The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-03-18
THE FAIL or THE HOUSE OF usHERs
by the Kind rerml..,on OF Mr.. Edgar A. Poe.

On dull, dark Sunday In the autumn OF
1873. after riding for some hours In a cheerlcss
horse car through the singularly dreary streets
of Brooklyn. found myself as tho shades OF
evening drew on. within view Of the melancholy
House of Ushers. Tho first glimpse OF tho
building gave me somehow sense OF insuffer-
able gloom. Its bleak walls brought to- my mind
shadowy memories Of the days when the House
was throngod every Sabbath by laughing and
appanding worshiDpers; when the Pastor was
in full vigOr Of his extraordinary powers; when
the Ushcrs were bssy and happy and active in
the asles. There was an icncss. a sickoning.
n sinking Of the heart. as thought of the awful
disappearance of the Pastor. n year before.
under circumstances which my pen even now
refuses to write down.
With my mind thrown out OF It's accustomed
equilibrium by these sad memories. in sort Of
psychologist vertigo which l have sometimes.
but rarely. experienced stopped my horse car
at the brink of u deep and black pool lying at
the foot of the church wall. A gazed into the
pestont depths of the pool. and marked the
forms Of loathsome life that tccmod in its dark
rcccsses and the saline incrustatons that bor-
dcred its slime. and noted the miasmic vapor
that arose from its rocking surface | know that
the Weeper had wopt this pool. | knew that
when an Awful Rctrbution had torn from his
side the man whom he loved above all other
men and women. he had gono forth and wcpt
this pool. and that it had remained there in its
incorporating slugg shness tho measure Of
his unayailing gruf.
When upftcd my eyes from the Image OF
the House in the hideous pool to the House it
self. saw signs oi neglect and decay. OF rot and
dilapidation. The front Of the church was reit
dingonay by black. ynwning assure. The
walls were foul with "a iunlous growth Grass
grew through tn ercNiccs of the threshold.
But no grass grow in the black assure, which
stretched 1igsag from the roof 81 the founda-
ton. whore 1t lost itself ia the dismal waters II
the pool. Tn.n There grew in my mind u
strange fancy. II seemed to mr that the whole
church stool in an atmosphere peculiar to
tself-an almost acre that had no affinity with
tie common AIR 0i other houses and other
churches i'm atmosphere unlike any air Of
heaven or earth. hu, winch had recked up from
an Internal source through the loathsomc
waters II tn pool which the Weepcr had wopt.
dismissed nay horse ear. and entered the
open door oi tho church. An usher. with
st dltiy tread. led IN, through deserted aislcs
and b'twecn ompy pews to II scat near the
front. Tnsn hn returned To- the door again and
peerod cut with w-tul. prcO occupied gaze. as II
ever cNpe tn. congregation which never
came. over tho church cdliicc and over the
movements Of all lts few occupants hung a
shroud of doop storm. and irrcduemahe gloom.
The emptiness OF the building WAS dreary b.
yund expression. LNoept the UsAers and my
h.it ana a dry uui shruukcn ilgure which at first
rs up'd my Observation. and which looked ike
tie r,-ilUt ol "a bodily organization after the
l. lu 'r- had hr'n. bv some strange physiological
process. Hdl oNprH~- d. there Was no one pres
ont In .ie morbid condition Of N, mind the
"a