whose wings mournfully filled up the pauses of myself and my
companion. When the nerves are strained to their uttermost, by such
trifling circumstances are we affected. _Here_ (thought I) there has
been no light, at such an hour, for many years; and yet here is one
whose office it seems to be to watch it! My spirit felt the necessity
of some exertion; and, with an energy for which a few minutes before I
had hardly dared to hope, I poured out my soul in prayer. I besought
mercy upon the blood-stained creature who was grovelling beside me; I
asked that repentance and peace might be vouchsafed him; I begged, for
our Redeemer's sake, that his last moments might know that untasted
rapture of sin forgiven, and a cleansed soul, which faith alone can
bring to fallen man; I conjured him to help and aid me to call upon
the name of Christ; and I bade him put off life and forget it, and to
trust in that name alone; I interceded that his latter agony might be
soothed, and that the leave-taking of body and soul might be in
quietness and peace. But he shook and shivered, and nature clung to
the miserable straw of existence which yet floated upon the wide and
dismal current of oblivion, and he groaned heavily and muttered, "No!
no! no!" as if the very idea of death was unbearable, even for a
moment; and "to die," even to him that must, were a thing impossible,
and not to be thought of or named. And as I wrestled with the
adversary that had dominion over him, he buried his shrunk and
convulsed features in the covering of his miserable pallet; while his
fingers twisted and writhed about, like so many scotched snakes, and
his low sick moans made the very dungeon darker.

When I lifted him from his kneeling position, he obeyed my movement
like a tired child, and again sat on the low pallet, in a state of
motionless and unresisting torpor. The damp sweat stood on my own
forehead, though not so cold as on his; and I poured myself out a
small portion of wine, to ward off the exhaustion which I began to
feel unusually strong upon me. I prevailed upon the poor wretch to
swallow a little with me; and, as I broke a bit of bread, I thought,
and spoke to him, of that last repast of Him who came to call sinners
to repentance; and methought his eye grew lighter than it was. The
sinking frame, exhausted and worn down by anxiety, confinement,
and the poor allowance of a felon's gaol, drew a short respite
from the cordial; and he listened to my words wi