Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1856-12-12
WHY THERE Is NO MRS. PE0NY
Flush.

Readers who have any sympathy
in their souls will not fail to appre-
ciate the touching narrative which fol.
lows We copy it from an English
periodical. The story is perfectly
English, and is told by the Reverend
Peony Flush himself, modest curate
in the Established Church. / was. he
says. once engaged to be married,
(how / went so far as that is mar
vel to me still, but an incident of so
frightful character took place as to
put the matter entirely out of the
question. l was young undergrad
uate. spending the summer with a
reading party at the Irish lakes, when
| met with-with Lucy, and got, in
short, to be accepted. Che was resi-
ding with her mother, in the same no.
tel in Killarney as ourselves, and we
all met every day. We boated on the
lake together, and 6shed, and sang.
and read. We landed on the wooded
islands in the soft summer evenings, to
take our tea in gipsey fashion. and to
sketch; but she and l mostly whisper
ed-not about love at all, as / remem-
Der, but of the weather and the rubric;
only it seemed so sweet to sink our
voices and speak low and soft. Once.
in a party over the moors, while l was
leading her pony over some boggy
ground, | caught her hand by mis-
take instead 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. l 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, "leaped out to wed with
thought, ere thought could wed itself
with speech" She took fancy to a
huge mastiff dog belonging to fish,
erman and | bought it for her al
once, although it was terribly savage.
and (except 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 1owscr. not a name for 'ady's
pet at all. aud scarcely for gentle
mans. There was a little secluded
field. hedged in by coppice. which
sloped into the lake, about a mile from
the hotel /; and there Lucy agreed
(for the first time) to meet me alone.
I was to be there before breakfast, at
eight o'clock in the morning, and you
may be sure l was there at six-with
Towser. Perhaps l was never hap
pier than at that particular time.
The universal nature seemed in
harmony with my blissful feelings
The sun shone out bright and clear,
so that the fresh morning breezes
could scarcely cool the pleasant throb-
bing OF my blood; but the blue rip
pling waves Of the laLe looked ire
pressibly tempting, and l could not
resist swim. Just a plunge and out
again, thought /; for though l had
such plenty Of time to spare. l deter.
mined to be dressed aud 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 conse-
quence in possible apprehension, I
would not run the shadow OF risk.
"Mind my clothes. mind them,"
said / to Towssr. (who took his seat
thereon, at once. sagacieusly enough, J
for ] had heard OF such things as
clothes being stolen from unconscious
dippers before them, with results not
to be thought Of; and in I went. l
remember the delight Of that bath
even to this day, the glow, the fresh
ness, 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 naelo-
dy is treasured in that of man stun
ned deaf by fall 1t was my last
perfect pleasure. and succeeded by a
shock that | shall never, ! think, quite
get over. re
When l had bathed as long as /
judged to be prudent, | landed and
advanced toward the spot where my
garments and Towser lay as l did
so every individual hair upon his back
seemed to bristle with fury, his eyes
kindled Goals Of FIRE he gave me
notice. by low, determined growl.
that he would spring on me and tear
me into fragments IL approached
nearer 1t was evident that he did
not recognize me, in the least, with
out my clothes.
"Tow. Tow. Tow, Tow, Tow"
said | pleasantly; "good old Tow,
you remember me-" 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 a menacing manner. and show
cd his teeth the more.
"Towser. be quiet, sir; how dare
you-Tow, Tow-Tow-Towser,-
there he nearly had a bi. Of my call
on)-you nasty, brutal dog go away,
sir, goi;ssain't you ashamed Of your.
self ?" Drops Of foam oozed through
the teeth Of the ferocious monster as
he stood up with tail erect at these re-
proving words, but ho manifested nc
sign OF rcmorse or sorrow. My sit
uation became serious in the oxtreme'
whatifhechose 10 Sit there, on my. per
sonal apparel, until? A. this idea,
too terrible TO be concluded. profuse
perspiration broke out oil over me-
Presently. feeling q little cold, wen,
back into the lake again to consider
what was 10 be done, and resolving
} the fell design Of enticing Towser in
to the water, and there drowning him
Abuse and nattery being equally
thrown away upon him. | tried stones
l heaved at him with all my force III,
largest pebbles could select. the ma
Ijority OF which he evadod by leapinf
from side 10 side. and those which
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