dding the miserable convict and
myself, after a cheering word or two, "good night," he departed--the door
was closed--and the murderer and I were finally left together.

It was now past the hour of ten o'clock; and it became my solemn duty to
take heed, that the last few hours of the dying sinner passed not, without
such comfort to his struggling soul as human help might hold out. After
reading to him some passages of the gospel, the most apposite to his
trying state, and some desultory and unconnected conversation--for the
poor creature, at times seemed to be unable, under his load of horror, to
keep his ideas connected further than as they dwelt upon his own nearing
and unavoidable execution--I prevailed upon him to join in prayer. He at
this time appeared to be either so much exhausted, or labouring under so
much lassitude from fear and want of rest, that I found it necessary to
take his arm and turn him upon his knees by the pallet-side. The hour was
an awful one. No sound was heard save an occasional ejaculation between a
sigh and a smothered groan from the wretched felon. The candle burned
dimly; and as I turned I saw, though I scarcely noticed it at the moment,
a dim insect of the moth species, fluttering hurriedly round it, the sound
of 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 moments 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 groan