The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-08-23

waters, steadily and unchanged, except
occasionally broken by a splash and
again continuous roar. From the d.
rection the roar came there would be
an occasional flash of light and a deep
sound, not unlike thunder, and again
the steady roar was all he heard. AS he
lay upon the cold stone floor, the bats
would pass and repass so near they
would fan him with their wings. Now
and then he would see the form of a
black animal draw near and recede in
the darkness. Again Ii would appear and
disappear. Sometimes two three of
these creatures would approach and
withdraw and finally pass on. Fear so
oppressed him he felt scarcely brave
enough to move a hand or foot or
utter word. He simply beheld and
medltated. In the darkness his magma
ton soon enlarged the bats into vam-
/ pires with wings many yards long and
mouths large enough to swallow him.
The little cave-dwellers that trotted
past him now became monsters in his
imagination and lowered over him like
mammoth beasts, showing threatening
teeth and savage eyes. Wendeck's
monkey, that was awaiting her return,
now came out, chattering and rolling the
skull which he always perched upon,
hoping to give the visitor as good
welcome as he was able to- The de-
bauchee imagined the monkey much
taller than man, and seeing him
perched upon skull, gazed upon the
/ spectacle overpowered with fright.
| Feeling something cold pass over his
half naked breast, he ventured to move
his hand and it fell upon the spotted
snake. and, meditatively, he said:
Yes, l am dead and in hell. / have
finally reaped what 1 have been sowing.
I have gathered the fruits from the tree
l / ~ hot
pions. l remember now when 1 died in
wild fit of passion, when 1 was about
to commit an awful crime and black the
life Of the only friend l ever had, and
| a monster entered and killed me. 1 re-
member how all seemed black and hoy
my soul was hurried on through the
night. 1t seemed to me L was dragged
by chains made out of serpents, on and
on for everlasting ages and while / was
making this journey in darkness every
act of my life passed before me. L no
! ticed they wer nearly all bad, and final
ly when wearied and exhausted, suffering
all the agony, such as / never knew on
earth, 1 remember L entered the great
mouth Of hell, the monster threw me
upon this stone floor with such force
lost all consciousness. all power to move,
yet / know it has been ages and ages
since fell here. At one time there came
before my vision a view of a far off
beautiful world and something told me it
leyS and starlit hills, trees were ladened
with flowers and fruits. ripe and blush
ing together. Fountains sent their
sparkling jets on every hand and birds
sang such enchanting songs and chariots
came and went on great bright wings,
passing, coming and going through a
balmy, purple tinted golden atmosphere
where all echoes finally came back and
whispered peace" TO the lips that sent
them. and there 1 saw in this paradise
the beautiful. spotless being whom I
last saw bending over my child and kiss
ing 1t. She still bore it in her arms
and both seemed so ineffable and di-
vinely lovely I could not look at them
steadily without putting my hands over
my wicked face, as the sight was so
oppressive and made me experience
a Indebtedness OF which earth knows
nothing. I heard from the lips of her, in
whose arms rested the infant, a half sad
wall L tried to redeem him. but he
| escaped me- All this 1 now know
Time has come and gone, each followed
his path, each reached his journeys
end. She has gone to peace, | have
come TO perditon. Here this monstrous
/ devil, seated upon his throne of skulls.
is chattering and waiting to drag me
yonder 10 the burning flame and the
bottom of the pit, where the worm
dieth not and the fire is never quenched.
! Serpents now crawl over my body, vam-
pires pass and turn their fiery eyes upon
me. imps talk out of the blackness and
| open their mouths at me. Truly this
| is hell This is drunkard's hell. But
| even here I am not so wretched as
would be I'm the bright world where she
| is. l am even glad | am i'm hell, rather
/ than to torment her with my presence"
Finishing this meditation and looking
| toward the monkey he said:
Il know satan, you are waiting for
me, / know / must pass from this hor-
| rible presence into that pit. l know my
| doom and accept my fate. Do your
worst" he said rising 'let hell come
Finishing his oral revery he walked
| toward the dark op7 ming where wcre seen
| the flashes of the light and whence
/ came the muttering thunders. As he
| advanced the stone floor declined at a
very considerable angle and was smooth
/ and slippery from the presence Of moist
/ ure. Reaching this acute incline, being
| still unsteady from the effects OF his
| drunkenness, n misguided step caused
/ both feet 10 slip from under him and he
| fell fiat upon The smooth. stone-declining
/ plane The . mt was commenced and
| increased wi arful rapidity. His body,
| feet foremost darted like an arrow down
through the narrow rockway with such
velocity that for few seconds he lost
! consciousness, that ne did not regain
until he was plunged into pool Of
cold water. from which he manaEed to
! extricate himself by climbing unon rock
| at tho edge OF the basin there 10 con-
| template the fasnes Of light above him
| and the muttering thunder. MINGLED with
| the roar of cataract that poured down
at one side and form the acquaintance
OF the strange creatures that seemed
/ ~. -