The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1858-07-15
An Awkward Prcdiean,ent.

of so frightful a character took place as to put the
matter entirely out Of the question. was a young
under graduate, spending the summer with n read
ing party at the Irish lakes, when / met with-with
Lucy. and got, in short, to be accepted.
She was residing with her mother, in the same
hotel, Killarney. as ourselves, and we all met every
day. We boated on the lake together and fshed, and
sung, and read. We landed on the wooded islands
in the soft summer evenings, to take our tea in Gypsy
fashion, and to sketch; but she and | mostly whis-
pered-not about love at all, as | remember, but of
the weather and the rubric; only il seemed SO sweet
TO sink our voices and speak low and soft.
Once, in a party over the moors, while | was lead
ing 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. | knew
what she felt, and what would please her, rs soon as
the feeling and the wish themselves were born. Our
thought at least-"l eaped out to wed with thought,
ere thought could wed itself with speech She took
a fancy 10 a huge mastiff dog belonging to a fisher
man, which | bought for her Mt once, although II was
terribly savage. and Except for Lucy's liking i) not
either good or beautiful. Its name, also-the only
one it would answer to, and sometimes IL would not
10 that-was Towser, not a name for a lady's pet at
all. and scarcely for n gentleman's. There was a
little secluded field, hedged in by a coppice, which<
slOped into III" lake, about a mile from the hotel, and
there Lucy agreed, for the first time. to meet me
alone. | was to he there before breakfast, at eight
O'Clock in the morning, and you may be sure 1 was
there at six-with Towser.
Perhaps | 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 throbbiug of my blood; the
blue ripping waves of the lake looked irrepressibly
tempting and | could rot resist n swim. Just "A
plunge and ont again, thought /; for though | had
such plenty of time TO spare, / determined 10 be
dressed and ready for the interview an hour at least
before the appointed time. Lucy might, like myself,
be a little earlier; and, at all events. with such an
awful consequence in possible apprehension, | would
n RIM n shndaur Of n rH-t AIs.l -u 1nrA
mind them said | to Towser (who took his seat
thereon at once, sagaciously enough, for had heard
of such things as clothes being stolen from uncon-
scious dippers, before them, with result not TO be
thought of, and | went in. I remember the delight
of that bath even to this day: the glow. the freshness.
the luxurious softness of each particular wave, just
rs the last view. which his eye 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 n fall; it was my last perfect plea
sure, and succeeded by a shock that l shall never, /
think, quite get over.
When l had bathed as long as I Judged to he prn-
dent, | landed and advanced toward the spot where
my garments and Towser Law: as [ did So. every in
dividual hair upon his back seemed to bristle with
fury; his eye kindled with Goals of fire; he gave me
notice by a low determined growl that he would
spring upon me and tear me into fragments if I an
preached nearer, IL was evident that he did not re-
cognize me in the least without any clothes. 'sTow,
Tow, Tow, said [. pleasantly, - good old Tow, You
remember met bnt the brute, like the friend whom
we have known in better days. and appeal to when
in different apparel. only shook his head in n menac-
ing manner, and showed his teeth the more. ssTow-
ser, he quiet, SIR; how dare you-Tow. Tow. Tow
Towser, There he nearly had a bite of my cnIf1-you
nasty, brutal dog, &c away, sir-go, amt You
ashamed of YOURSELF Drops of foam oozed through
the teeth Of the :eroeious monster as he stood up with
tail erect at these reproving words. but he manifested
no sign of remorse 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 concluded, a profnse
perspiration- broke out all over me. Presently. feel
ing a little cold, I went back into the lake again to
consider what was to be done, and resolving upon the
fell design of enticing TOwser into the water and
there drowning him. Abuse and fattery being
equally thrown away upon him, I tried stones: I
heaved at him with all my force the largest pebbles
| could select, the majority of which he evaded by
leapiDg from side to side, and those which struck
him rendered him so furious that 7 believe he would
killed and eat me if he could, whether I was
dressed or not. but he would not venture into the
water after me still.
AT last. the time drawing on apace for the appoint
ed interview which I had once looked forward 10
with such delight and expectation, I was fiin, in
agony of shame and rage. to hide myself in n dry
ditch in the neighboriug copse. where I could see
what took, place without being seen, and there I
covered myself over, like a babe in the woods, with
leaves.
Presently my Lacy came down. a triAe more care
fully dressed than usual. and looking all grace and
the dog began TO howl as she drew near:
'he saw him and she saw my clothes. and the notion
hat | was drowned q could see II i'm her EXPRESSIVE
,ountenance. y flashed upon her mt once. for one in
tant she looked as though about to faint, and the
she sped off again to the hotel with the speed of
deer. Gracions Heavens I decided upon rescuing
portion Of my garments. nj least, or upon perishinp
n the attempt. and rushed ont Of the thicket for the
purpose; brt my courage failed me rs I heard the
avage animal, and | found myself Tin some confused
md palpitating manner) back in my dry ditch again,
With the sensation Of a loss Of blood and pain; my
erreat had not been ~efected-perhaps, because
here was moth ng to cover it-without considerable |
MSS. and the beast had bitten me severely. protest,
hat from that moment. frightfnl as my position was,
did not move me 80 much as the reflection of the
ronors that would he showered down on that vile
FEATURE ] knew that he would be considered by
and the res. as n sort OF dog of Montargis, an
ifectionate and sagacious creature, waiting patiently
{ his appointed post for the beloved master that
Tould never again return to home.
Presently they all came back, Lucy and her
lother, and all the maid servants from the inn,
esides my fellow students and fishermen with drag
cts, and a medical man with blankets and brandy
how | coveted the blankets and brandy.) As | ex-
ected, neither the women's cries nor the mems labor
vain distressed me half so much as the patting and
of Towser. | could not repress n groan of
orror and Indignation. "Hush, hush, - said Lucy,
nd there was silence, through which I could dis
nctly hear, Towser licking his chops. | was des- q
crate by this time and halloed ont to ny friend
Sanford and nobody else'-to come into
lie copse with n blanket.
| remember nothing more distinct. Immediately
eals of laughter now srnothered, now breaking ire
ressibly forth; expressions of thankfulness, of afec-
of sympathy, beginning-but never finished
irst in upon, as it were, by foods of merriment; and o
&c barking, the eternal barking, of that execrable
,g- l left Killarney that same evening; Lucy. and
mother Of Lucy, and my fellow-students and the
Towser; | left them for good and all; and
lat was how my engagement was broken off, and \
by there is no Mrs. Poeny Flush, concluded the
rate. who had turned from rose color to deep car :
ltion, and from that to almost black during the
citsl. {
E-Henry Ward Beecher is great ut taking up collec- "
ms. At the old John-street Church. on one occa- :
IN, they wanted to make an extra raise. MIR.
'echer eloquently addressed the new converts. and /,
ally asked those who had experienced religion in [
ut church, to hold up their right hand. Nearly all =
e right hands were raisel instantauenuslx s.Nosr I,