The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1843-02-21

Agonzed with these thoughtsI struck ercey against
the frozen roof overhead lin vain attempts break it.
l might as well have directed my impotent blows
against the armor of Achilles. To increase my des-
pair, felt myself dragged by the tide along the un.
der side of the ce against which rubbed again and
again; while, through ths transparent roof, was
moctca with the sight of the blue sky far overhead,
md the shadows which the giant trees flung flraly
the surface. Oh, what would have given to
have had but one breath Of the free air that stirred
those branches, to have heard once more even the
sulen creakng ofthe beughs, instead orthc dull roar
ing sound that now filled my cars. Once more
sayed to break the ice above mel but my strength
in vain, and now felt myself again sinking All this
had not occupied more than very few seconds.
Think not that my calnlness deserted me, though
despair was fast gathering around my heart 1t is
strange how coolly reviewed my situation. rec
objected that drowning persons are said to sink and
rise three times ere they died, and 1 thought with
some eation, that this was only my second descent
lspecuated also on the question whether this num-
Der was not merely arbtrary-in other words, wheth
the frantic struggles Of the person might be the
real cause of so speedy death, and whether, fthe
self colectedness of the party preserved so that
he should inhale little or no water the struggle might
not be protracted indefinite number Of times
| resolved to test the experiment But suddenly re
membered had breathed no air on my assent fact
of which the rapidly increasing oppression on my
lungs warned me- This sensation soon became to be
one ofindoscribablc agony 1t seemed to me as of
mountain ofead wss heaped on my breast, while ev
cry muscle in me simultaneously strained to
cracking The ringing sound in my became
deafening, dimness before my eyes, and felt
almost irresistible propensity to gasp for breath,
yet-will you believe me l-evcn then, ay in that
fearful agony, had the caImness reflect that by
opening my mouth wonld inbale water, and thus
hasten death / shut my teeth like vice, bnt felt
the icy liquid shooting into my nosrs,a Jas if driven by
ii force pump. The awful sensation of sulocation in
creased, thousand wild whizzing sounds were in my
brain--aud knew that my senses were Keeling and
growing confused. strove to rally them, and even
then could not help specializing on my situation Can
this be death 81 thonght.
My senses had now becomed dmmed to outward oh
jecs butts crowd of thoughts and memories up
wheroI had spent my hitherto happy lfe--thc old
mill, whose whirring wheel loved to sit and listen
to through the long summer aternoons-the brothers
and sisters with whom played-the mother who
cheriched me in infancy, nurured me in sickness,
and smiled through her tears at my boysh triumphs
at school-all these up before my memory with
startling vvidness To part with them oh that
was the bitterness OF death. But most of all thought
of my poor, poor mother, and of her agony when
night should come without my return. How eagerly
she would listen to every footstep, hoping that it
might be mine-how often would she go to the door
and looking out into the darkness for her absent boys
and as hour after hour would pass on, with what
shrinking Of the heart would sho count the strokes OF
the clock, praying the Almighty with tears to restore
her child her fears for my safety deepening each mo
ment until at length she would know, by my contln
ued absence, that was indeed dead. And then how,
on the morrow, the whole ncighborhood would be
raised in search Of me, though perhaps my body
would not be found, nor any one know the manner
of my death This was the btterest thought Of all.
] could have borne to die, to perish alone-bat that
my mother should never see her boys face even in
DEATH was too much for me. gronned in utter ag-
ony. The cup of my despair was full.
But in moment, the struggle was past. God
tempers the wind to the shorn lamb, and, when hu-
man nature can longer endure the strain oil the
rack he merci(uy consignS US to insensIoIty. Hrad
ually - know not how'd dreamy ecStacy, SUCH DIS
falls upon US when, fatigued with incessant mental
labor awe sink into a pleasant slumber over our
hooks stole over me, and lost all sensation save
that of this delicious languor. have experienced
that feeling once since, during severe fever alter
all had given me over for lost. How long contin-
cd in this condition, cannot tsl-but When recov-
cred my sensations, after long and painful lnhaa
ton, | found myself floating on the surface OF the
stream, amid fragments of broken ice My first IN
s,inc,-(or thought will not call Twas to strike
ont Cor nv life. Shaking the water from my eyes,
looked around and found that had risen to the
surface, at an air hole, about fifty yards from the
snot where had broken in. could not, therefore
bave-been more than very short space OF time IN
sensible-for scarcely minutes had elapsed since
nv first immersion. And yet, what an age to me
| What world of thoughts and feelings had passed
through my mind in that short interval .~ 4..t
7 now addressed myself to my new situation. The
difficulty was, to climb safely out Of the ar-hoe;-
for the rapid wr of the tide, acting with the force
r I,,or on the lower part of my body, sucked me