登陆注册
5220900000033

第33章 Volume 1(33)

Poor child!thought I,how many an older head might learn wisdom from thee --how many a luxurious philosopher,who is skilled to preach but not to suffer,might not thy patient words put to the blush!The manner and language of this child were alike above her years and station;and,indeed,in all cases in which the cares and sorrows of life have anticipated their usual date,and have fallen,as they sometimes do,with melancholy prematurity to the lot of childhood,I have observed the result to have proved uniformly the same.A young mind,to which joy and indulgence have been strangers,and to which suffering and self-denial have been familiarised from the first,acquires a solidity and an elevation which no other discipline could have bestowed,and which,in the present case,communicated a striking but mournful peculiarity to the manners,even to the voice,of the child.We paused before a narrow,crazy door,which she opened by means of a latch,and we forthwith began to ascend the steep and broken stairs which led upwards to the sick man's room.

As we mounted flight after flight towards the garret-floor,I heard more and more distinctly the hurried talking of many voices.I could also distinguish the low sobbing of a female.On arriving upon the uppermost lobby these sounds became fully audible.

'This way,your honour,'said my little conductress;at the same time,pushing open a door of patched and half-rotten plank,she admitted me into the squalid chamber of death and misery.But one candle,held in the fingers of a scared and haggard-looking child,was burning in the room,and that so dim that all was twilight or darkness except within its immediate influence.The general obscurity,however,served to throw into prominent and startling relief the death-bed and its occupant.The light was nearly approximated to,and fell with horrible clearness upon,the blue and swollen features of the drunkard.I did not think it possible that a human countenance could look so terrific.

The lips were black and drawn apart;the teeth were firmly set;the eyes a little unclosed,and nothing but the whites appearing.

Every feature was fixed and livid,and the whole face wore a ghastly and rigid expression of despairing terror such as Inever saw equalled.His hands were crossed upon his breast,and firmly clenched;while,as if to add to the corpse-like effect of the whole,some white cloths,dipped in water,were wound about the forehead and temples.

As soon as I could remove my eyes from this horrible spectacle,I observed my friend Dr.D--,one of the most humane of a humane profession,standing by the bedside.

He had been attempting,but unsuccessfully,to bleed the patient,and had now applied his finger to the pulse.

'Is there any hope?'I inquired in a whisper.

A shake of the head was the reply.

There was a pause while he continued to hold the wrist;but he waited in vain for the throb of life--it was not there:and when he let go the hand,it fell stiffly back into its former position upon the other.

'The man is dead,'said the physician,as he turned from the bed where the terrible figure lay.

Dead!thought I,scarcely venturing to look upon the tremendous and revolting spectacle.Dead!without an hour for repentance,even a moment for reflection;dead I without the rites which even the best should have.Is there a hope for him?The glaring eyeball,the grinning mouth,the distorted brow--that unutterable look in which a painter would have sought to embody the fixed despair of the nethermost hell.These were my answer.

The poor wife sat at a little distance,crying as if her heart would break--the younger children clustered round the bed,looking with wondering curiosity upon the form of death never seen before.

When the first tumult of uncontrollable sorrow had passed away,availing myself of the solemnity and impressiveness of the scene,I desired the heart-stricken family to accompany me in prayer,and all knelt down while I solemnly and fervently repeated some of those prayers which appeared most applicable to the occasion.Iemployed myself thus in a manner which,I trusted,was not unprofitable,at least to the living,for about ten minutes;and having accomplished my task,I was the first to arise.

I looked upon the poor,sobbing,helpless creatures who knelt so humbly around me,and my heart bled for them.With a natural transition I turned my eyes from them to the bed in which the body lay;and,great God!what was the revulsion,the horror which I experienced on seeing the corpse-like terrific thing seated half upright before me;the white cloths which had been wound about the head had now partly slipped from their position,and were hanging in grotesque festoons about the face and shoulders,while the distorted eyes leered from amid them--'A sight to dream of,not to tell.'

