Failed Writing Attempt

The narrator tries to write an article but is distracted by flies and his own thoughts. He feels his mind emptying and his head growing light. He writes mechanically the date 1848. He becomes aware of autumn's decay and feels like a creeping thing on the verge of destruction. He forces himself to write a few pages as an introduction, but his thoughts scatter. He cries out to God in pain, then folds his paper and leaves the park.