Abouttheyear17——，havingbeenappointedtothelivingofC——h，I
rentedasmallhouseinthetown，whichbearsthesamename：onemorninginthemonthofNovember，Iwasawakenedbeforemyusualtimebymyservant，whobustledintomybedroomforthepurposeofannouncingasickcall。AstheCatholicChurchholdsherlastritestobetotallyindispensabletothesafetyofthedepartingsinner，noconscientiousclergymancanaffordamoment’sunnecessarydelay，andinlittlemorethanfiveminutesIstoodreadycloakedandbootedfortheroad，inthesmallfrontparlour，inwhichthemessenger，whowastoactasmyguide，awaitedmycoming。Ifoundapoorlittlegirlcryingpiteouslynearthedoor，andaftersomeslightdifficultyIascertainedthatherfatherwaseitherdeadorjustdying。
’Andwhatmaybeyourfather’sname，mypoorchild？’saidI。Shehelddownherhead，asifashamed。Irepeatedthequestion，andthewretchedlittlecreatureburstintofloodsoftearsstillmorebitterthanshehadshedbefore。Atlength，almostprovokedbyconductwhichappearedtomesounreasonable，Ibegantolosepatience，spiteofthepitywhichI
couldnothelpfeelingtowardsher，andI
saidratherharshly：
’Ifyouwillnottellmethenameofthepersontowhomyouwouldleadme，yoursilencecanarisefromnogoodmotive，andImightbejustifiedinrefusingtogowithyouatall。’
’Oh，don’tsaythat——don’tsaythat!’
criedshe。’Oh，sir，itwasthatIwasafeardofwhenIwouldnottellyou——I
wasafeard，whenyouheardhisname，youwouldnotcomewithme；butitisnousehidin’itnow——it’sPatConnell，thecarpenter，yourhonour。’
Shelookedinmyfacewiththemostearnestanxiety，asifherveryexistencedependeduponwhatsheshouldreadthere；
butIrelievedheratonce。Thename，indeed，wasmostunpleasantlyfamiliartome；but，howeverfruitlessmyvisitsandadvicemighthavebeenatanothertime，thepresentwastoofearfulanoccasiontosuffermydoubtsoftheirutilityormyreluctancetore-attemptingwhatappearedahopelesstasktoweighevenagainstthelightestchancethataconsciousnessofhisimminentdangermightproduceinhimamoredocileandtractabledisposition。
AccordinglyItoldthechildtoleadtheway，andfollowedherinsilence。Shehurriedrapidlythroughthelongnarrowstreetwhichformsthegreatthoroughfareofthetown。Thedarknessofthehour，renderedstilldeeperbythecloseapproachoftheold-fashionedhouses，whichloweredintallobscurityoneithersideoftheway；
thedamp，drearychillwhichrenderstheadvanceofmorningpeculiarlycheerless，combinedwiththeobjectofmywalk，tovisitthedeath-bedofapresumptuoussinner，toendeavour，almostagainstmyownconviction，toinfuseahopeintotheheartofadyingreprobate——adrunkardbuttooprobablyperishingundertheconsequencesofsomemadfitofintoxication；
allthesecircumstancesunitedservedtoenhancethegloomandsolemnityofmyfeelings，asIsilentlyfollowedmylittleguide，whowithquickstepstraversedtheunevenpavementofthemainstreet。
Afterawalkofaboutfiveminutessheturnedoffintoanarrowlane，ofthatobscureandcomfortlessclasswhichistobefoundinalmostallsmallold-
fashionedtowns，chill，withoutventilation，reekingwithallmannerofoffensiveeffluviae，andlinedbydingy，smoky，sicklyandpent-upbuildings，frequentlynotonlyinawretchedbutinadangerouscondition。
’YourfatherhaschangedhisabodesinceIlastvisitedhim，and，Iamafraid，muchfortheworse，’saidI。
’Indeedhehas，sir；butwemustnotcomplain，’repliedshe。’WehavetothankGodthatwehavelodgingandfood，thoughit’spoorenough，itis，yourhonour。’
Poorchild!thoughtI，howmanyanolderheadmightlearnwisdomfromthee——howmanyaluxuriousphilosopher，whoisskilledtopreachbutnottosuffer，mightnotthypatientwordsputtotheblush!Themannerandlanguageofthischildwerealikeaboveheryearsandstation；and，indeed，inallcasesinwhichthecaresandsorrowsoflifehaveanticipatedtheirusualdate，andhavefallen，astheysometimesdo，withmelancholyprematuritytothelotofchildhood，Ihaveobservedtheresulttohaveproveduniformlythesame。Ayoungmind，towhichjoyandindulgencehavebeenstrangers，andtowhichsufferingandself-denialhavebeenfamiliarisedfromthefirst，acquiresasolidityandanelevationwhichnootherdisciplinecouldhavebestowed，andwhich，inthepresentcase，communicatedastrikingbutmournfulpeculiaritytothemanners，eventothevoice，ofthechild。Wepausedbeforeanarrow，crazydoor，whichsheopenedbymeansofalatch，andweforthwithbegantoascendthesteepandbrokenstairswhichledupwardstothesickman’sroom。
