contribute to the comfort of the patient, by changing his dressings,
and came back with the report, that the patient would not allow of
his ministrations, but desired my presence.
'Did you not take off any of the coverings from his arms, face, and
neck?' I asked.
'No; when I went in, he was discussing some grave subject with
himself, about murders foul and dire, coughs and cords; and when I
touched my hand to his neck, he repulsed my arm, and I thought he
meant '_nec sinit esse feros_;' that he would not permit me to lay
rough hands on his neck.'
'You should not be rough, Mr. Aster.'
'Oh, I was quite otherwise. So, I removed to a little distance, and
listened to his oracular mutterings. He made me the recipient of some
dubious matters--rather unutterable secrets.'
'What did he say?'
'Why, he first broke into violent denunciations of certain persons,
and accused them, particularly his brother, of urging him on to the
commission of some desperate deed; then he called on his mother and
sisters, and poured out entreaties to some unknown accuser. From all
of which I inferred, that he had a hand in the fire; in other words,
'_Fieri fecit_.''
'I have had some suspicions of that kind; but we must be silent
touching such involuntary communications.'
'Then, suddenly coming to himself, he began to stare around, and
seeing us standing about, he collapsed into dead silence, and pulling
the bed-clothes over him, remained invisible. Shortly, I drew near
his bed, and asked him if he would have any thing. 'Please send Mr.
F---- here,' he replied, and I left him.'
* * * * *
IT was late in the evening before I could arrange to be with the
patient. I found him with less appearance of delirium than might
have been expected from the augmented severity of his sufferings.
He remained restless and agitated, until about one in the morning,
speaking very little, but occasionally murmuring inarticulately in
his slumbers. On becoming more calm, he manifested much solicitude
for his fellow sufferer.
'Doctor, how does my brother do? Do you think he will get over it?'
He had been removed to a different ward, that he might not be
affected by the situation of the other, and was doing well. I stated
as much.
'I feel cold, very cold,' he continued. 'Wouldn't some of that warm
drink give me a little heat? No! I've tried that; it burns my throat.
Yet, I'm all dried up inside.'
'Here is some cool water with wine.'
'Cool! The sound is enough to make me shiver. But I will take some,
for the sake of the experiment.'
He touched a little of it to his lips, and then drank the whole
of the potion. It agreed with him better than warm drinks, which
were more suitable to his condition. Then sinking into quietude,
he seemed about to be falling asleep. All at once, he burst out
into exclamations of horror and alarm, and cries for assistance;
vehemently declared his innocence; and in the course of his
ramblings, made a complete exposure of his secret. He terminated by
springing up in bed, and attempting to jump on to the floor. His
eyes fell upon me, and he seemed to recover his mental faculties as
speedily as he had lost them. He reclined back on his pillow, and
said, with much earnestness:
'Doctor, what have I been uttering? Have I revealed any thing?'
'You have disclosed some things which I should not hear, except
in the confidence of a physician,' I replied.
'What!--any thing that would criminate me?'
'Yes, you and others.'
'I see that I have unwittingly taught you my secret. Curse
this wild delirium! But on whom should the curse fall! I will
trust you. I know that until I am dead, you will not be able to
betray any thing; and after that, it will be at your option, at
any rate, to make that public which will endanger the life of
another.'
'Have no fears of me, if there is a possibility that any one
may receive injury from my information.'
The patient, whose name was Ludovico, being satisfied with my
assurance of secrecy, proceeded to give a short narration of
the facts.
* * * * *
'My brother was of a very impetuous temper, and always
exercised a kind of authority over me, to which in fact I
willingly acceded, from a consciousness of his superior
knowledge. He had conceived some splendid project for sudden
aggrandizement, which, to be carried into effect, required the
aid and countenance of my father. One dark and stormy night
in October, about one year since, he took me to a house in
the northern part of the city, and introduced me into a room,
where, by the light of a dimly-burning lamp, a half dozen men
were busily engaged around a table in looking over some rude
sketches and diagrams. Pieces of paper were marked over with
Arabic numerical characters, and letters of the alphabet,
arranged in squares, and perched upon pen-marked fabrics, which
looked like houses or castles, churches, and prisons. Flags
which resembled the signals of barbarian nations, were floating
from the pinnacle of some lofty edifice, or planted on the
summit of hills whose ranges extended off in parallel lines,
or in angular courses far into the boldly-etched and pointed
features of the landscape. These delineations were in correct
perspective, and were evidently drawn up and embellished by a
master hand, with some remote and magnificent intent, which was
not perceptible to my uninitiated sense.
