Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-12-03
EVENING STAR.
AN AWKWARD PREDIcAMENr.

was once engaged 10 oe married, (how L
went so far as that is q 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 young undergr aduate,
spending the summer with a reading party at
the Irish lakes, when l met with-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 ished, and sang, and read. We landed
on the wooded islands in the soft summer
evenings, toi take our tea in gypsy fashion,
and to sketch but she and mostly whisper
ed-not about love at all, as 1 remember, but
of the weather and the rubric only it seemed
so sweet to sink our voices and speak low and
soft.
Once, In q party over the moors, while
was leading her pony over some boggy ground,
caught her hand BY mistake 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. I 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
leapt out to wed with thought, ere thought
could wed itself with speech +" She took q
fancy to huge nastiff dog belonging to q
| fisherman and bought it for her at once,
although it was terribly savage, and except
for Lucy's liking it) not either good or beauti-
full Its name, also-the only one it would
answer to, and sometimes it would no. to that
was Towser; not name for lady's pet, at
| all, and scarcely for a gentlemans There
was little secluded field, hedged in by a
coppice, which sloped into the lake, about a
| mile from the hotel ; and there Lucy agreed
| (for the first time) to meet me alone. was to
be there before breakfast, at eight o'clock in
ha mo md hoo II
| at six-with Towser
Perhaps was never happier than at this
Particular time. The universal nature SEEM
| ed In harmony with my blissful feelings The
sun shone out bright and clear, 80 that the
| fresh morning breezes could scarcely cool the
pleasant thrObbings of my blood, but the blue
ripping waves Of the lake looked irreIressi-
sibly tempting, and I could not resist a swim.
Just plunge and out again, thought fer
though had such plenty of time to spare, I
determined to be dressed and ready for the
interview an hour at least before the appoint
| ed time Lucy might like myself, be a little
earlier; and at all events, with such an awful
consequence in possible apprehension, 1 would
| run the shadow of a risk. Mind nv clothes,
mind them," said I Towser (who took his seat
thereon, at once, sagaciously enough,) for L
had heard of such things as clothes being
stolen from unconscious dippers before them
L
| went. 1 remember the delight of that bath
even to this day, the glow, the freshness, the
| luxurious sottness 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 of a man stunned deaf by a
| fall it was my last perfect pleasure, and sue
ceeded by shock that I shall never, think,
| quite get over
/ i had hot ,.,lo e.
| be prudent, L landed and advanced towards
the spot where my garments and Towser lay
as did so, every individual hair upon his
back seemed TO bristle with fury, bis 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 1
| approached nearer, it was evident tnat he did
not recognize me the least without my clothes
Tow, Tow, Tow, Tow, Tow" said L, pleas
antly, "good old Tow, you remember me :"
but the brute, like the friend whom we have
known In better day, and applied 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, Towser-(hers he nearly
| had Dit Of my calf off ff)-you nasty, brutal
dog; go away, sir-go; amt you shamsd OF
yonrself?" Drops Of foam ooaed through the
| teeth of the ferocIous monster as he stood cd
with tail erect ct these reprOving words, but
| he manifested no sign Of remorse or sorrow.
lily situation became serious in the extreme:
what II be chose to sit there, on my personal
apparel, until?
At this idea, too terrible to be concluded. a
profuse persplratlOn broke out all over me-
Presently feeling little cold, went back
into the lake again to consider what was 10 be
done, and resolving the fell design of enticiup
IowSer into the water and there drowning
him. Abuse and fattery being equally thrown
away upon him, tried stones / heayed az
him with all my force the largest pebbles L
could select, the majority Of which be evade
by leaping from side to side, and those which
struck him rendered him so furious that be-
lieve he would have killed and eat me if he
could, whether / was dressed or not, bat he
would not venture into the water after me
still.
At last, the time drawing on apace for the
appointed interview which had once looked
forwarded TO with such delight, and expecta-
ttOn, l was fain, in an agony Of shame and
rage, to hide myself in a dry ditch in the
neIghbOring cOpse, where / could see what
took place without being seen, and there 1
covered myself over, like babe in the wood,
with leaves.
Presently my Lucy came down, a trife
more carefully dressed than usual, and look
ing all grace and modesty; the dog began to
howl as she drew near; she saw him, and she
saw my clothes, and the notion that L was
drowned Il could see il in her expressive
cOuntenance) flashed upon her at once for
one instant she looked as though about to
faint, and the next she sped of again to the
hotel with the speed of a deer. Gracious
heavens. decided upon rescuing portion
of my garments at leaGt, or upon perishing in
the attempt, and rushed out Of the thicket for
the purpose but my courage failed me as
neared the savage animal, and L found myself
lin some confused and palpitsting manner)
back in my dry ditch again, with the seuss-
tion of a loss OF blood and pain my retreat
had not been efected-perhaps, because there
was nothing to cover it-without cOnsidera-
BILE loss, and the beast had bitten more Sc
verely. L protest that, from that moment,
frightful as my position was, it did not move
me so much as the reflection Of the honors
that would be showered down on that vile
creature. / knew that he would be consid-
cred by Lucy and the rest as a sort of Dog Of
Montargis, an affectionate and sagaciOus crea-
ture, watching patiently at his appointed post
for the beloved master that should never
again return to him.
Presently they all came back, Lucy and her