Book Description

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1859 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER Xin. SCENE OF REVOLVING AND LIVING THOUGHTS. She touched my forehead again, and lo! the brightness and the glory of the scene departed, and I immediately descended, and soon was in a low and gloomy subterraneous vault. Darkness in thick folds encompassed me, and a feeling of supernatural dread entered my soul and shocked my being. A quivering and spasmodic action wrought in fearful conflict throughout. My spirit startled at every movement of my mind. Tea, it appeared as if my thoughts wrestled amid the darkness. A distant roar broke upon my ear, as if an ocean poured its mighty waters foaming and surging down some craggy rock-bound cataract. In vain I sought to grasp some substance by which to impede my rapid movement, which appeared to force me downward toward the awful abyss. At this moment a blue sulphurous flash disturbed the vault of nether darkness, and as it disap 74 peared all around me floated grim spectres, each enveloped in the fire of unhallowed passion. So sudden had been the change and so dreadful its effects upon me, that no thought but that of horror and despair had entered my mind, until these lurid ghosts appeared; then a more fearful terror possessed me, and I turned to seek refuge in the embrace of my guide, and lo! I found her not ! Alone and in this dreadful place, no means are left me to express the most faint idea of the agony of that moment. At first I thought I would pray, but in an instant, the whole scene of my life was before me. Then I exclaimed, ' O for one short hour on earth! for space, however brief, for preparation of soul, and to secure fitness for the worid of spirits.' But my conscience, as if some fiend, in a voice hoarse and trembling, echoed, ' In thy day thou didst reject and...