'Principal among those around the table, was a stout
gray-headed man, whose heavy frame and badly-jointed limbs,
which were freely exercised, apparently with a view of setting
off their ungracefulness, and the general shabbiness of his
attire, showed him to be the chief spirit of the adventurers.
His lean fingers, at the end of so ill-managed an arm, hardly
warranted the supposition that he was the draughtsman of
the elegant sketch, over whose surface he was passing his
pencil, and indenting the denominative syllables on the
bosom of some winding river, which cut its way between the
prominent and ornamented insignia that formed a part of the
file of look-outs--for such I decided them to be, after having
ascertained the subject of their deliberations. The other
members of the conclave were of a like description; all were
of shabby exterior, but the fire of an unnatural enthusiasm
shone in their eyes, and spoke out in their gestures. They
were evidently expecting my brother, who had them seemingly in
control, and was only of them insomuch as he joined in their
views and projects. They all erected themselves in various
attitudes on his entrance, and the speaker of the company broke
out in these words:
''Ha, Petro! we have been looking over this drawing, and there
is nothing wrong about it, unless it is this hill. I think some
one nearer should have been chosen.'
''Wrong?--there is not a particle wrong. The main points of
observation have been carefully selected. Here is Philadelphia;
there is Ludgate church; here is Mount Taurus; on the summit
of that hill is a very tall pine, which I have sketched; this
dwelling-house (of friend Soper's) is the last post before you
reach New-York; and here is New-York.'
''But I think that mountain is at too great a distance from
Philadelphia, to see distinctly. Don't you think so?' continued
the speaker.
''Why, you owl! it is but fifteen miles; and a good telescope
will discern a man's features at ten or twelve miles.'
''Well, if we have the countenance of Providence, we shall
succeed,' he meekly replied.
'They were engaged in a scheme for transmitting intelligence
from one city to another, by means of telegraphs, for the
purpose of taking advantage of the rise or fall in stocks,
and of speculating in lottery tickets. I have introduced this
little scene, in order to show you the influences by which my
brother was wrought upon. They spent the greater part of the
night in discussing the measures, and Petro in enforcing the
details of his arrangements. Those who were present, beside
my brother Petro, could not have handed over a dollar, at the
solicitation of a surcharged pistol, held horizontally at their
vest button, and backed by the imperious proclamation, 'Stand
and deliver, or die!' He was the only one who could move the
enterprise so heavily constructed, and he was not equal to the
whole effort. Though moneyless adventurers, his coadjutors were
cunning enough to place upon his shoulders the burden of the
undertaking, in the faith of their absolute necessity as a part
of the machinery.
'Petro was engaged with his whole soul in the success of the
experiment, and nothing could deter him from prosecuting it.
Hard were his struggles to devise some means for raising the
requisite funds. Every thing, I believe, passed through his
mind, short of actual robbery, and it was not long before
this entered into his calculations. The frequent meetings
held with his associates, at which I was sometimes present,
and the artful but seemingly innocent protestations of their
honest leader, served to keep up his ambition, and to nourish
his ardent and chimerical aspirations. We were at that time
clerks in a store, which was filled with the most precious
commodities; but the building itself was of wood, and of quite
inferior appearance. We lodged on the second floor. My brother
formed the design of removing the most valuable part of the
goods, and setting fire to the store. The plan was not unfolded
to me until after it had been completed, and every thing had
been prepared. My opposition was useless. The gang were made
acquainted with it, and agreed to assist on a certain night.
'A considerable quantity of the stock had been abstracted by
degrees, for a number of weeks previous; and on that evening
(the one you well know) after the principals had left, we began
to transport the boxes and packages, assisted by the others, to
the house of the prime accomplice, where they were secure from
search. The avails were to enable us to realize our glittering
dreams of wealth.