I stood actually riveted to the spot.The figure nodded its head and lifted its arm,I thought,with a menacing gesture.Athousand confused and horrible thoughts at once rushed upon my mind.I had often read that the body of a presumptuous sinner,who,during life,had been the willing creature of every satanic impulse,after the human tenant had deserted it,had been known to become the horrible sport of demoniac possession.

I was roused from the stupefaction of terror in which I stood,by the piercing scream of the mother,who now,for the first time,perceived the change which had taken place.She rushed towards the bed,but stunned by the shock,and overcome by the conflict of violent emotions,before she reached it she fell prostrate upon the floor.

I am perfectly convinced that had I not been startled from the torpidity of horror in which I was bound by some powerful and arousing stimulant,I should have gazed upon this unearthly apparition until I had fairly lost my senses.As it was,however,the spell was broken--superstition gave way to reason:the man whom all believed to have been actually dead was living!

同类推荐
  • 伊川易传

    伊川易传

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 使琉球錄

    使琉球錄

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 语资

    语资

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 装潢志

    装潢志

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 分别善恶报应经

    分别善恶报应经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 黑森林

    黑森林

    九、十月的天气,腾南镇四面山野中的花木开得还是那么鲜艳,各式各种的草花到处都是,田里的庄稼还是那么茂盛,全似江南暮春三月、草长莺飞、山川明秀、草木华滋的景象;这时人却和炸了窝的蜜蜂一样。原来当地虽是一个山镇,因其位居云南碧江兰坪之南,略微偏西。西与西康、印度相通,越过迈立开江。
  • 使命的召唤

    使命的召唤

    一个从黑暗的地域中走来的邪恶灵魂——他,拥有黑暗与邪恶的过去,双手沾满了血腥与杀戮;他的存在,似乎只为证明一件事——屠杀!他没有理想,毫无抱负,只是为了屠杀而存在,似乎是接受了死亡的召唤!但当他遇到了她……为了正义、为了正在遭受压迫的人们——他终于站了出来,自由与荣耀在引领着他,走向明日的辉煌!这是一场一个人的战争,在这个纷乱繁杂的世界中,人凭借一己之力改变着这一切。(本故事纯属虚构。)
  • 花开倾城未得归

    花开倾城未得归

    “一生一世一双人……”“好!你这话我可记住了,以后你若负了我,我定逃到天涯海角,让你再也找不到!”“我定不负你。”昔日的光景还在眼前,旧人不见。一世倾城半世缘,缘聚缘散缘终灭。初月落雪花常在,花开倾城未得归。“所以我们终究……还是无缘吗?”
  • 家和万事兴:家风家教的艺术

    家和万事兴:家风家教的艺术

    本书主要讲述了不同时代的家庭教育,家长用自己的言行举止影响着着孩子们的人生观、价值观的形成,家教在长时间的实践中形成了一个个家风。家庭是孩子人生路中的第一所学校,家教、家风对孩子未来发展影响深远,本书从共分为九章,第一章总的概述了中国家风思想精髓,从第二章到第九章从不同角度为各位家长阐述了教子理念,让家长能深入体会,并优化自己的家庭教育,提升家风素养。
  • 思益梵天所问经

