be entirely restored, and
my body and mind be in unison. did
not hope vainly, for the final conflict
came, and with it a strange termination
OF my long sufferings.
stood upon the side Of an Eastern
mountain. Above my head vast rocks
arose in solemn grandeur, their sum
mits lost in canopleq mists which, gray
and clmging, wrapped them III obscur-
ity. Below, a great chasm rent the
mountain; a yawning, bottomless gulf.
While gazed, awed by the thought OF
its mysterious depths, where no human
eye had seen, where no human foot had
trod, u ray of light struggled in and
rested on gaunt trees, on snake-like
ferns, damp and cold, that chung to its
Shiny sides, and on one pale. flower
which nodded in the chill draught that
cnme up, palpable horror, from the
hlackness of darkness. [ turned away
Near the western horizon dead clouds
were piled one above another and their
heavy shadow lay brown and dark upon
the sullen earth. No wind stirred the
forests, or rustled their motionless
leaves, and the awe OF the unbrokeu 81.
lence fell with dread oppression, upon
my heart.
Suddenly was seized by an ungov-
ernuble desire to possess the flower
the colorless flower that hung far down
in the death-damp of the chasm. 4
freezing terror crept through my blood
as | recognized this decree OF a Will |
had never been able to disobey. felt
myself crawling closer to the verge of
the precipice nearer, vet nearer, until
| sat within the very jaw Of the savage
gulf. Ny feet dangIed in the air, and
the ground quiyercd beneath my weight
The dead clouds heaved their shrOud-
like forms, and wayered overhead.
heard the rush of subterranean waters
sounding muilled requiem. The sick
" flower, with its long stem, writhed
and twisted like serpent stretching
his folds into the air, swayed slowly
back and forth, glaring ut mo like a
lustrelesS eve. In spite OF all my efforts
to assert my own will, in spite of my
clear conviction that my life was in
deadly peril, could not throw off the
fascination that enthralled me, and was
about to weld passiyeIy to the demon
lac influence and let myself fall from
the preCipIce, when voice apparently
above me, a voice that was not the voice
OF thetcmpter began to utter the Lord S
PRAYER lnstinctlyely | took up the
invocation, which had not passed my
lips for years, and repeated 1t with the
tcrvid energy of despair, not unmmgIed
with hope. As 1t ended, conyulsIve
shudder shook my frame; | drew back,
or was drawn back could hardly tell
which--from the verge ofthe preclpicc,
and sank insenSible upon the ground.
How long my swoon lasted | cannot
say. When | returned to consciousness
| felt weak and exhausted in body, but
my mind was clear and cheerful, and |
had a deep internal conviction that my
oppressor was vauquished, and that |
had at length regained control of my
own will and my own bodily organiza-
tion.
The rays of the sun as it sank to rest,
slanting through rose-colored avenues,
fell upon The gray mists, and crowned
the mountains summit in a rainbow of
glory. Tho rising breeze swept through
the forests with a soothing sound. and
eastward the eve was lost IN mellow
lines of golden haze, which to my soul,
freed from captivity, seemed cathedral
uisles OF peace. | arose and descended
10 the plain, and was soon on my way
homewarl. with a sense Of serenity and
happiness to which had long been a
stranger. for | knew that the demon
that had possessed me was east out for
ever. - Florence Nciuud5Ugh.
4 DOGS ThouGhtlulucsS.