'In the back room, on the second floor, we had made a
collection of the most combustible substances, and had so
placed them, that they would in a moment after the application
of the torch be ignited, and communicate the fire to the
partitions, bed, etc. A stove-pipe which passed out of the back
window had been disconnected with the stove, in order to allow
the smoke to escape readily; so that it might not, by issuing
through the crevices of the windows, particularly in the front
of the building, betray our attempt before the fire had got
fairly under way.
'We usually slept in the bed in the back part of this room, and
had planned to go to the theatre, and returning about twelve
o'clock, throw ourselves on to the bed in our clothes, and
lie till one or two in the morning, when we were to arise and
set fire to the apartment. If our plans succeeded, we were to
make it appear that we had laid down rather in liquor, had set
the candle by the side of the bed, and that it had caught the
drapery.
'Accordingly, to the theatre we went; actually got somewhat
tipsy, as we reflected on the hazardous nature of our
enterprise, and coming back about midnight, proceeded directly
to our chamber. We soon managed to procure a light. I pulled
off my shoes and coat, and threw myself on to the bed, for I
felt unwilling to contemplate the deed which we were on the
point of committing. I had worked myself up to the task, and
feared that my nerves might be unstrung by a survey of the
preparatives for our mischief-doing. My brother, however, felt
too deep an interest in the progress and result of the plan,
to think of repose; and commissioning me to 'tumble up' his
side of the bed, he took his position by the table, with a
book before him, which had one advantage over vacancy, that it
shut out the view of external objects, and opened the way to
reflection.
'I soon fell into a disturbed sleep, and dreamed that the whole
upper part of the house was in flames, and that my brother,
in endeavoring to escape out of the front door with some
valuable article about him, was seized by six or eight men, and
carried away to prison, in spite of his entreaties. I dreamed
also that I was standing in the door, and the whole building
suddenly gave way, and was about to fall upon my head. At this
I awoke in terror, but soon became sensible of my situation,
when I found my brother standing over me, and shaking me by the
shoulder.
'It was now about a quarter of three. Petro had prepared every
thing, even to a match, to insure speedy conflagration.
''Now then,' said he, 'nerve yourself for the consummation.
Take this match, and set fire to the bed-clothes, while I touch
this other pile with my candle.'
'He did so, and at the same moment my trembling hands applied
the torch to the light drapery of the bed. In an instant,
curtains, sheets, and all, were in a blaze, while at the other
end of the room the fire spread with astonishing rapidity among
the dry and flimsy stuffs which had been thrown together in a
heap. Seeing all things in such fine progress, we turned our
steps toward the door, which was about midway of the room, when
I recollected that we had left a small box of jewelry and money
at the foot of the bed.
''Stop, one moment, till I get the box,' said I, and directed
my steps to the bed.
''Make haste!' said my brother, as he stood with his hand on
the latch.
'I threw up the clothes at the foot of the bed.
''Where is it? I cannot touch it?' I asked.
''Under the right corner, between the sack and the ----'
''It has been stolen! Who has been in here? Haven't you put it
somewhere else?'
''Look under the head; it is surely there. Hurry!'
''Impossible!' The fire had become scorching hot, so that I
could endure it no longer. Not only the whole bed, but the
wainscot and window sashes had begun to burn. I was obliged to
make my way to the door.
''It was left there, I tell you; it MUST be got; it is all our
dependence for immediate funds. Ludovico, seek it once more!'
exclaimed my brother.
''Will you have me burn myself to death! My shirt-sleeves are
burnt off now. I hear some one coming.'
''It is your ears--try again!' returned Petro.
''I go--but you see!' I replied, as I turned back, holding up
my arms, which were already severely scorched.
''Here, take this stick,' cried Petro, wrenching off a strip
from the wall, and heaving it to me; 'that will save your
hands.'
'I thrust it into every part of the bed, which was now little
else than a mass of ashes, without striking the object of my
search. My arms suffered severely from the hot air of the room,
and the flames were almost licking my face.
''I can't endure it! I would not try any longer, for the
universe!' I exclaimed.
''Must we lose the most valuable part of the goods? What shall
we do?' said Petro, who now began to feel the warmth more
pressingly, from which he had been before but little disturbed,
there being a space in the middle of the room free from the
flames.
