The north Iowa times. [volume] (M'Gregor [i.e. McGregor], Iowa) 1856-1857, 1856-12-12
MISCELLANEOUS,
AN AWKWARD PREDIcANdErNT.

l was once engaged to be married (how
| went so far as that is a marvel to me
still,) but an incident of so frightful a
character, took place as to put the matter
entirely out of the question. was a
young undergraduate, spending the sum-
mer wi th a reading party at the Irish lakes,
when I met with-with Lucy, and got,
in short to he accepted. She was resid-
ing with her mother, in the same hotel in
Killarney as ourselves, and we all met
every day. We boated on the lake togeth-
or, and fsEed, and sang, and read. We
landed on the wooded islands in the sofe
summer evenings, to take our tea in gypsy
fashion, and to ske'ch; but she and l
mostly whispered about love at all,
as | remember, but of the weather and the
rubric; only it seemed so sweet to sink
our voices and speak low and soft.
Once, in party over the moors, while
| was leading her pony over some boggy
ground, l caught her hand by mis- AXE in
s.ead of her bride, and she did not snatch
it away. 1t was the heydav and prime of
my life, my friend, and that youth of the
spirit which no power can ever more re-
new. knew what she felt, and what
would please her, as soon as the feeling and
the wish themselves were born. Our
ghts-my thought at least, "leapt out
to wed with thought, ere thought could
wed itself with speech" She took fancy
to huge mastitf dog belonging to a fish
erman and l bought it for her at once,
although it was terribly savage, and, Tex
cept for Lucy's liking it) not either good
or beautiful. Its name, also-the only
one it would answer to, and sometimes it
would not to that---was Towser, no. a
name for a lady's pet at all, and scarcely
for gentleman's. There was little Sc
cluded field, hedged in by a coppice,
which sloped into the lake, about mile
from the hotel and there Lucy agreed
(for the first timc) to meet me alone.
was to be there, before break fast, at eight
O'Clock in the morning, and you may be
sure was there at six--with Towser.
Perhaps was never happier than at
that particular time. The universal ma
ture seemed in harmony with my blissful
feelings. The sun shone out bright and
clear, SO that the fresh morning breezcs
could scarcely cool the pleasant throbbing
of my blood but the blue rippling waves
of the lake looked irrepressibIy tempting.
and | could not resist a swim. just a
plunge and out again, thought l; for
though l had such plenty of time to
spare, | determined to be dressed and ready
for the interview an hour at least before
the appointed time. Lucy might, like
myself, be little earlier, and at all events,
with such an awful consequence in poss-
ible apprehension, | would run the shad-
ow Of risk. "Mind my clothes, mind
them," said l to Towser (who took his
seat thereon, at once, sagaciously enough,
for | had heard of such things as clothes
being stolen from unconscious dippers be-
fore them, with results not to be thought
of; and in l went. / remember the de.
light of that bath even to this day, the
glow, the freshness, the luxurious soft
ness of each particular wave, just as the
last view which his eyes greeted is paint
ed on the memory OF one who has been
stricken blind, or the last heard melody
is treasured in that of man stunned deaf
by fall it was my last perfect pleasure
and succeeded by shock that l shall new
er, think. quite get over.
When l had bathed as long as Judged
to be prudent, landed and advanced to-
wards the spot where my garments and
Towscr lay as did so. every individual
hair upon his back seemed to bristle with
fury, his eyes kindled with Goals of fire
he gave me notice by low determined
growl that he would spring on me and
tear me into fragments if l approached
nearer /; it was evident that he did not rec
ognize me, in the least, without my
clo.hes. TOW, Tow" said l pleasantly
. good old Tow, You remember me 2 but
The brute, like the friend whom we have
known in better day, and appeal to when
in Indifferent apparel, only shook his head
in menacing manner, and showed his
teeth the more. "Towser, be quiet, sir
how dare you-Tow, Tow, Tow-Tow-
'ser-(here he nearly had bit of calf off J
you nasty, brutal dog; go away, SIR
go; amt you ashamed of yourself ?"-
Drops of foam oozed through the teeth OF
the terocious monster, as he stood up with
tail erect at these rcproving words. but
he manifested no sign of remorse or sor-
row. My situation became serious in the
extreme what if he chose to sit there on
my personal apparel, until?
At this idea, too terrible to be conclud-
ed, profuse pcrspiration broke out all
over me. Presently, feeling little cold,
! went back into the lake again to consid
er what was to be done, and resolved the
fell design Of enticing Towser into the
water and there drowning him. Abuse
and aattery being equally thrown away
upon him, | tried stones /; | heaved at him
with all my force the largest pebbles ]
could select, the majority of which he
evaded by leaping from side to side, and
those which struck him rendered him SO
furious that | believe he would have kill.
&c and eat me if he could, whether was
dressed or not, but he would not venture
into the water after me still.
AT last, the time drawing on apacc fol
the appointed interview which ! had once
looked forward to with such delight and
taYnaStatiop I ,yo, -, ~, a,.n,,- ~