Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1856-12-13
AN AWKWARD PREDICAMENT.

stlll,) 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-
Ener with reading party at the Irish lakes,
when | met with Lucy, and got, in short,
to be accepted. She was residing with
her mother, in the same hotel in Killarney
as ourselves, and we all met every day
We boated on the lake together, and fish
ed, and sang, and read. We landed on
the wooded islands in the soft summer
evenings, to take our tea in gypsy fashion,
and to sketch; but she and mostly whis-
pered, not about love at all, as remem-
ber, but Of the weather and the rubric;
onl y it seemed so sweet TO sink our voices
and speak low and soft.
Once, in a party over The moors, while
] was leading her pony over some boggy
ground, | caught her hand by mistake in
stead of her bride, and she did not snatch
it away. 1t was the heyday and the prime
Of my life, my friend, and that youth Of
the spirit which no power can ever more
renew. / knew what she felt, and what
would please her, as soon as the feeling
and the wish themselves were born. Our
thought, my thought at least, 'Ieaped out
to wed with thought, ere thought could
wed itself with speech She took fancy
to huge mastiff dog belonging to fisher
man, aud | bought it for her at once, al
though it was terribly savage, and Except
for Lucy's liking il not either good or
beautiful. Its name, also the only one it
would answer to, and sometimes it would
not to that, was Towser, not name for
ladys pet at all, and scarcely for gen
tleman's. There was little secluded
field, hedged ID by coppice, which sloped
into the lake, about a mile from the hotel;
and there Lucy agreed Qor the first time)
10 meet me alone. was 10 be there be-
fore breakfast, at eight o'clock in the
morning, and you may be sure | was
there at six, with Towser.
Perpaps was never happier than at
that particular time. The universal ma
ture seemed in harmony with my bissful
feelings. The sun shoBe out bright and
clear. so that the fresh morning breezes
could scarcly cool the pleasant throbbing
of my blood; but the blue ripping waves
Of the lake looked irrepressibly tempting.
and could not resist swim. Just
plunge and out again thought |; for
though had such plenty of time to spare,
| determined to be dressed and ready for
the interview an hour at least before the
time. Lucy might, like myself,
be little earlier; and at all events, with
such an awful consequence in possible
would not run the shadow
of a risk. Mind my clothes, mind them,'
said to Towser, (who took his seat there
on, at once, sagaciously enough) for had
heard ofsach things as clothes being sto- |
len from unconscious dippers before them,
with results not to besthought Of, and in
went. remember the deli ght of that bath
even to this day, the glow, the freshness,
the luxurious softness Of each particular |
wave, Just as the last view which his eyes |
rested on is painted on the memory of
one who has been stricken blind, or the |
last heard melody is treasured in that ola
man stuuned deaf by fall; it was my last
perfect pleasure, and succeeded by
shock that 4 shall never, / think, quite get
over.
When had bathed as long as I judged
10 be prudent, / landed and advanced to-
wards the spot where my garments and
Fowser lay; as did SO every individual
his back seemed to bristle with
ury, his eyes kindIed with Goals Of fire;
le gave me notice BY low determined
yrowl that he would spring on me and
ear me into fragments if approached
nearer: it was evident that he did not re-
.ognize ME, in the least, without any
clothes.
TOW, Tow, Tow, Tow, Tow said I
pleasantly, good old Tow, you remem-
,er me- but The brute, like the friend
whom we have known in better day,
when 10 Indifferent apparel,
,nIy shook his head in a menacing man
ter and showed his teeth the more.--
rowser, be quiet. sir;how dare You Tow,
Fow, TowToWserl there he nearly
lad . bit Of my calf Of you nasty, brutal
log 90 away, sir. 90; aia,t you ashamed
# yourselfP z Drops of foam oozed
trough the teeth of the ferocious monster
il he stood with tail erect at these repro
ing words, but he manifested 10 sign of
emorse or sorrow. My situation BECAME
erious in the extreme; Wba. if he chose to
ii there, On my personal apparel, until
+-
At this idea, too terrible to be conclud-
II d nrofT1se nersniration hFnke ont all L