Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1888-05-06

it to the ear of God, crowded into my
mind. 81 think, Mr.. Tasssrd," said ],
shat our first step, should we ever find
ourselves float in this ship, must be to
commit this and all other flags of q like
kind on board to the deep. There is evi-
dence in this piece Of drapery to hang IN
ANGELO
He let fall his end of the flag, and sat
down suddenly.
'.Yes," he answered, sending q curious
rolling glance around the cook room, and
at the same time bringing his hand to the
back of his head, "this II evidence 70
bangle even an honester man thanyou, sii;
All flags but the ensign we resolve to sail
under must go-all flags, and all the wear
ing apparel, Observation-Disclosures ne
muttered a curse-''we are fixed; there Is
to he no sailing"
He shook his head and covered his eyes.
His manner was strange, and the stranger
for his quietude.
1 said TO him, care you ILL.,"
If he heard he did not heed me, but ieil
a mutteripg and crying to himself. And
now I did certainly remark quality III
his voice that was new to my ear; 1t was
not. as he had said, labor or thickness Of
utterancs, but drynsss and parchednes;
of old age, with MANY breaks from high tc
low notes, and q lean noise OF DRIPPING
threading every word. He sweated and
talked and muttered-but this was from
sheer terror; he did not swoon, but sal
with stoop, often pressing his brows and
gazing about him like one whose senses are
all abroad.
''Gracious mother of all aDgelsp' he ex'
claimed, crossing himself several times
but with feeble, most agitated hand, and
speaking in French and English, and
sometimes interfering an invocation II
italian or Spanish, though give you wha'
be said in my own tongue surely l an
dying. Oh Lord, how frightful to die
On holy Virgin, be mercilul to me! l shall
90 to hell. On Jesu, am past forgiveness
For the love of heaven, Mr.. Rodney, some
brandy! Oh that some saint would inter
pose for me! Only few years longer
grant me few years loDger-l beseech FOL
that time that may repent" and he ex
tended one quivering hand for the brandy
(of which a drsght stood melted IN the
oyen), and made the sign of the cross upor
his breast with the other, while be con
tinued to whine ont in his cracked pipe
the widest appeals for mercy, saying vas
deal that burst not venture to set down
so plentiful and awful were his clamors fol
time that he might repent, though h
never lapsed into blasphemy, but on th'
contrary discovered an agony OF religious
horror.
was much astonished and puzzled by
this illness that had come upon him; for
though he talked of darkness and faint
ness and of dying, he continued to sit NJ
ON his bench and to take pulls at the car
of brandy had handed to him. 1t nigh
be, indeed, that a sudden faintness had ter
rified him nearly out of his senses with
prospect of approaching death; but tina
would not account for the peculiar not
and appearance of age that had entered hi
figure, face and voice. Then an extraor
binary fancy occurred to me: Had tn
whole weight of the unhappy wretch
years suddenly descended upon him? Or
if not wholly arrived, might not these in
dications in him mark the first stage OF ;
gradually increasing pressure? The heat
the vivacity, the fierceness, spirits ant
temper of the life had been Instruments
in restoring to him probably illustrates
his character as it was eight and fort.
years since; they had hourished artificial,
from the moment of his awakening dow
to the present hour, but now the hand
Time was upon this man, whose age wa
above 100. He might be decaying ant
wasting, even as he sat there, into such a
intellectual condition and physical aspec
as he would possess and submit TO had b
come without break into his present age
i was fascinated by the mystery OF hi
vitality, and breathlessly watched him, a
if expected to witness some harlequin
change in his face, and mark the transfer
nation of his polished brow into the lea
austerity of wrinkles. His 7oice sank IN
to mere whisper at last, and then, ceasin
to speak altogether, he dropped his chi
on to his bosom, and began to swing from
side TO side, catching himself from talliD
with several paralytic starts, but withou
lifting his head or opening his eyes, that
could see, and manifesting every symptom
of extreme drowsiness.
iTgCsst and laid my hand on his shoql
der on which he turned h2ssN assee view
ed me with one eye closed, the other scarce
open.
"How are you feeling uow?" said l.
''Sleepy-yery sleepy" he answered