The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1857-07-29
An Awkward Prcdicamcnt.

tHtutlN oul VI tiAS ideol1ou. - Ndo q
yonng under graduate, spending the sum-
mer with a reading party at the Irishlakes,
when met with-with Lucy Stone, and
got, in short to be accepted. She was re-
siding with her mother, in the same hotel
in Killarney as ourselves and We ill met
every day. We boated on the lake togcth-
or, and fshed; and sang, and read. We
landed OH the wooded islands in the soft
summer evenings, to take our tea in gypsy
fashion, and to sketch; but she and |
mostly whispered-not about love, at all,
as | remember, bnt of the weather, and
the rubic; only it seemed so sweet to sink
our voices and speak low and soft.
Once in party over the moors, while
L was leading her pony over some Doggy
ground, caught her hand by mistake in
stead of her bride, and she did not snatch
it away. 1t was the heyday and the
prime of my life, and that youth of spirit
which no power can ever renew. | knew
what she felt and what would please, as
soon as the feeling and the wish them
selves were born. Our thought my
thought at least leaped out to we'd with
thought ere thought could wed itself with
speech. She took fancy to huge mas
tiff dog belonging to fisherman, and l
bought it for her at once, although it was
terribly savage, and, Except for Lucy's-
liking it) not either good nor beautiful
Its name, also-the only one it would an
swer to, and sometimes it would not to
that-was Trowser, not name for a la
dy's pet at all, and scarcely for a gentle
mans. 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 flor the first time) to
meet ne alone. was to be there before
breakfast at eight o'clock in the morning,
and you may be sure l was there at six
with Trowser. -
Perhaps l was never happier than at
that particular time. The universal ma
ture 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 throbbmg
of my blood, but the blue ripping waves
of the lake looked irrepressibly tempting,
and l could not resist swim. Just
plunge and out again, thought 1 for
though had such plenty Of time to spare,
[ determined to be dressed and ready for
the interview at an hour at least before
the appointed time. Lucy might, like
myself be little earlier; and at all events,
with such an awful consequence in posi-
bic apprehension, l would not run
risk. Mind my clothes, mind them,"
said to Trowser, (who took his seat
thereon, at once, sagaciously enough-for
| had heard of such things as clothes be-
ing stolen from unconscious dippers be-
fore then, with results not to be thought
of and in 1 went. 4 remember the de-
light 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 eyes rested on, is painted
on the memory of one who has been
stricken blind, or the last melody is treas
ured in that Of q man stunned deaf by a
fall; it was my last perfect pleasure, and
succded by shock that | shall never, /
think, quite get over.
When [ had bathed as long as Judged
to be prudent, | landed and advanced
towards the spot where my garments and
Trowser lay; as did so, every individual
hair upon his back seemed to bristle with
fury, his eyes kindled with Goals of fire; he
gave me notice by low determined growl
that he would spring upon me and tear
me into fragments if approached nearer.
1t was evident that he did not recognize
me, at least without any clothes. ''Tow,
Tow, Tow, Tow" said /, pleasantly, good
old Tow, you remember me-" but the
brute, like the friend whom we have
known in a better day, appealed-o when
in different apparel, shook his head
in a menacing manner, and showed his
teeth the more. 'Towser, be quiet, sir;
how dare you-Tow, Tow, Tow-Tow-
ser-{herc he nearly had bit of my calf
off)-you nasty, brutal dog 60 away, sir
go; amt you ashamed Of YOURSELF %
Drops of foam oozed through the teeth Of
the ferocous monster, as he stood up with
his tail erect at these rcproving words;
but he manifested no sign of remorse or
sorrow. Ny situation became serious in
the extreme; what if he chose to sit there
on my person al apparel, until
And this idea, too terrible to be con-
Guided, p profuse pcrspiration broke out
all over me. Presently, feeling little
cold, / went back into the lake again to
consider what was to be done, and resolv- /
cd upon the fell design of enticing Trow-
ser into the water and there drowning
him. Abuse and fattery being equally
thrown away upon him, l tried stones.-
l heaved at him with all my force the
largest pebbles | could select, the majority
of which he evaded by leaping from side
toside, and those which struck him render
ed him so furious that l believe he would
have killed and eaten mo if he could,
whether | was dressed or not, but he
would not venture into the water after
me
AT last, the time drawing on apace for
the appointed interview which had once
looked forward to with such delight and
expectations, | was fain, in an agony of
shame and rage, to hide myself in a dry
ditch in the neighboring copsc, where |
could see what took place without being
seen, and there / covered myself over,
like the babes in the wood, with leaves.
Presently my Lucy came down, a trifle
more carefully dressed than usual, and
looking all grace, and modesty; the dog
horon 70 howl &c che Y rnyr paor. cha cow