Western Sun, Volume 2, Number 9, Vincennes, Knox County, 28 January 1809 — Page 4

71 r

POETICAL ASVLUM, OS TIME. Bj Sel.ick Osbtrne. Mov.d hy a ftrtnge myQcrious powV, "Who Inttes alfn the rapid hour, I tnucli the deep ton'ti ilring ; Ev'n now I fee his withcr'd face, Beneath the tower's mouldering bafe, Where mofly velmenti clin. Dark roll'd his cheerlcfs eye arouftd. Severe his grifly vifage frown'J, No locks his head array d ; He graf'd a hero.l a" ique bud, 'i hr mrble crumbled into duft, And funk amuitt the fi)de M.ili?nnt triumph fill'd his eyes ; See hanlrfs, oruIs, fee he cries. How vm your idle V hemes: Beneath my g'asp the fireft form, Dlfsoives, and mingles vith the worm ; 44 Thus vanined mortals dream. ThrAvnrkof God and man I fpoil ; TV noMtft proofs of human toil, il Tr,-at as childifli toy. " Crulli the noble and the brave ; " Beauty I mar ; and in the grave 44 1 bury hotnan joys." HMd i ruttdefi pV.antom Hold I cry'd, It thou cnft mock thr dreams of pride, iri meaner hop-s d-vour ; Virtue, .y-na try rrch, 11- II blem, Vr.'jj '.tifr rh-rms fink to the tomb, She icorns thy en vious cov. :r, Oa froflv rring- te demon fifd, Hcwhn-r. is o'er ti.e walh hr fped, . u Ap thr ver has fjon- 1" 'i'he ruin'd fpirf the rrmnrling tovrcr, Wedding, obcy'd his r.ful pwer, As Time flew iwifily on. Since beauty then, to Tim- muft bow, i-.-J aedchrm the fireft brow, Lt: brighter charms Uc vou-3 ; Tht fem-il? mind, embalmd in truth, Sh U Moon) iu evf H jQiup youth, While Time, himftlf endures. ANECDOTE. " - A certain p-rf mm S.r.t!,L-i, not i r j J p . r f iltt c.f his -i'-hor.-, ni'dr it a conin W.m v,r out r.( a hfrjudii ht IuJ ?rJ d-trn mrd to tnil 1 n ; 1UV 4 f w-v.r fome d(r.rth" fHe of flune do:i 3n,l i i J O Lord an' i t - ! r tljoiV tht tKui ou'-ftfi (on.iuj t;..t to f.iSl '!rw:i cuifb n- V de-h." I iir .'ei.'lem.!! beioi t :he f- r,r bhi.id the will, and he;rin- the frlVT ?fr' t! rfM,lf w ;pH hrokr Kcv- ' : o'n V ' ; " a 4 H m Lor'i. cannot Ik A in j J' b.it tJlG'U turf St ;

1- t'l.A:;i lot the rock by fome urknow n enn- - ,.'vnlfion of nature, and lirs in front - a ... , ; PnlhL of the cavitv from whence it v;

1 lOJfl the cat lia roiut tar.

(and forming a room of the lame The following waa communicated, demenfioiib with wjrustrum it

to us from rcfpefliMc authority, and yc liarc no doubt of its being I'ttraliy com 61. THK HKRMITKSS, of North Salem. When the train of human events appears to deviate from its wonted courfe, and becomes productive of characters altogether new