''The house,' said I, 'will soon fall over our heads, if we
don't escape; we shall be discovered; it can't be long before
the fire will be observed without.'
''Well, let the cursed thing go; it is not worth our lives.
Come, and let us get out, as quick as the devil will let us.'
''Ha! the door is locked!' he continued, in an alarmed voice,
and working at the latch violently, with both hands. 'Run to
the other door!'
'I ran and tried it; but it yielded no more than if it had been
barricaded with triple bolts.
''What was done with the key?' demanded Petro, searching
hastily in his pockets.
''It is on the outside. No one can have turned it since we went
to bed; nobody has been in.'
''Locked!--locked! No, it cannot be!' repeated my brother: 'it
is the heated air of the room. We must exert our whole strength
together.'
'We did so, and without effect. We were now in a truly
desperate situation, with no opportunity to escape, and the
fire already enveloping us.
''Madmen! fools! why did we delay! By heavens! we must not
perish here. Where are our friends!'
'At this time, the cry of 'fire!' was raised in the street,
and we heard the engines rattling along the pavements. We also
thought we distinguished the sound of persons ascending the
stairs, and called to them, but could not make them hear, in
consequence of the roaring of the flames, and the shouts of the
firemen in the street.
''Down with the door! round to the rear!' we understood
distinctly, and echoed back the unavailing cry, while the heavy
shock of a ladder, as it struck against the wooden walls, one
story above us, showed the advance of the preparations for
effecting an entrance in that quarter, and for quenching the
fire.
'My brother shouted for assistance, but the noise of the
engines and the cry of 'fire!' without, drowned his voice.
''It is useless,' said I; 'that bellowing rabble will split
their sides to out-bawl us.'
'Still more alarmed, and smarting with our burns, we now
attempted to raise the window. But, as if the fates conspired
against us, it refused to move!
''We shouted for help; we shrieked, till our voices were
hoarse. The floor under our feet had now kindled to flame,
and it was with difficulty we could prevent our clothes being
entirely consumed.'
''Come, Ludovico,' said Petro, 'we can live here but a few
minutes longer; let us make one more trial.'
''I can do no more; I shall die!' exclaimed I, sinking to
the floor in the apathy of despair. I was suffering the
most exquisite torture from my burns; and to relieve me of
my insupportable agony, I attempted to hasten my death by
strangulation. My brother, who was less burnt, still struggled
at the door. He turned and saw me stretched out in this
situation.
''Fool, fool!' he exclaimed, with angry energy; 'are you so
willing to die? Up! up! and assist me!'
'I arose. The room was now filled with flame. I could not for
a moment endure it. I flung myself again against the door in
desperation, and sank down breathless and exhausted. It was now
my brother's turn to be desperate; and for a moment, I forgot
my pain in witnessing his agonies. He shrieked for aid, and
cursed his hapless fate; and falling upon his knees, he invoked
alternately the powers of heaven and hell, weeping and sobbing
like a child.
'We once more arose, and resolved to make a final attempt to
save our lives.
''Here, Ludovico,' said Petro, 'we can get out of that
trap-door overhead. Why did we not think of it before?'
''There is a box on the other side,' said I, 'but I have not
strength to get it.'
'Petro rushed across the room, through the blaze, and bounded
back with a box which, on a less exciting occasion, he could
not have moved.
''You have burnt your face Petro, terribly,' said I.
''Curse the face! What care I for a scar! It will be better for
a disguise, should we be in danger of detection. Jump on to the
box, and support me!'
''It is vain, Petro; I have scarcely strength to stand.'
'Nevertheless, we exerted ourselves to the utmost, but after
almost superhuman efforts, we dropped again to the floor.
''We must die, Petro!' I exclaimed, in hopeless resignation;
'yet it is hard to die, while there may still be a possibility
of escape.'
'But my brother's courage revived, and we made one more
concentrated effort upon the door, and shook it a little.
We strained harder; it seemed to yield; yet harder; it was
illusion! The door was firmer than ever.
''Hell-fire! exclaimed Petro, in frenzy, 'I will balk these
infernal flames yet!'