Aswemountedflightafterflighttowardsthegarret-floor，Iheardmoreandmoredistinctlythehurriedtalkingofmanyvoices。Icouldalsodistinguishthelowsobbingofafemale。Onarrivingupontheuppermostlobbythesesoundsbecamefullyaudible。
’Thisway，yourhonour，’saidmylittleconductress；atthesametime，pushingopenadoorofpatchedandhalf-rottenplank，sheadmittedmeintothesqualidchamberofdeathandmisery。Butonecandle，heldinthefingersofascaredandhaggard-lookingchild，wasburningintheroom，andthatsodimthatallwastwilightordarknessexceptwithinitsimmediateinfluence。Thegeneralobscurity，however，servedtothrowintoprominentandstartlingreliefthedeath-bedanditsoccupant。Thelightwasnearlyapproximatedto，andfellwithhorribleclearnessupon，theblueandswollenfeaturesofthedrunkard。Ididnotthinkitpossiblethatahumancountenancecouldlooksoterrific。
Thelipswereblackanddrawnapart；theteethwerefirmlyset；theeyesalittleunclosed，andnothingbutthewhitesappearing。
Everyfeaturewasfixedandlivid，andthewholefaceworeaghastlyandrigidexpressionofdespairingterrorsuchasI
neversawequalled。Hishandswerecrosseduponhisbreast，andfirmlyclenched；while，asiftoaddtothecorpse-likeeffectofthewhole，somewhitecloths，dippedinwater，werewoundabouttheforeheadandtemples。
AssoonasIcouldremovemyeyesfromthishorriblespectacle，IobservedmyfriendDr。D——，oneofthemosthumaneofahumaneprofession，standingbythebedside。
Hehadbeenattempting，butunsuccessfully，tobleedthepatient，andhadnowappliedhisfingertothepulse。
’Isthereanyhope？’Iinquiredinawhisper。
Ashakeoftheheadwasthereply。
Therewasapausewhilehecontinuedtoholdthewrist；buthewaitedinvainforthethroboflife——itwasnotthere：andwhenheletgothehand，itfellstifflybackintoitsformerpositionupontheother。
’Themanisdead，’saidthephysician，asheturnedfromthebedwheretheterriblefigurelay。
Dead!thoughtI，scarcelyventuringtolookuponthetremendousandrevoltingspectacle。Dead!withoutanhourforrepentance，evenamomentforreflection；
deadIwithouttheriteswhicheventhebestshouldhave。Isthereahopeforhim？Theglaringeyeball，thegrinningmouth，thedistortedbrow——thatunutterablelookinwhichapainterwouldhavesoughttoembodythefixeddespairofthenethermosthell。Theseweremyanswer。
Thepoorwifesatatalittledistance，cryingasifherheartwouldbreak——theyoungerchildrenclusteredroundthebed，lookingwithwonderingcuriosityupontheformofdeathneverseenbefore。
Whenthefirsttumultofuncontrollablesorrowhadpassedaway，availingmyselfofthesolemnityandimpressivenessofthescene，Idesiredtheheart-strickenfamilytoaccompanymeinprayer，andallkneltdownwhileIsolemnlyandferventlyrepeatedsomeofthoseprayerswhichappearedmostapplicabletotheoccasion。I
employedmyselfthusinamannerwhich，Itrusted，wasnotunprofitable，atleasttotheliving，forabouttenminutes；andhavingaccomplishedmytask，Iwasthefirsttoarise。
Ilookeduponthepoor，sobbing，helplesscreatureswhokneltsohumblyaroundme，andmyheartbledforthem。WithanaturaltransitionIturnedmyeyesfromthemtothebedinwhichthebodylay；
and，greatGod!whatwastherevulsion，thehorrorwhichIexperiencedonseeingthecorpse-liketerrificthingseatedhalfuprightbeforeme；thewhiteclothswhichhadbeenwoundabouttheheadhadnowpartlyslippedfromtheirposition，andwerehangingingrotesquefestoonsaboutthefaceandshoulders，whilethedistortedeyesleeredfromamidthem——
’Asighttodreamof，nottotell。’
Istoodactuallyrivetedtothespot。Thefigurenoddeditsheadandlifteditsarm，Ithought，withamenacinggesture。A
thousandconfusedandhorriblethoughtsatoncerusheduponmymind。Ihadoftenreadthatthebodyofapresumptuoussinner，who，duringlife，hadbeenthewillingcreatureofeverysatanicimpulse，afterthehumantenanthaddesertedit，hadbeenknowntobecomethehorriblesportofdemoniacpossession。
IwasrousedfromthestupefactionofterrorinwhichIstood，bythepiercingscreamofthemother，whonow，forthefirsttime，perceivedthechangewhichhadtakenplace。Sherushedtowardsthebed，butstunnedbytheshock，andovercomebytheconflictofviolentemotions，beforeshereacheditshefellprostrateuponthefloor。
IamperfectlyconvincedthathadInotbeenstartledfromthetorpidityofhorrorinwhichIwasboundbysomepowerfulandarousingstimulant，IshouldhavegazeduponthisunearthlyapparitionuntilIhadfairlylostmysenses。Asitwas，however，thespellwasbroken——superstitiongavewaytoreason：themanwhomallbelievedtohavebeenactuallydeadwasliving!