and unexampled, it has a claim on the world to be perpetuated. An inilance of this kind, where nature has appeared furprifingly to wander from its wonted operations, is difplayed in the character, and manner of life, exhibited by a certain female in the vicinity of this town. We often hear of men from various motives preferring a life of foiitude in fome gloomy cavern ol the earth ; but to find one of the fair fex immured in a cave, wholly fecluded from human fociety, is a rare phenomenon. Acquainted with all their delicacy of body, their natural timidi ty of mind, their loquacity of tem per, and their inordinate love of feeing and of being feen, to find hem forfaiting all human fociety for the dreary haunts of favage beads, appears, when related, too romantic to gain belief. Yet, the reader may rely on the fequel, as a hmple narativq of facts. SARAH BISHOP (for this is the name of this Hermitefs) is a perfon of about fifty years of age. About thirty years ago Hie was a young lady ofconliderable beauty, a competent (hare of mental endowments, and education ; fhe was pofefTed of a handlome for tune, but fhe was of a tender and delicate conftitution, and enjoyed but a low degree of health ; fhe could be hardly comfortable without a conflant recourfe to medicine, and careful attendance ; and added to this, fhe always difcovered an unufual antipathy to men ; and was often heard to fay, that fhe had no dread of any animal n eartn imi men. uui-ruuca u i:h them, and confcquently with tlx world, about twenty. three vears ag, fhe withdraw herfeit fr m ail human focietv, and in tht- bloom of life retorted to the inoimtains, which divided Salem from North-Salem ; there lhe has fp'jnt her days to the prefenr t;mc, in acaveor rather in a cieft o the rock, withdrawn from the jfoeiety of every living mature. jefterday, in company with thf two capt. Smiths of this 'town) I went into the mountain to vih: this furprifing Hermitage, a juil portrait of which, is contained in the following lines. As you paf the fouthern and and mutt elevated ridce ol the mountain, and begin to defcew! . hp r. lllturrn rPn vnll tUrt.t w;,. - " ' a neipcnaicuiar (leicent ol a roLof abfiut ten leet, in the frr,u rr uhkh is the cave. Ar br foo i . i "his P.rk is a r-.,'!e dcfcent n an 1 ICI Uir fel ouu, exzeTUiiiu;

. nj m -Jr i ui n n , o(js, wnen it muanu.v w-N, l i a U rnis a : igluful precipice, det- ! I prv ( end! ;.g about half a mile to th

I if 'lir; t limit i. i-.t tl i.i .t-ra loutr I'cul. On the iitlit ar:(! If ft of ill! ft r t i If rrnirul tlw mnnnfuln n("i- i iwll ffL mu! iilivnll CI5rjQfcs U iCmg a fquarC of about one half acre. In die Ironof the rock on the noilh, uht rt ., , .... . ground, there appears to b" i . . i . l i r iarce ; uin um ui me rocK, ci it cubic fithom in iize. thrown oni rent, fartly cncloimg the moutn.

felf, the rocl; is left, entire above, and forms the roof of this humble manlion.

This cavitv is the habitation of this Heriniteis, in w inch lhe hjs fpent twenty-three ot her belt years, fdf-exchued from all human ibc'ety. biie keeps no domellicated animal, not even a fowl, a cat, or a do. Her little plantation, coniiding of one hah acre, is cleared of its wood and reduced to grafs, but (lie makes but little ufe of it, excepting that ihe has raifed a few peach-trees on it, and lhe plants yearly a few hills of beans, cucumbers and potatoes. The whole plat is furrounded with a luxuiiant growth of grape-vines, w hich over fpread all the furrounding wood, and produce grapes in great abundance. On the opolite fide of this little tenement, or cave, is a fine fountain of excellent water, which iffues from the fide of the mountain, and loofes itfelf in this l.ttle piat. At this fountain we found this wonderful woman, whose rppearanceitisa little difficult to defcribe : indeed, like nature in its firft eftate, lhe was without form, that is, Ihe appeared in noiorm or pofition I had ever feen before ; her drels appeared little elfe but one confufed and lhapelefs mafs ol rags, patched together without any order, which obfeured every human fliape, excepting her head, which was clothed with a luxuriancy of lank grey hair, depending on every fide, ju it as nature and time had formed it, wholly devoid of any artificial covering or ornament. When flie difcovered our ap proach (lie exhibited the appear ance of any other wild and timid animal. She Itarted, looked wild, i d hauened with the utmolt pre cipitation to her cave, which Hit entered, and barricaded the en trance with old Iheils, which lh had pulled from the decayed trees To tin humble manlion we ap proaehed, and after fome conver lation with her, we obtained liber ty to remove the palifadoes and look in ; for we were not able to enter, the room being only fu Indent to accomodate a fingle per -Ion. We converfed with her ioi iome conliderabie time, found he to be of a found mind, a religion urn of thought and to be entirely happy and contented with her v nation ; of fiiis fhe has given to o thers n-peated demoullration, wh hae, in vain, loiicited her to qu: this dreaty abode. We faw n utenlil, eitlier lor labour or cookr ry, excrpiing an old pewter b-don and a gourd-lhell ; no bed but th lb lid rock, unlel's it were a tew oh; rags, feattcred here and there upo;, it ; no bed-cloths of any kiixl ; not the lcalt appearance ofan ort of food, and no fire. Hie had indeed a place in on; vomer of her cll, where ihe kind les a fire at times, but it did appear that any fire had been kind led there this fpring. To confi? m ihis opinion, a certain man fays : hat he pafled her cell fi v c or fix wxs alter the great fail of fnow iu die Ijejinning of March lall, tin: Ihe had no fire then, and had no! . t sn on" of her cave fiuee tht now had fallen. Mow the fubliils luring the fex ( re feafons, is yet , nyllery. She favs ihe cats bn r.iiu iiv.in uj tu. Kinii, mm ll is idlkuh tf. imagine ho.v lhe is fop. oor'ed thro' ine infc r fralon. In :he funimc r lhe fii!!ifts on the :eni . nuts, a d roots, which he moniitauis uiT,rd. It may be tiiat lhe fceretes iier winter ft arc in fome otlu-r filfure of the rock, Tiore ernvenk-nt for the purpofe dian the cell ihe inhabits

