Western Sun, Volume 2, Number 52, Vincennes, Knox County, 9 December 1809 — Page 4

POETICAL ASYLUM, FOR THE WESTERN SUN. EPITHALAMIUM. YF. virgins fair my joys regard, Regard in cxtafy ; A Hufb.ind is thr grand reward Of maidens purity. The morning opens to the rofe, AH wrt with nightly dew, The flow'r unfolds, nor does it clofe Till night returns anew. Bleft is the Ute of happy wives With hufbmds they have choO,' Their joys expand throughout their lives, Nor change as dees the rofe. M. January, 1809. MIS CEL L A NT. From tul ARGUS OF WESTERN AMERICA. PAST OCCURRENCES. A FRAGMENT, .Extracted jrom an original manuscript l A solemn pleasure flows from former pains." (Continued. J Thus for five days longer we beguiled the progrefs of famine, lor we were able to pr cure nothing to eat but a few featuring nuts and berries, which only excited, without allaying the ravages of hunger. The fixth, which was the eight!) fince we had been deprived of food was a dav I had foreboded w ith agonising rxpeciatitui. Zerelda had so Imig born the fatigue and drradful accommodation of the defart, lhat in .( pendant of hunger, lhe v as able to travel but flow ly, and at intervals ; her vigor was almolt waed by fueh continuance Ec unuccuPiniiicd exertion ; hut when right days hunger was fuperadded, her drl'cate frame 8c conflitulicn. which were never deligncd for traerfmg u ildcnieflcs, yielded to the inigii'.v prclfiircof her calamities. S!u became faint and fiekly, and v.as able to travel but a filial! part of the clay, and then only with tlit utmofl i-fTifLtncc I could afford her At evening Hie w as unable to i md, and all hope of continuing our journey was at an end. She took my hand and intreated He to leave her and fly alone to A n;inia, and let her die alone. My rind, i cried I) can you imagine uk capable of Inch a deed ! jso; I v mum rathei feed vou witii my own hYlh." 4 I'mmIuk e an humanity (find UK) tu ouiicifaa;

J your country demand it. If you remain here, we both inevitably

perifb, but you have fufliciency of llrength to reach the frontiers of Pennfylvania, and in the name of God, I conjure you to fly and lave your life." And what would be my Irk when thus prefcrved, but a fcen of horror could I ever think of this moment without dillraclion could I tell it to the world that I had left Zerelda Engleton in the wildernefs to die of hunger ; no, the veriefl monfler in being would curfe me. But independent of thefe conliderations, nature has reyited my deftiny to yours---! have but to die in you. Death with Vli his legion of frowning furies, canx frighten or force me away. Heavens and earth ! To fly and leave you! May the blazing bolt of thunder blaft me the moment I harbor fuch a thought." 4 4 Be calm (laid fhe) and confidcr your fituation you will render my death infinitely more fearful." " Ceafe Zerelda, ceafe ; you could as foon hurl the fun from his orbit as to force me from your prefence.'

She had lb far exhaullcd herfelf j held her feized by monfters fiercewith fpeaking that fhe fainted in ; ly wrangling for her blood, lhe was

my arms. I placed her on the grafs ard when flic revived, (lie fell into a troubled (lumber. The moon rode oyer the night, in a wide field of deep blue ether. I left Zerelda in her flumber, and ran through the woods in quell of some of the wild bounties of nature. But I wandered long to no purpofe. Every forelt was walle and barren as the tomb of famine. The Wolves fwelled their nocturnal revels, with tremendous yellings I felt the fears and danger of Zerelda, and battened to find the place where I had left her : but 1 had been too indifferent to the diredVion of my rambles, and was unable to retain my footlleps thro' the grafs and bullies. Dillrafted at finding myftlf bewildered (1 knew not at whatdiflance from the dear objefcl of all my care I called with my loudeft voice the found ran through the woods in vain echo aw oke the hills and murmured in reply the Owl fcreamed his piercing omen over my head the Wolves renewed their howlings with redoubled clangor. A heavy cloud rulbed along the Eaft and Unit up the Moon in darknefs. Spirits of horror What tortures did you then hurl in a whirlwind upon my foul : I called till the woods could no longer hear the hoarfe clamor of my voice. I ran in every clircdli n, through the hills till mv blood was on fire, and hurtling from every vein. Thus throughout the night I rambled in frantic agony. It was a right from which memory re- ( oils in terror, it was an age to 1 li r ' f I which all my lot mer life appeared . n .. . . but an inflant. It feemed as if the wheels of time w ere flopt it:d r.r.tir r r.:cde a pause ; v.-ful pause . pr-.fUtic of her end." sin But when the long, long delired li;;ht entered tile veihbulc of morhii.g, it vvaas hopeh Is as the eternity nf midnight ; f.jr horrible anicip.ition had already imagined Zeielda g;.rpiig the laflrcquium of

