10. And long since then, of bloody men, 11. And how the sprites of injured men And unknown facts of guilty acts 12. He told how murderers walked the earth With crimson clouds before their eyes, Its everlasting stain! 13. “And well," quoth he, "I know for truth, Their pangs must be extreme, Woe, woe, unutterable woe,— Who spill life's sacred stream! For why? Methought, last night, I wrought 14. "One that had never done me wrong A feeble man and old; I led him to a lonely field, The moon shone clear and cold: 15. "Two sudden blows with a ragged stick, And one with a heavy stone, One hurried gash with a hasty knife,- 16. "Nothing but lifeless flesh and bone, And yet I feared him all the more, There was a manhood in his look, 17. "And, lo! the universal air Seemed lit with ghastly flame;— 18. "O God! it made me quake to see For when I touched the lifeless clay, 19. "My head was like an ardent coal, My wretched, wretched soul, I knew, A dozen times I groaned; the dead LESSON XXX. THE DREAM OF EUGENE ARAM. PART SECOND. Sluggish, slow; having little | A ghäsť, amazed; frightened. motion. Råcked, tormented; tortured. Côrse, the dead body of a human Ty răn ́nie, cruel; severe. being. Ûr'chins, children. Grim, frightful; horrible. Chěrụ bim, angels. "A Faith'less, serving to disap point or deceive; untrue. Ġyves, shackles; fetters. ND now, from forth the frowning sky, I heard a voice-the awful voice Of the blood-avenging sprite;— 2. "I took the dreary body up, 3. "Down went the corse with a hollow plunge, Anon I cleansed my bloody hands, And washed my forehead cool, 4. "O, Heaven! to think of their white souls, And mine so black and grim! I could not share in childish prayer, Nor join in evening hymn: Like a devil of the pit I seemed, 5. "And Peace went with them, one and all, And drew my midnight curtains round, With fingers bloody red! 6. "All night I lay in agony, In anguish dark and deep; My fevered eyes I dared not close, 7. "All night I lay in agony From weary chime to chime, A mighty yearning, like the first 8. "One stern tyrannic thought, that made All other thoughts its slave; Stronger and stronger every pulse Did that temptation crave, Still urging me to go and see The dead man in his grave! 9. Heavily I rose up, as soon And sought the black accursed pool And I saw the Dead in the river bed, 10. "Merrily rose the lark, and shook Under the horrid thing. 11. "With breathless speed, like a soul in chase, I took him up and ran;-There was no time to dig a grave Before the day began: In a lonesome wood, with heaps of leaves, I hid the murdered man! 12. And all that day I read in school, As soon as the mid-day task was done, And a mighty wind had swept the leaves, 13. "Then down I cast me on my face, For I knew my secret then was one Or land or sea, though he should be |