Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1872-03-23
The Penalties of Hasheesh.

And now ] felt myself one Of that
hell-bound train of the lost, borne swift
ly downward, in spite of my struggles,
in their fendish company. One after
another | saw their shining garments
fall away from them, and their angelic
beauty fade and wither and utterly
change, till those who were once angels
Of light became fends OF darkness
naked, disturbed forms of demoniac ug-
illness. Fear and horror unspeabable
took possession of my soul as | felt our
downward progress, leaving worlds and
systems and cycles of systems behind us
in our more than lightning flight. The
shadow of a great despair, inconceivable
to the waking mind, enveloped me with
a cloud, shutting out all hope.
For ages, it seemed to me, we fell, and
at last beheld the door Of the pit open
ing beneath us, and the smoke and steam
of perd,ion arose, binding and sitting
me with its nauseous vapor. Down
through the portals we swept, into the
region OF everlasting fire, and lay pant
ing and groaning upon bars of white
hot iron, burning and soaring into my
flesh. while with every breath | drew
the curling flames into my lungs and
poured them forth unquenchable, un-
consuming, yet scorching and blistering
my very soul. "Alasr' | thought, in
agony, the others do but suffer the tor
lures Of the soul, while | endure the
torments of both soul and body--the
remorse Of the spirit and the pains OF
the tlesh!'
Around me rose peal ON peal Of
laughter, mingled with curses, bowling,
and blasphemy. Yet for me there wa,
no speech. felt that could ! call upon
the name OF single earthly triend-ot
one of those companions whose voices
could still hear, and whose forms |
could see far away in the apartment |
had !eft-l could burst the spell that
bound me there before my time. But
the scorched tongue refused TO move at
my will, or the cracked lips to perform
their office. "OE, for single word!' |
thought and clutched madly at the fly
ing clnders and leaping flames, as il
in their fiery embrace | could grasp at
| the word that refused to come at my
| bidding.
For ages it seemed that | lay there
wrlhing in torment; and at last. down
through the cool, blue heavens that had
mocl<ed my gaze through the bars OF
my prison, came floating in the form OF
a snow white dove, the word sought.
Nearer and nearer it drew, and yet after
years rolled over my eXpectant soul as
watched it huttering downward, till at
last it alighted with cooling influence
upon my lips. And yet all this stretch
| Ing
OF hasheesh, since the real duration OF
the ight OF the dove was but the breath
consumed by one Of my comrades-so
| far away and yet close at my side-In
| proaouncing my own name. For,
| strangely enough il was the sound ot
my own name that heard; yetit loosed
the door OF my lips, and shouted the
name of the friend whose lips pro,
nounce d it and who had stood 10y my
| side at the window and screamed fol
water. A dash Of the cool liquid upon
my iace-and | stood again 10y my win.
| dow in my own room, ana snatchlng the
pitcher from my friends hand, drank
long and deep, while my comrade.
stood around me with startled, anxious
faces
zen iAt, icll, uohSbJ dS HdiiN
back weak and nervous in my seat
"how long is it since you saw the me
teor?'
Scarcely FIVE minutes. he replied,
In that brief five minutes ] had
lived an age Of beauty and cycle o
torment.
The vision came no more that night
and after an hour spent in detailing my
experience to my comrades. as | close
the door behind the last OF theirretreat
ing forms" Farewell y | exclaimed
oewitching. accursed, angelic, hellisl
drug! For the first and the last time
thou hast passed my lips! henceforth
will rest content with the pleasure
which nature gives, and seek no more tt
tread the forbidden soil Of hasheesl
phantasy."
THE San Francisco Post has an article
announcing the discovery of a deposi
OF rich gold-i caring quartz, i'll Tele
graph hill, within the city limits of Sar
Francisco.
The tonnage built in the UniteC
States for foreign trade in 1877 was les
than any year since 1914.