    思益梵天所问经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 弑王冰妃

    弑王冰妃

    女强VS男强!强强联手!爽文无虐,无误会,一对一她,丞相府懦弱的大小姐,任人欺凌,最后惨遭毒害;她,二十一世纪黑道,死神,“死亡圣衣”,杀人不眨眼的白衣天使,生死边缘挣扎,不再相信天长地久;他,当朝弑王,不详之子,自胎中身重奇毒,冷血狠辣,不知情为何物?一朝生死,当她成为她,会有怎样的精彩奇遇?【片段一】“王妃,把飘香楼拆啦!”“哦,拆吧!拆完再给她建一个,别让她无聊。”君皇连头都没抬,说道。站在那的凌冰月嘴角直抽,额头上黑线滑落,能在宠一点不?“王妃,把苏贵妃推下水啦!”“派人给她,小心别受伤!”凌冰月无任何表情,他都免疫啦!………………“王妃呢?”君皇问着在门口的凌冰月。“被皇上叫去了!”呆呆的说道。“什么?!”风一般消失不见……主子啊!那是你父皇啊!…………只剩下在风中凌乱的凌冰月……【片段二】“娘亲,娘亲,”粉雕玉琢的脸颊,泛着淡淡红晕,迈着小步子,扑到凌冰洛的怀中,满脸委屈,两眼泪汪汪的看着她,“呜呜呜呜,爹爹,爹爹总是欺负我,我还这么小,他就让我,就让我离开娘亲,把我关起来,说是培养一代亲无故人后无来者的君王,”眼睛里一闪而过,一丝狡黠。“他还让我,让我”嘴嘟嘟起来,结结巴巴,凌冰洛抱着他,满脸无奈,“怎么了?你爹爹还让你干什么了?”“把我送进梦乡院,说是要学他从小就要学会认识女人!”仰着头,大声说道。“噗!”凌冰洛满脸黑线,额角微微跳动,刚想说话,怀中一空。“臭小子,给老子滚”一个抛物线完美展现。“啊啊”
  • 玉缘诀

    玉缘诀

    玉殷是南辰唯一的公主,从小就是被众人捧在手心里长大的。机缘巧合,她遇到了高奕,从此,她的生命里闯进了一个愿意守护她一生的人。玉殷迫于公主的身份,不得不为了百姓,前去北周联姻。在命运的转角,她遇到了白辰,这个千般万般对她好的人,她是动过心,可这怎抵得过她与高奕十二年的情意。遥递书信,情意绵绵,她与高奕的爱从未断过,他为她除去障碍,为她稳固地位,只求她在异国他乡能够安心度日,虽隔千山万水,他却依旧守护着她。而白辰忍受伤痛不曾怕过,丢了皇位不曾怕过,甚至打入天牢,命悬一线也未曾怕过,他怕的,不过是到头,来她依旧不爱他。
  • 钗头之凤

    钗头之凤

    步入皇宫,原本只是一个普普通通的宫女,可未曾想过。一夜遇到一个男人,改变了她原本普普通通的命运。她不愿沾染后宫的一切,却没有想到步入后宫之后,她的命已经和这个后宫牵扯到了一起。她不想要对付别人,可没有想到别人却找上门来。从小一起到大的妹妹,也渐渐的变了,后宫步步为营,除了她之外,身边还有两个愿意为了她付出一切的人。她又应该如何选择?他很好,为了她愿意付出一切。他也很好,归为帝王,却也把她当作了手心里的宝。深宫阴谋,情愿坎坷,这一条路她又应该如何走下去?
  • 晏少独宠神算妻

    晏少独宠神算妻

    【新文《重生七零后我成了科技大佬》求收藏~~~】上一辈子,她是父母眼中活该为妹妹“奉献”心脏的人。重生归来,她没了前世心脏,却多了一颗七窍玲珑心,一身玄骨。众人眼中的学渣,抱歉她是学神;欺她华国斗法无人,分分钟教你做人;虐渣打脸,绝不手软。河出图,洛出书,圣人则之,血脉之力觉醒……围观群众:“你大佬永远是你大佬。”晏古辰:“坚定宠妻路线万年不动摇。”顾玄骨:“请好歹维护一下你晏少的脸面。”“不要脸,……”
  • 人民共和国党报论坛2006年卷

    人民共和国党报论坛2006年卷

    展现十六大以来党报改革、发展的新成果;交流十六大以来党报新闻宣传、经营管理、人才培养的新经验;探讨今天和明天党报应对诸多挑战的新方略,既是“人民共和国党报论坛”第三届(2006)年会的主题,又是业界和学界大力支持年会的原因。据统计,年会共收到论文、演讲稿105篇,反映了近五年来党报工作的基本面。现取89篇,辑成《人民共和国党报论坛2006年卷》以飨读者。