The true Democrat., 1857-03-17


 has herself endowed with sembance of divinity until they seem to breathe back the mystery the soul can truly catch from only one.
 How anxious she will be, lest the coroner shall have discovered any of her notes in my pocket!
 felt chilly as this last reflection crossed my mind. Partly at thought of the coroner, partly atthe idea of Mary being unwillingly mpelled to wear mourning for me, in case of such dis closure of our engagement. It is provoking thing for girl of nineteen to have to go into mourning for deceased lover, at the beginning of her second winter in the metropolis.
 The water, though, with my motionless posi-. ton, must have had something to do with m, chl!!lness. l see, sir, that you think that tel my story with great levity; hut indeed, indeed should grow delirous did 1 venture to hold stea dlly to the awfulness of my feelings the greater part ot that night. think indeed, must have been most of the time hvsterical with horror for the vibrating emotions have recapituated dld pass through my brain even as l have de- tailed them
 But as am now became calm in thought summoned up again some resolution of action
 will begin at that corner (said D and swim around the whole inclosue. will swim slowly and again feel the sides of the tank with my 1eet II die must let me perish at least from well directed though eXhausling effort, not sink from mere bootless wearlneSs i'll sustaining my self till the morning shall bring relief
 The sides of the place seemed to grow higher as now kept my watery course beneath them It was not altogether dead pull. l had some variety of emotion in making my circuit. When ] swam in the shadow, it looked to me more cheerful beyond in the moonlight When I swan in the moonlight, l had the hope of mab- ing some discovery when should again reach the shadow. Turned several times on my back to rest just where those wavy lines would meet. The stars looked viciously bright to me from the bottom of that well: there was such a com- pany of them; they were glad in their lns- tI0us revery; and they had such space to move in. l was alone, sad to despair, in strange element, prisoued, and solitary gazcr upon their mocking chorus. And yet there was noth- ing else with which 1 could hold communion.
 THE CATASTROPHE.
 1 turned upon my breast and struck out al most irantically, once more. The stars were forgotten the moon, the very world of which as yet formed d part my poor Mary herself was forgotten. l thought only of the strong man there periShng; of me in my lu,ty man hood, in the sharp vigor of my dawning prime, with faculties illimitable, with senses all alert, battling there with physical obstacles which men like myself had brought together for my undoing. The Eternal could never have wiled this thing could not and would not perish thus. And l grew strong in insolence of self trust; and langhed aloud, as 1 dashed the slugg iSh water from side to side.
 Then came all emotion of pity for myself-of wild. wild regret; of sorrow, oh, intinte for a late so desoate, doom so dreary, so heart slckenlng. You may laugh at the contradiction If you will, sir, but felt that 1 could sacrifice my own life on the instant, to redeem another teloW-croature from such place of horror from an end so piteous. My soul and my vital spirit seemed in that desperate moment to be sepaiatinS;' while one in parting grieved over the deplorable fate of the other
 And then prayed!
 prayed, why or wherefore know not. It was not from fear It could not have been in hope. The days of miracles are passed, anI there was no natural law by whose providen- tal interpositon l could be saved did not pray; it prayed of itself, my soul within me.
 Was the calmness that now felt tor,ditv? the torpidity that precedes dissolution, to the strong swimmer who, sinking from exhaustion. must at last add bubble to the wave as he suf- locates beneath the element which now denied his mastery? If it were so, how fortunate was it that my floating rod at that moment attracted my attention as it dashed through the water hv me. l saw on the instant that q fish had entan- gled himself in the wire-uoosc. The rod uuiv- cred, plunged, came again to the surface, and rppled the water as 1t shot in arrowy flight from side to side Of the tank. At last, driven toward the southeast corner of the Reservoir the small end seemed to have got foul somewhere. The brazcn butt, which, every time the fish sounded Was thrown up to the moon, now sank by its own wei. .ht showing that the end must be fast But the coruered fish, evidently anchored some where by that short wre foundered several times to the surface, before 1 thought of strik- ing out to the spot.
 The water is low now, and tolerably clear YoH may see the very ledge there, sir, in wonder corner, on which the small end ofmy rod rest ed when secured that pike with my hand l did Eot take him from the slp-noose, however; but standing upon the ledge, handled the rod in a workman-lIk maner, as flung that pound pickerel over the iron railing upon the top of the parapeU The rod as have told you, bare ly reached from the railing to the water It Was heavy, strong bass rod, which 1 had bor- rowed in the Spirit of the Times" office; and when discovered that the fish at the end of the wire made d strong enough knot to prevent me from drawing my tackle away from the railing, around which 1t twued itself as 1 threw, why, as you can at once see, had but little difficulty II making my way up the face of the wall with such assistance I he ladder which attracted your notice is as you see laShed to the iron railing in the identical spot where l thus made my escape; and for fear of similar acci dents, they have placed another one in the cor responding corner of the other compartment of the tank, ever since my remarkable nights ad Ycntnre in the Reservoir