The Washington times., 1895-06-16

! rnug second time for five minutes more
| | could not calculate time. A minute
| and an hour were of equal duration
| feared to rise lest the five minutes should
have elapsed and the ringing be again
commenced, in which case | should be
crushed before / could escape against the
walls or framework of the bell. ! there
fore still continued to lie down, cautiously
shifting myself, however, with q care
Gul gliding SO that my eye no longer
looked into the hollow This was of it
self considerable relief The cessation
of the noise had In great measure the
effect of stupefying me, for my attention
being no longer occupied by the chimeras l
had coniured up, began to flag. All that
now distressed me was the constant ex-
pectation Of the second ring ing, for which,
however, / settled myself with a kind
of stupid resolution. | closed my eyes and
clinched my teeth as firmly as if they
Were screwed in a wise.
AT last the dreaded moment came and
the first swing OF the bell extorted groau
from nae, as they say the most resolute
victim screams al the sight OF the rack, to
which he is for the second time destined
After this, however, l lay silent and
lethargie, without a thought. Wrapt in
the defensive arnor OF stupidity l deiied
the bell and its intonations.
When 1t ceased / was reused a
however, decide on this step hastily, but
putting up my hands With the utmost
caution, touched the rim. Though the
ringing had ceased il still was tremulous
from the sound and shook under my hard,
which instantly recoiled as from an electric
jar a quarter of an hour probably elapsed
before | again dared TO make the expert
ment, and then 1 found it at rest. / de-
termiBed to lose no time, fearing that I
might have lain then already too long,
and that the bell for evening service would
catch me, and / slipped out with the ut
most rapidity and arose.
l stood / suppose, for a minute, looking
with silly wonder on the place OF my i'm
prisonmeut, penc trated with JOY at es-
Gaping, but then rushed down the stony
aud irregular stair with the veIucity OF
lightning ard arriv we'd in the bellringer's
room This was the last act had power
H. accomplish l leaEed against the wall
motionless and deprived Of thought, in
which posture my cOmpa Mons found me
when IN the course OF a couple OF hours
they returned tO their occupation.
They We're shocked. as we'll they might
be, at the figure before them. The wind
Of the bell had e xCoriated my face, and my
dim and stupefied yes were fixed with
lackluster gaze in my raw eyclids. My
hands were torn and bleeding, my hair
dishe yelle and my clothes tatteTed
L
They shook me but l remained insensible
They then be came alarmed, aud hastencd To
remove me. He who had gone up with
me in the forenoon met them a S they car
riedme thruughth the churchyard. ard through
him, whu was shocked at having in some
measure occasione d the accident, the
cause uf my misfortune was discovered,
was put to bed at home. and remained
for three days delirious, bat gradually
recovered my senses You may he sure
the bell formed a prominent topic of my
rawlings, aud if / heard peal they were
instantly increased 10 the utmost violence.
Even when the delirium abated, my sleep
was continually disturbed by imagined
ringiugS. and my dreams were haunted by
the fancies which almost maddeDed me
while in the steepie. My friends removed
me Ia a house in the country, which va q
sufficiently distant from any place or
worship TO save me from the apprChensionS
of hearing the church-g going bell; for what
Alexander Sc kirk, in Cowpers poem, com
planned OF as misfortune was then to
me as a blessing. Here l recovered;
but even long after recovery If gale
waited the notes OF a peal toward me
/ started with nervous apprehension
felt a Muhammedan hatred 10 all the bell
tribe, and euyied the subjects Of the Com
mander OF the Faithful the sOuorous voice
Of their MueZZin- Time cured this, as it
does most of our fOllieS; but ven at the
present day If by chance my nerves be
unStruUg, some particular tones OF the
cathedral bell have power TO surprise me
into a momentary start.-Black woods
Magazine, 1921.