She !;ccpsa b'I)lc with her, and fays fhe takes much fatisfaclinn, and fpends nnich time a reading it, and meditating thereon. It may be this woma-n is a lincerc wtirfliipper of God; if fo, liic is yet more iich, wife, and happy, than thoufands in affluence and iionor, who beholds her with aftouiihnient and fcorn. At any rate, from this humble, yei afton1 1 lung page of human nature we read a moft interelling leclure oa the human heart. It was the peculiar fiate of this woman's heart which drove her to forfake the fociety of man, and led her to this foiitary manlion. The peculiar relilh of the human heart will embrace foiitude, dilhonor, deformity, and death itfelf for happinefs, whillt its antipathies can embitter a paradife of joy. Reafon has no power againft tf.s influence ; it is not the energy of fciencc, but a heart formed to a wife, decent and ufefullife, that mult regenerate the world.

NOTICE. ONE of us intends to fet out for Philadelphia, on the 1 5th ot next month, and wifli all prrfons indebted to thrro, or the late firm ot Bullitt and Smith, to pay there refpectfve ballancei before that tim-. Cbas. Smithy Co. Jan. 24th, 1C09. 9-3w ALL perfons indebted to the fubferiberby bond, note, or book account, ire requeftfd to make payment to Jcfrph O'Neeie of Vincennes, on or before the 20th day of February next ; thofc who neglea this notice will be dealt with according to law. Tains aim Dubois. Jan. 26th. 1809. 9 Wm riNCENNES LIBRARY. 1"f!E fliare holders of the Vincennes Library are requefted to attend at he IjouO of John D. Hay's ?qr. in Vincennes, on Monday the fixth dy of Fco. ,-uary next, iu order to make choice of a ;refident, directors, and librarian, for the rerm ot on year from that day, arrreeablv

to a law in that cafe made and prorided. Peter Jones, Librarian. Jan. 2111, 1809. B T P Alt MEN AS BECKES, herif of tiic county of Knox iu the Indiana Territory. A PROCLAMATION. Hy virtue of lhe United Suits writ of -:)ire facias fighed by the Honorable Hen- I v' V.nder Burgh, and Benjamin Prke Kfju'res, two of the judges in and over faid Vrritory, and to me direclrd, for holding i the troud Monday in February, 1809 r the court house in Vinrr-nnrs, at ten of !e lock in tUe forenoon of tne fr;me day, fpeci:! court, court of Oyei and TVrminr, G'-rirrd J.i! D'ivcry, and ccurt of Nifi l'ri?, all juflicrf of t!ie pe ,cr, lrkl, 1 oro-r.-rs. pro' honit-ries, with their rolls, rc-

'-on s, ii.qiitlitioui. recni niz; ues, and a .'c cognizeri, and re crnizr, fuiters ar trofrcutort, ar hereby notifi -d to r;vr their ittendmte, ina make retur; 3 of thrir fere r rmembr jnces at thr tin r ar.J place aforefnivi. thit th Un'r.ed St:;:rs judges may .rcrrrd tl "fon ; and ycu Hy ,H c v 51 of'icer wit! in tlie f-iJ Territory, who h .vc r. krn rnrogniznice whreiiy tbry luv- Ict ny p-rfou to biI, will a!fo mke icturn :h-reof, that our f,id judges m iy proceed th.-reon a of right, and a(conii;)g to law TUht to be done. In teftimony wl ereof I I ire lu-tmnto f-t my har.d, and afViX'C my feal at Vnrennei,in the county jf Knox, the twenty. 5x:b u y of f i mi ,v. Ih . LJ. PAHMESAS BECKK.?, Shff. K. C. I. T. FROM THE PRESS OF E. STOUT. rRl.VTFtt TO THK TKHRITORT AND Of

Tli. LAWS Of THE L'NHLO STATES.

J

f