The north Iowa times. [volume] (M'Gregor [i.e. McGregor], Iowa) 1856-1857, 1857-06-19
The silence was truly awful. My

OId,u, all Ill lcFcI WIN my tOi1 n'AS
feelings, appeared to render every sense
doubly keen. Ialmost thought could
hear the tick Of the old clock down
stairs in the hall. caught myself list
ening to the sound of footsteps in the
street. was suro, at ono time, l could
hear the conversation Of my nearest.
noighbors, who lived over the way.
And yet 1 could not make them hear
me What a thought! Then my heart
was beating as if it was determined to.
leap out Of its resting place. And my
pulses-had they gone mad They.
dashed against their. little prison walls.
as if bent on escape from continement.
| remember I stopped first to notice
their wildnoss, and next to count them
as they throbbad like SO many sledge
hammers in the "Anvil Chorus of the
"Troyatore. .... .rs,.-..
Then, in the midst Of all nay suffer
ings, came apprehensions for little Ed
Idy. l called him-called him loudly
I-shrieked his name, and coupled it
with every term Of endearmout | could
remember. l promised him kisses, and
TOYS, new hoop, a new dress, a pony
but I got no reply. All was fearfully
still. There was solc.nn death watch
in the very silence of the room, it was
so intense. began to fear for his safe
ty, and at length felt certain that / had
heard the window lifted Now, he had
really fallen out on the iron spikes of
the railing that enclosed The front :rea O!
our house,! | could distinctly see his
| little white body. in my excited fancy,
inipalod on the cruel points, and his red
blood gushing cut from the gaping
wounds, while his crushed head lung
over the area wall, and his blue eyes
were starting, all gore, from their torn
sockets '.:.... .....t............ .
This picture made me feel still more
Of agony. Ny heart appeared to bleed
within me, aud / could have died will
lingly on The spot. ] had but one hope
left. Hours and hours, | was satisfied,
had possed away. Dinner time had
come and gone. Supper time must be
over. My girl would soon return. But
how could She get in the house? She
had no front door key. | was expected
to admit her, but I was helpless.-
Would she not ring till she got weary,
and then, full of strange doubts, return
to her friends, and leave me alone ? My
husband could admit himself with his
night key but would he not think me
out? Would he dream of looking for
me up stairs in a narrow clothes closet?
Would | have strength enough left to
call when he came Would he not go.
to my fathor's-to my friends? 4? Would
he not seek me everywhere except where
I was to be. found, until too late to be.
of any assistance.
And while these torturing questions
were whirling through my brain, there
came another. Was there air enough
in the closet to sustain life omuch longer?
If so, how much? How long could |.
hope to survive, without reliefs AT
this thought a sense of actual sufioca-I
ton appeared, at once, to overcome me:
always had fear of suttocatlon. L
never could even read of such a thing
without shudder. The bare idea of
It always made me catch my breath. as
if choking, though it were in the open
street. Here, in this confined spot,
with my knees bent under me with my
own weight, my back pressed against
the door for support, my face resting
against my hands to keep it from the
wall, grooming in very anguish. the at
mosphere seemed to grow thicker and
thicker, heavier and heavier, until L
gasped for breath. Huge drops of per
spilation rolled from my forehead, No
hope! no hope! none for me knew
| was lying, and such q horrible DEATH!
l tried to scream, butthe inarticulate
sound died away ia my throat ere it
could find utte,ance. My tongue SEEM
ed to be on fire. Ny parched mouth
alowed as with the heat Of furnace, |
tried to moisten nay lips; but it was in
vain. ! seeupt septinptaa4 gpt,a!44e TO gasp and gasp.
| Oh !, how GSatsfii would have been one
IdltJsuti (ssof nm iik.. And yet, how |
- q - iiiipus luxury, day af-
j6I - ~ NJ. bead began to
,5I -. ~ .lpI6;glldd -
sss. ! ssi - 'a $s(i
'fr'gh'' i, yaIvo - sSc1lw oqge
! When I came to .,a :
servant girl, was .Ld'aing 4 smelling
bottle to my nostrils and chafing my
hands. The first thing | saw was little
Eddy, screaming with JOY as his mann
ma opened her eyes and clasped him in
her embrace ? And yet, stranget to say,
} although thought the whole day had
passed, l had not yet been half-an-hour
up stairs Mary still had her bonnet
and shawl on to go out. She had come
up to obtain shilling for stage fares,
and seeing Eddy asleep, had walked him
up and asked for mamma. He pointed
to the closet. The truth had fallen on
her mind like a flash Of lightning. She
rushed to the door--opened it--and
there Ilay in a fit of happy unconscious
ness.
But shall never forget the time wher
was "shut up in a closet
RArr1SG.-The scarcity of money
has had its effect on the rafting business
Rats which brought SIC 80 per NJ. las
| year, this season get S14 to SIG
Shingles which brought $500 last sea
son, now fetch $s5, 80.
! The prospects for raftmen making
money this year are not favorable. Il
, the sale of one raft last week, it sppearae
that the hired help had made more thar
the employers. The winter has beer