'Saying this, he darted to the front window, but as rapidly
rushed back, scorched and miserably burned on his face and
hands, and with his hair and clothes on fire.
''Save yourself, and follow me!' he muttered through his closed
teeth, and running with all speed to the back window, without
stopping to open the blinds, or raise the sash, he plunged
head-foremost into the yard.
'My flesh was wretchedly burnt; each pore of my skin seemed
penetrated by a red-hot needle. Every fibre of my body was a
chain of fire; yet a chill ran through my frame; my limbs were
paralyzed with horror; the weight of a hundred tons seemed
pressing upon my breast.
'Before following my brother's example, I tremulously applied
my hand to the door, and on using a little strength forced it
open. Joyfully I hailed the passage, and rushed precipitately
down stairs. You know the rest.'
* * * * *
HERE the patient ended. The admission of air by the window was
probably the cause of the door giving way to his touch. The
unfortunate young man died early in the morning, in a state of
savage delirium. It should be observed, that his narration was
frequently interrupted by paroxysms of madness; but it was not
necessary to preserve any thing more than the bare details. His
brother went through a tedious period of recovery, during which
time his infamous partners made way with the secreted property. No
suspicion got abroad of the actors in this drama. Petro retired to
some distant place, with what feelings, intents, or fate, I shall not
attempt to describe.
FOOTNOTE:
[1] Our city readers will need no other evidence than the present
sketch, that these 'Notes' are drawn from real life. We have often
seen one of the scarified 'incendiaries' whose melancholy story is
here narrated.
EDS. KNICKERBOCKER.
THE BIRCHEN CANOE.
IN the region of lakes, where the blue waters sleep,
My beautiful fabric was built,
Light cedars supported its weight on the deep,
And its sides with the sunbeams were gilt.
The bright leafy bark of the betula tree,
A flexible sheathing provides,
And the fir's thready roots drew the parts to agree,
And bound down its high-swelling sides.
No compass or gavel was used on the bark,
No art but the simplest degree,
But the structure was finished and trim to remark,
And as light as a sylph's could be.
Its rim is with tender young roots woven round,
Like a pattern of wicker-work rare,
And it glides o'er the waves with as lightsome a bound,
As a basket suspended in air.
The heavens in brightness and glory below,
Were reflected quite plain to the view,
And it moved like a swan, with as lightsome a show,
My beautiful birchen canoe!
The trees on the shore, as I glided along,
Seemed moving a contrary way,
And my voyagers lightened their toil with a song,
That caused every heart to be gay.
And still as I floated by rock and by shell,
My bark raised a murmur aloud,
And it danced on the waves, as they rose and they fell,
Like a fay on a bright summer cloud.
I thought, as I passed o'er the liquid expanse,
With the landscape in smiling array,
How blest I should be, if my life could advance,
Thus tranquil and sweetly away.
The skies were serene--not a cloud was in sight,
Not an angry surge beat on the shore,
And I gazed on the waters and then on the light,
Till my vision could bear it no more.
Oh, long shall I think of those silver-bright lakes,
And the scenes they revealed to my view,
My friends, and the wishes I formed for their sakes,
And my bright yellow birchen canoe!
_Michilimackinack, September, 1837._ H. R. S.
MARK!
BY PATER ABRAHAM A SANCTA CLARA.
In Two Parts.--Part Two.
THE eloquent Pater, after the colloquy between Death and the soldiers
of Vienna, as given in a former number, turns from Mars, and, by an
easy transition, passes to Venus, and begins his homily to maidens.
He mentions the miracle wrought by the prophet with the widow's
cruise of oil, and draws from it a reflection we do not recollect to
have yet heard 'improved' in the pulpit.
'Now, when this widow found no help in her trouble, she
bethought herself of the prophet Elisha, to whom she told her
story with tears in her eyes. Elisha was moved by these widow's
tears, and asked her, what she had in the house. Think, for
the love of heaven, what it was! 'And thereupon she answered,
I have nothing in the house but a little oil, to anoint myself
withal.' To anoint herself! Only think, in the midst of her
poverty, she still took pains to be a pretty creature, even
if a poor creature! In a word, beauty is the only aim of
womankind!'