life Irom her lips for the want of my attention ; or torn into carnag to feed the prowling monflers oi the night. What a wretched mif. creant am I, to defcrt her at Inch i moment. What were the uccu undated pangs of her cxpirinr thoughts, to find herfelf deftrtc? bv her kill and on!v friend, and onwho had fworn never to leave her ! I knew not even now, when oi where I lbould And her, but from the hill where 1 Hood I beheld tin rolling Allegany. This profpeci lalt evening wodd have been lighted by the day-fpring of hope, but it is now too late, the dreadful die of fate is call Zerelda is no more but I will feek her, and die by her fide the fame wide defart f hull be our urn, the fame dew fliall embalm our bodies, and the same wild wind, reverberated our requiums ! After two hours fearch I difcovered the place where 1 had left her I flew to the foot with theprefages of a forlorn hope lhe was not there all the images of frenzied defperation rubbed with wanton

fury upon my imagination I be unable to call for aflTllance in an inflant lhe was tornintoa thoufand pieces by. the. infuriated ravages---at this profpet I was ready to let go the thread of life, and exclaim with Milton's Lucifer, Hail horrors ! hail Eternal worlds I And their profoundest hue Receive thy new possessor . " I difcovered a trace which led from the place, and followed it a fliort diftance, and in the thick grafs, beheld Zerelda laying on the ground, apparently refigning herself to the hand that was covering the pontals of Eternity on their hinges. She had become tormented with the fever of an intolerable thirft, and having no hope of my return, had crept away in fearch of water, but was unible to obtain it. Sudden as the lightning of traiifitiou 1 was tranfported from the extremes of defperation to a frenzy of rap ture I threw myfelf by her fide, caught her in my arms and kiffed her till I bedewed her lips with life the look fbe gave me was a blef ling from a dying faint, but lhe was unable to articulate a word, and with difficulty made me under Hand that lhe was in want of water. I fatisfied her rtquelt, took her in my arms, without a paufe ran at leall a mile over the hill to the AlleganyShe revived, and fpokc a few feeble accents, and then funk into ser.fations oblivion. She will never ;igaiu' exclaimed I; and my pulfewas the throw of death l III WH. Willi ,..c :fl ,, lr . v lier, es, in the arms of Zvre k a---it will be a blelling to die Oh for a model of bread to raife an Angel Millions are revelling in wantonnefs and luxury, while Zerelda expires with famine Is the bounty of Heaven exhaullcd K there no feraph around the Eternal throne, to defeend w ith a crumb of m:rey to expiring iunocvi.c

A floek of v. it-: Turkeys flew from the other fid-; of the river, aid were fo far enfeebled by their .light that I caught two oi them be.ore they could efcape. Oil God, what thanks tranfported my heart---but perifn the thul of exirefling tl;em. I tore off the bell of the uYlb, and prefied it in fmall pieces between her teeth. --fhe recovered senfation, and was enabled to fw allow a fufliciency of the raw flefh to flop the further progrefs of hungar, untii 1 reared a fire, and prepared a plentiful rt pail, which retrefbed her by. flow degrees, until flic was able to fit up in my arrr.5;t and fatibfy the cravings of hungar. (The manufcript was here torn in fuch a manner as to preclude the continuance of the tale; but from fome fragments I was able to difcover that thole fuflering travellers arrived lafrly in Virginia, and were united in thole bonds of bhGi for which they appear to have been eminently calculated.) I; WOMAN. How ingeniously has nature di-?

in the organization of the fexes. Mani w hofe duty exercife offeyerer po body and mind, has a" fettled energy of rcflr pletely adapted to the t , t v ! his various occupations, continual train of intef i subjected to inhumera v inquietudes; which" preying upon the feric . . his fpirits. would rendt rofe and hypochondria nature provided an inl ventative in woman. Gay, fprightiy and sufecptiblcufail the fint the exhilirating fentimsoul; and pofiefledof i corated witlvU the fo cies, 8c tender attradlio and beauty, which give ities of her mind a moi enchanling accefs to tl man ; Hie is in every n eulated to difperfe from the fettling gioom of co flection, and enliven 1 from the langour of hi: avocations. Yes, it is woman lovi capricious woman, tha mind with a never fiylir variety, cheers it with' th smiles of bewitching vi animates its faculties by allurements of her. fond ate blandifiiments ; whithecaufe, the florins an ik fs of life a changeful d delighting fcencs. Snarl as you pleafe yot floics, whole hard textun know no trembling key w smile of woman can l;gl. fwell the tones of rapti me the animating foeiety clearing woman and I am trably i!:iek!ed from .youi ; i. 1 r .:n. i i. om nrr. rar.ss or :. STOUT. !'H!TI H TO IVY T. KITORY AND Of Til LAWS - i .Hk. '." N I TKD STAT F. S