The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1857-04-23
4n 9musinO STORY.
a NJ
AWKWARD PREDICAMENT.


I was once engaged to be married,
chow 1 went so far as that is a mystery
to me still, } but an incident of SO fright
full character took place as to put the
matter entirely out Of the question. !
was a young under graduate, spending
the summer with a reading party at the
Irish lakes, when met with-with Luz
cy, 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 fshed, and
sang and read. We landed on the
wooded islands in the soft summer eve
nings, to take our tea in gipsy fashion
and sketch; but she and l mostly whis-
pered-not about love at all, as l remem-
Der, but of the weather and the rubric;
only it seemed so sweet to sink our vol
ces and speak low and soft.
Once, in party over the moors, while
| was leading her pony over the boggy
ground, l 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
youthIof the spirit which can never 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
'leaped out to wed with thought, ere
thought would wed itself with speech. 4"
She took fancy to huge mastiff dog
belonging to a fisherman, and 1 bought
it for her at once although it was terri
bly, savage; Except for Lucy's liking it,
) not either good or beautiful. Its name,
also-the only name it would answer TO,
and sometimes it would not to that-was
Towser, not name for ladys pet at
all, and scarcely for a gentleman s.
There was 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. l was to be there be-
fore breakfast, at eight o'clock in the
morning, and you may be sure / was
there at six-with Towser. Perhaps I
was never happier than at that particu-
lar 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 throbbing of
my blood; but the blue ripping of the
lake looked inexpressibly tempting, and
| could notresist swim. Just plunge
and out again, thought 1; for though 1
had plenty of time to spare, 1 determin-
ed to be dressed and ready for the in
terview an hour at least before the ap-
pointed time Lucy might, like my
SELF be little earlier; and at all events,
with such an awful consequence in ap-
prehension, would not run the shad-
Ow of a risk. "Mind my clothes, mind
them" said | to 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, with results not to
be thOughtof, and in went. I remem-
Der the delight 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 eve
rested on is painted on the memory of
one who has been stricken blind, or the
last heard melody is treasured in that
of man stunned deaf by fall; it was
my last perfect pleasure, and succeeded
by shock that l shall never, 1 think,
quite get over.
When / had bathed as long as l iudg.
ed to be prudent, landed and advanc-
ed toward the spot where my garments
and Towser lay; as l did so, every indi.
vidual hair upon his back seemed tC
bristle with fury; his eyes kindled like
Goals of fire; he gave me notice, by q
low, determined growl, that he would
spring upon me and tear me into frag,
ments if | approached nearer; it was ev.
ident that he did not recognize me, in
the least, without any clothes "Tow
Tow, Tow" said l, pleasantly, "good
old Tow, you remember me" but the
brute, like the friend whom we have
known in better days, and appeal to when
in Indifferent apparel, only shook his
head in a menacing manner, and showed
his teeth the more. "Towser, be quiet
sir; how dare you-Tow-TOw-TowseI
(here he nearly had a bit of my calf
off )-you nasty, brutal dog; go away
sir, go, amt you ashamed of yourself?
Drops of foam oozed through the teeth
of the ferocious monster as he stood up
with his tail erect at these reproving
words, but he manifested no sign of re-
morse or sorrow. My situation became
serious in the extreme; what if he chose
to sit there on my personal apparel
until?
At this idea, too terrible to be con-
cluded, profuse perspiration broke out
all over me. Presently, feeling a little
cold, l went back into the lake again to
consider what was to be done, and re-
solving upon the fell design of enticing
Towser into the water and there drown
ing him. Abuse and fattery being
equally thrown away upon him, 1 tried
stones; heaved at him the largest peb-
bles l could select, the majority of
which he evaded by leaping from side ia
side, and those which struck him render
ed him so furious that believe he would
have killed and eaten me if he could
whether was dressed OF not, but be
would not venture into the water after
me still.
At last, the time drawing on apac,
for the appointed interview which 1 haC
once looked forward to with such de,
light and expectation, / was fain, H. an