Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-09-20


help, but my muscles, my voice, my body
obeyed me not. and my fingers, like the
steady working Of machinery, gradually
frightened their relentless grasp. In my
agony. the veins of my face protruded like
lines Of cordage | heard the frail bones
breaking beneath the crushing pressure, then
my involuntary grip suddenly relaxed, and
the bird fell upon my knee, dead and man.
gled.
At the same moment | saw. through the
open door, my little sister playing upon the
grass plat; and, almost before | was aware
of moving, or of any volition, | found my
self walking rapidly toward her, while my
fingers twitched with a convulsive, Clutching
movement Good Heavens | already saw
her face turn purple, and heard her gasping
breath smCthered by gurgling blood. With
this terrible picture before my mental vision,
my brain felt as e it would burst its bounds
in the desperate but unavaiing effort | made
to turn back, TO hy from the spot. But
could not command myself. In that mo
ment | endured suffering more intense than
language can describe. Perhaps my strange
and wild appearance frightened tho child /;
for, in place Of holding out her arms to me.
her lavorite brother she fed crying 10 the
nurse, who did not observe my approach,
and carried her into the house. Saved un-
consciously saved-slvcd from a fate to ter
ribe to contemplate.
sank insensibly upon the ground and
when | recovered. found myself surrounded
by the family. each one applying some re-
storativc, for | had been in a long and death
ike swoon. Slowly but distinctly the re-
collections Of she events winch had reduced
me to this condition presented themselves 10
my memory with all their appalling horror,
nearly deprlving me again OF consciousness.
did not refer IN any manner 70 the sub
icct, which was also carefully avoided by all
others IN my presence, Tor fear that it might
produce renewed excitement, and my lrIc ds
had no suspicion of the circumstances which
brought it about. The bird wa- found dead
upon the door, and the family Imagined that
It had met with some accident. They were
evidently surprised when the fact was com
munIcated t. me. that | made no remarks
Tor they had anticipated an outburst Of < ief
Griet. | dId not suffer from grief grief was
oyerpOwered 10y the horror that racket lny
brain-h0rror Tor the act | bad committed,
and the more fearful one which had been S.
merciiully prevented J had committed
No, it WAS not my mind or viii which had
prompted my hand 70 DIP the deed. ! was
innocent, even though nv fingers had drip
ped with the blood ot a sister. bat tire
trIghttui thOught filled inc with terror that
wruug my soul T1Uiered continually up
on it. Naen might not this mysterious de-
mon again assert It's evil control over me D
Strange as it NAV seem, le!t certain tLat 1t
was some foreign agency know not what
that mastered my Will. and mot the result
Of NV own intellect iu q dI-1r'er.d e.ulI-
tion.
This ovsrra,9erin, dread ). rle as,sr Y
what might hapVcu-watcI took possess .Hu
,f me. drove ne Il tle decision af le.v.r.-
home. as the best way of ava.ilu.- dancer 4,
INV friends P,rtaf- r5.. \ t9y rhv-I..I
health hrcsme better. rpr,Lt .-.tin STRENGTH
en.u,,h Il, farv t.i- internal r.y,r-. t.r a-
have sti4 before. t.l-.cs..d "a SINGULAR
.9ns.iausne.s rfar it c.Yi3 omen -ftr...s--
fully resist its rrasnutin-s. INV soul would
be liberated lrdm thra dom. announced
NV detern nation of ulll.ug n i5urnev
without anv exclamation of INV sltiten
change. and il was greeted with icll-ht Av
INV friend. and relative. ,yI. ,y4r.. .,r, IONS
to hasten nv ,lep,rttlr, while rbe bumor ,,s.
upon ne, bur tIcv need mot have feared arv
chaugc of uurplse on INV rart. flr I was
bauuteI bv tbis terrible dread OF the fltgrr.
and Gladly said farewell 1ra time r., rgy
home and Eirthrrsce.
The incidents X t-.lveI ana .f row see-c-
broke the rnona-.rv and d,.ne.I.d r., some
degree the ,l.1u sh4t.f.t.l t.tsen fass hoII of
me Ina short UarIlI t,gag myself rlr-
ltlv imuraviuy Every w.cK brought me am
increase of .t-eustb and suffered less frc-
on.ntlv from, those friobtf,I at+,.L. Al
fr,u.,E +ha,. occurred ~ lancer i,,+.,y,I. -fs,,
formerly. fAcv seemed d. ,,rov more severe
m character. tae eonHic, was ferse- and
NV mind made IA ln.re desperate eff,rt 10
gain the supremacy. lIy whole frame would
be racked bv tbe' intense strur.la which
constantly maintained tbaogb c,,..+,,,+Iv
vauquishes
The increasing delight which | took ia tile
beauties Of nature, the continued ex rcise
and excitement, almost drove despair from
me, and hope once more Frightened my coun-
tcnarce. reytn t1 look forward ID the
time when my hoa.tn would be entirely re-
stored ard my body and mind be in auisnn
/ did not hope vtinly, for the final conflict
came. and Nith IT strange termination ul
nv long suf.rin.s
/ stood upon the side Of an Eastern noun
tain. Above my head vast rocks arose u
solemn grandeur. their SUBMITS lost in can
upied mIsts which, gray and ciinglu.. wrap
ped them in ob-curIty. Below, "a great
chasm rent the mountain, q yawnlng, bot
tomlcss gulf While | gazed, awcd bY the
thought of its mysterious depths, where no
human I'VE had seen, where no human foot
had troG. ray 0f light struggled in anj
rested on gauut trees. on snakc-iike ferns.
damp aud cold, that chung 70 its slimy sides,
and on one Iale flower which nodled IN the
chill drsu-ht taat came up, palpa6le hor
ror. from the bIackncss of darkness.
turned away Near the wes era to-izon,
dad 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 J, ves,
and the awe OF the uubroken silence fell with
a dread oppression upon the heart.
Suddenly Mas seized with an upooyeroa-
hIe desire 10 possess the fl ,wer-the colorless
g,wer thai hung lar down in the deatb-damp
Of the chazm. A freezing terror crert
tbrough nv blood as 4 recognized this decree