Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1883-09-29

INV lHuulkc III UTGdIIlS Oh DIlSS tnt
!, cannot be realized. What I ask {
e you is reasonable and moderate;
!, demand a creature of another sea
l but as hideous as myself; the graf
fication is small. but it is all that
r can receive, and it shall content me
Q 1t is true, we shall be monsters, Gu
t off from all the world but on tina
: account we shall be more attache,
to one another. Our lives will no
be happy, but they will be harmless
and free from the misery / nov
feel. o my creator, make me hap
py; let me feel gratitude towarC
you for one benefit Let me Sc,
that | excite the sympathy of som,
existing thing; do not deny me my
J request 2"
/ was moved. shuddered wher
4 thought of the possible consequen
ces of my consent +; but l felt tha
there was some justice in his argu
nent. His tale, and the feelings he
now expressed, proved him to be q
creature of fine sensations and did
| not, as his maker, owe him all
the portion of happiness that it was
In my power to beStow? He saw
my change of feeling and contin-
ued >
"If you consent, neither you nor
any other human being shall ever
see us again will go to the vast
wilds of South America. Ny food
is not that of man do not destroy
the lamb and the kid, to glut my
appetite; acorns and berries afford
me sufficient nourishment. NV
companion will be of the same ma
ture as myself, and will be content
with the same fare. We shall make
our bed of dried leaves; the sun
Will shine on us as on man, and will
ripen our food. The picture / pre-
sent to you is peaceful and human,
and you must feel that you could
deny it only in the wantonness of
power and cruelty. Pitiless as you
have been toward me, now see
compassion in your eyes; let me
seize the favorable moment, and
persuade you to promise what so
ardentiy DESIRE"
"You PROPOSE" replied /, "to fly
from the habitations of map, to
dwell in those wilds where the
beasts of the field will be your only
companions. How can you, who
long for the love and sympathy of
man, persevere in this exile? You
will return and again seek their
kindness, and you will then have a
mpanion to aid you in the task OF
destruction. This may not be
cease to argue the point, for can
not consent" s-
GLOW inconsistent are your feel
ings! But moment ago you were
moved by my representations, and
why do you again harden yourself
to my complaints swear to you,
by the earth which j inhabit, and
by you that made me, that, with
the companion you bestow, will
quit the neighborhood of man, and
dwell, as it may chance, in the
most savage of places. My evil
passions will have fed, for l shall
meet with sympathy; my life will
flow quietly away, and, in my dy-
ing moments, / shall not curse my
maker"
His words had a strange effect
upon me. 1 compassionated him,
and sometimes felt wish to con-
sole him but, when looked upon
him; when l saw the filthy mass
that moved and talked, my heart
sickened, and my feelings were al
tered to those of horror and hatred.
/ tried to stifle these sensations L
thought, that, as / could not SYM
pathize with him, had no right to
withhold from him the small por-
ton of happiness which was yet in
my power to bestow.
"You swear,o said, "to be per-
fectly harmless; but have you not
already shown degree of malice
that should reasonably make me
dlstrust you? May not even this
be feint that will increase your
triumph bv affording wider scope
for your revenge ?'' ~
"How is this ? i thought had
moved your compassion, and yet
you still refuse TO bestow on me the
only benefit that can soften my
heart and render me harmless. If
/ have no ties and no affections, ha-
tired and vice must be my portion;
the love of another will destroy. the
the cause of my crimes, and shall
become thing of whose existence |
every one will be ignorant. My |
vices are the children of forced |
solicitude that L abhor; and my |
virtues will necessarily arise when |
/ live in communion with an equal. |
/ shall feel the affections of sensi- |
tive being, and become linked to |
the chain of existence and events, |
from which | am now excluded"
/ paused some time to reflect on
all he had related, and the various
arguments which he had employed.
[ thought of the promise of virtues
which he had displayed on the open
ing of his existence, and the subse-
quent blight of all kindly feeling by
the loathing and scOrn which his
protectors had manifested toward
him. His power and threats were
not omitted in my calculations a
creature who could exist in the ice
caves of the glaciers, and hide him
self from pursuit among the ridges
of inaccessible precipices. WAS be-
ing possessing faculties 1t would be
vain to cope with. After long
pause of reflection, concluded that
the Justice due both to him and my
fellow creatures demanded OF me
that should comply with his re-
quest. Turning TO him, therefore,
| said -
"I consent to your demand on
your solemn oath TO quit Europe
forever, and every place in the
of man, as soon as i
shall deliver into your hands a fe-
male who will accompany you in
your exile"
~ swear" he cried, "by the sun,
and by the blue sky of heaven, that
If you grant my prayer, while they
exist you shall never behold me
again. Depart TO your home and
commence your labOrs / shall
watch their progress with unuttera-
Dle anxiety; and fear not but that
when you are ready shall appear"
Saying this, he suddenly quilted
ne, fearful perhaps, of any change
N my sentiments. saw him de-
Icend the mountain with greater (
speed than the flight of an eagle,
md quickly lost him among the un-
iulations of the sea OF ice.
His tale had occupied the whole
lay, and the sun was upon the
verge of the horizon when he de-
parted. ! knew that / ought to
lasten my descent toward the val
ey, as should soon be encompass
ID in darkness, but my heart was
leavy and my steps slow. The
abor of winding among the little
PATHS of the mountains, and fixing
ny feet firmly as / advanced per-
llexed me. occupied as i was by