Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1914-10-02
By Edgar Allan Poe

FWOESsSS
extending from the roof Of the build
ing in front, made its way down the
wall in zigzag direction until it be-
came lost in the sullen waters OF the
tarn.
Noticing these things, rode over a
short causeway to the house. A serv-
ant in waiting took my horse, and /
entered the Gothic archway Of the
hail. A valet of stealthy step thence
conducted me in silence through many
dark and intricate passages in my
progress to the studio Of his master.
On a staircase / met the physi-
clan Of the family His countenance,
| thought, wore mingled expression
of low cunning and perplexity He ac-
costed me with trepidation and passed
on. The valet now threw open a door
and ushered me into the presence of
his master.
The room in which 1 found myself
was very large and lofty. The win
dows were long, narrow and pointed
and at so vast a distance from the
black oaken floor as to be altogether
inaccessible from within. Feeble
CLEANS of encrimsoned light made
their way through the trellised panes
and served to render sufficiently dis
tinct the more prominent objects
around. 1 felt that breathed an at
mOsphere Of sorrow. An air of stern,
deep and irredeemable gloom hung over
and pervaded all.
Upon my entrance Usher arose from
sofa on which he had been lying at
full length and greeted me with a
vivacious warmth which had much in
it, / at first thought, of an overdone
cordiality-of the constrained effort of
the ennuye man Of the world. A
glance, however, at his countenance
convinced me of his perfect sincerity.
We sat down, and for some moments,
while he spoke not, l gazed upon him
with a feeling half of pity, half of
awe. Surely man had never before
so terribly altered in so brief period
as had Roderick Usher. It was with
difficulty that could bring myself to
admit the identity of the one being
before me with the companion Of my
early boyhood. Yet the character of
his face had been at all times remarka-
BILE. A righteousness of complexion;
an eye large, liquid and luminous be-
yond comparison; lips somewhat thin
and very pallid, but of a surprisingly
beautiful curve; nose of delicate
Hebrew model, but with breadth of
nostril unusual in similar formations;
a finely nodded chin, speaking in its
want of prominence, Of want Of
moral energy; hair of more than
weblike softness and tenuity-these
features, with an inordinate expan-
sion above the regions of the temple,
made up altogether cOuntenance not
easily to be forgotten. The now ghast-
~ pallor of the skin and the now
miraculous luster of the eye, above all
things, startled and even awed me.
The silken hair, too, had been suffered
to grow all unheeded. and as, in its
wild gossamer texture, it 1oated rather
than fell about the face could not.
even with effort, connect its Arabesque
l
mainly.
In the manner of my friend I was
at once struck with an indifference
an inconsistency. and soon found this
to arise from series of feeble and
futile struggles to overcome an habit
ual trepidancy-an excessive nervous
agitation.
His action was alternately viVacious
and sullen. His voice varied rapidly
from a tremulous indecision when the
animal spirits seemed utterly in abey.
ancel to that species of energetic con
cision-that abrupt. weighty, unhurried
and hollow sounding enunciation: that
leaden, self balanced and perfectly
modulsted cultural utterance, which
may be observed in the lost drunkard
or the irreclaimable eater of opium
during the periods of his most intense
excitement.
1t was thus that he spoke Of the OBJ
ject of my visit Of his earnest desire
to see me and Of the solace he expect
ed me to afford him. He entered Al
some length into what he conceived t.
be the nature Of his malady. It dis
played itself in Il host of unnatura
sensations He suffered much from {
morbid acnteness Of the senses; the
most insipid food was alone endurable
he could wear only garments Of Ger
tain texture: the odors of all fowerl
were oppressive; his eyes were tortuT
ed by even faint light, and Their
were but peculiar sounds and thes'
from stringed instruments which die
not inspire him with horror
To an anomalous species Of terror
: found him bounden slave Il shall
perish" said he. Il must perish il
this deplorable folly. Thus, thus, anC
not otherwise, shall I be lost. / dreaG