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


selves, bur in their results | shudder
at tlae thought of any, even the most
trivial incident which may operate
upon this intolerable agitation of soul
/ have indeed no adherence of danger
except in its absolute seffect-in terror
In this unneryed, in this pitiable condi
ton, feel that the period will sooner
or later arrive when. must abandon
life and reason together in some strug
gle with the grim phantasm fear"
| learned. moreover. at intervals
and through broken and equivocals
hints, that he was enchanted byacertain
superstitious impressions in regard to
the dwelling which he tenanted and
whence, for many years, he had never
ventured forth.
He admitted, however, although
with hesitation, that much Of the pc
could be traced to a more natural and
far more palpable origin, to the severe
and long continued Unrestricted, to
the evidently approaching dissolution
of tenderly beloved sister. his sole
companion for long years, his last and
only relative on earth. "Her decease,"
he said with bitterness which | can
never forget, would leave him-him
the hopeless and the frail-the last of
the ancient race of the Ushers." While
he spoke the Lady Madeline-fOr so
she was called, passed slowly through
a remote portion of the apartment, and
without having noticed my presence,
disappeared. l regarded her with an
utter establishment not unmingled with
dread, and yet / found it impossible
to account for such feelings. A sensa-
ton of stupor oppressed me, as my
eyes followed her retreating steps.
The disease of the Lady Madeline had
long baf1ed the skill of her physicians
A settled apathy, a gradual wasting
away Of the person and frequent al
though transient affections of a par
TALLY cataleptical character, were the
unusual diagnoses. Hitherto she had
steadily borne up against the pressure
Of her malady, and had not betaken
herself finally to bed; but, on the clos
ing in of the evening of my arrival
at the house, she succumbed (as her
brother told me at night with mex
pressible agitation) to the prostrating
power Of the destroyer, and learned
that the glimpse had obtained of her
| person would thus probably be the last
should obtain-that the lady, at least
while living, would be seen by me no
| more.
For several days ensuing her name
was unmentioned by either Usher or
myself. and during this period was
| busted in earnest endeavors to allevi-
ate the melancholy of my friend. We
painted and read together, or 1 listen
ed as if in dream to the wild impro-
vizations to his speaking guitar.
1 shall ever bear about me memory
Of the many solemn hours / thus spent
alone with the master of the house of
Usher. Yet 1 should fail in any at
| tempt to convey an idea of the exact
character of the studies or of the oc-
equations in which he involved, me or
led me the way An excited and high
ly distempered ideality threw q sui
| phurous luSter over ALL fpSER
One of the phantasmagoric concep.
tons of my friend, partaking not SO
rigidly of the spirit of abstraction, may
be Swallowed forth, although feebly, in
words A small picture presented the
interior of an immensely long and rec
tangular vault or tunnel, with low
walls, smooth, white and without In
terruption or device. Certain aces
sorry points Of the design served well
to convey the idea that this, excavation
lay at an exceeding depth below the
surface of the earth. No outlet, was
observed in any portion of its vast ex
tent, and no torch or other artiheia
source of light was discernible. Yet q
food of intense rays rolled throughout
and bathed the whole in CHASTITY anG
inappropriate splendor.
The words of his wild fantasies 60
he not infrequently accompanied him
self on the guitar with improvisatiOns
were the result of that intense col
lectedness and concentration to which
have previously alluded as observa
Bile only in particular moments Of th'
highest artificial excitement. Th'
words of one of these rhapsodies
have easily remembered. was per
haps the more forcibly impressed Will
it as he gave it, because in the unde
or mystic current of its meaning fan
cied that perceived. and for the frs
time, a full consciousness on the par
of Usher of the tottering of his loft!
reason upon her throne. The verses
which were entitled 1.-THE Hauntet
Palace ran very nearly if not accu
rately thus:
T.
4 In the greenest of our valleys "a
IL, BY good angels tenanted ,s
Once a. fair and stately palace
Radiant pala reared its head.
Il Inttaae monaFdH Thoughts dominion
n It stood there.
| Never seraph- spread pinion
Over fabric half so fair.
II.
Banners yellow, glorious, golden
+, ~, tie roaP dfd doo% opd HoYy