Dr。D——wasinstantlystandingbythebedside，anduponexaminationhefoundthatasuddenandcopiousflowofbloodhadtakenplacefromthewoundwhichthelancethadleft；andthis，nodoubt，hadeffectedhissuddenandalmostpreternaturalrestorationtoanexistencefromwhichallthoughthehadbeenforeverremoved。Themanwasstillspeechless，butheseemedtounderstandthephysicianwhenheforbidhisrepeatingthepainfulandfruitlessattemptswhichhemadetoarticulate，andheatonceresignedhimselfquietlyintohishands。
Ileftthepatientwithleechesuponhistemples，andbleedingfreely，apparentlywithlittleofthedrowsinesswhichaccompaniesapoplexy；indeed，Dr。D——toldmethathehadneverbeforewitnessedaseizurewhichseemedtocombinethesymptomsofsomanykinds，andyetwhichbelongedtononeoftherecognisedclasses；itcertainlywasnotapoplexy，catalepsy，nordeliriumtremens，andyetitseemed，insomedegree，topartakeofthepropertiesofall。Itwasstrange，butstrangerthingsarecoming。
DuringtwoorthreedaysDr。D——
wouldnotallowhispatienttoconverseinamannerwhichcouldexciteorexhausthim，withanyone；hesufferedhimmerelyasbrieflyaspossibletoexpresshisimmediatewants。Anditwasnotuntilthefourthdayaftermyearlyvisit，theparticularsofwhichIhavejustdetailed，thatitwasthoughtexpedientthatIshouldseehim，andthenonlybecauseitappearedthathisextremeimportunityandimpatiencetomeetmewerelikelytoretardhisrecoverymorethanthemereexhaustionattendantuponashortconversationcouldpossiblydo；perhaps，too，myfriendentertainedsomehopethatifbyholyconfessionhispatient’sbosomwereeasedoftheperilousstuffwhichnodoubtoppressedit，hisrecoverywouldbemoreassuredandrapid。Itwasthen，asI
havesaid，uponthefourthdayaftermyfirstprofessionalcall，thatIfoundmyselfoncemoreinthedrearychamberofwantandsickness。
Themanwasinbed，andappearedlowandrestless。Onmyenteringtheroomheraisedhimselfinthebed，andmuttered，twiceorthrice：
’ThankGod!thankGod!’
Isignedtothoseofhisfamilywhostoodbytoleavetheroom，andtookachairbesidethebed。Sosoonaswewerealone，hesaid，ratherdoggedly：
’There’snouseintellingmeofthesinfulnessofbadways——Iknowitall。I
knowwheretheyleadto——Iseeneverythingaboutitwithmyowneyesight，asplainasIseeyou。’Herolledhimselfinthebed，asiftohidehisfaceintheclothes；andthensuddenlyraisinghimself，heexclaimedwithstartlingvehemence：
’Look，sir!thereisnouseinmincingthematter：I’mblastedwiththefiresofhell；
Ihavebeeninhell。Whatdoyouthinkofthat？Inhell——I’mlostforever——I
havenotachance。Iamdamnedalready——damned——damned!’
Theendofthissentenceheactuallyshouted。Hisvehemencewasperfectlyterrific；hethrewhimselfback，andlaughed，andsobbedhysterically。I
pouredsomewaterintoatea-cup，andgaveittohim。Afterhehadswallowedit，Itoldhimifhehadanythingtocommunicate，todosoasbrieflyashecould，andinamanneraslittleagitatingtohimselfaspossible；threateningatthesametime，thoughIhadnointentionofdoingso，toleavehimatonce，incaseheagaingavewaytosuchpassionateexcitement。
’It’sonlyfoolishness，’hecontinued，’formetotrytothankyouforcomingtosuchavillainasmyselfatall。It’snouseformetowishgoodtoyou，ortoblessyou；
forsuchasmehasnoblessingstogive。’