The evening world., 1891-07-17

Far different thoughts occupied my mind
for ! knew that In my walk that night |
would meet some face, the sight Of which
would MI me with horror and destroy the last
remnant OF my tottering and nearly unscatcd
TeasOnl
With task so horrible to perform. and yet
one which | could not escape, wandered
fearfully among the crowds that surgcd
through the city. Dreading TO look into the
faces that passed me, yet compelled to look
was under the influence OF power which
could not resist.
In one Of the streets, a short distance from
a great thoroughfare, saw man sitting on
doorstep. lie was leaning against the door
his arms hanging by his side his head was
dropping over his breast, so that could not
distinguish his features. I felt drawn to-
wards him instinctiyely.
spoke 10 him. There came no word in re-
ply. Then ! touched his hand. It was Icy
cold. And when released II, II fell iStlcssly
To his side again. At length ! raised the
slouChcd hat that was drawn over the mans
face, while pushed back the head. The aC-
tiOn revealed o my gaze the face Ot corpse.
There was a raw, torn wound over the face,
and one 0f the cyeballs, smashed from It's
socket, danglcd over he cheek
seized the corpse by the hair and examined
the manRled features In the gaslight. surely
had seen the face before. But where
where, cannot r"COllect where had seen
the face, either because It is 50 disrRured by
the wound upon It, or because my memory Is
failing INC.
And yet gaze upon 1t without any horror; /;
my, even WIN fdlllutNbs I Ht lu'lUknl tIl-
tered my head that this dead man differed In
a very slight degree from tine living who were
hurrying along the great thOroughlarc. What
are they NIL but animated cOrpscsf Come,
images Of DEATH Pause here, and sec what
you are You Will nOt2 Then march On-Un
to the Charnel-hpuSe.
In my eyes you are not flesh and blood
that Is invisible 20 me. look through flesh
as one would through glass, and See skelc-
tons Only-a troop OF skeletons shufiiing along.
And yet the sight nils me with no horror.
Nothing can excite or astoniSh me.
The tramp Of the hosts was no longer heard
in the streets. There were seen only a few
men Fastening u their homes, ana now and
then poor outcast sweeping hurrlrdly by.
! have not shrunk from the dreadful task
that has been imposed upon me. have
peered into every hlce that | met, and the
sight that was 10 blot out the remnant OF my
reason has not been revealed 70 me. Am TO
escape my horrible doom
How beautiful is the moon tonight Does
her clay, Ike that OF the earth, give birth 10
brutal passiOns-to envy, cuTidity malice,
hypocrisy, blOodthiTstin"ss-tO all the ac-
cursed things that huddlc Ike coil of SER
pents IN the vessel Of clay called he human
heart NOn moon, she is the emblem ~ chas-
uty and Oh, how beautiful she Is But nh
she Is distant, and perhaps beautiful on that
account
I felt the touch Of hand upon my shoulder
and soft words were whispered into my ear,
IN" voice sounded Ike an echo NJ the past. |
turned To look tor the HrNt time upon the
speaker, and my eyes met the lacr ot Mary
Went worth.
had looked uumOycd On The face n death;
hui This sight! mer,ilul God, the measure is
iull with wind screams, she fed along the
eChHiug street. 1hCn what had seemed n
corpse arose and stood by my side. II was
hCywuOd!
Pointing TO the lying girl, he said, "You
murdered me on account oi herr
Al the next instant, found myself in the
grasp Of fingers, and was borne away knew
not whittier. Az length We arrived at the
portals OF what seemed q majestic temple.