The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1859-11-09

"And thus | sat 1ol hours, in u state of CON-
parative stupefaction, gazing off upont the storm
maddened lake, but with kind OF ony gaze
that scarcely lad speculation in it. 7T ri
"Wben I again turned to Mary, found that
she had tainted, though how long she had
been in that condition did not know. This
in some measure recalled me to myself: and
began to chafe her limbs calling upon her dear
name in the wldesG tones or despair. She
did not revive in mediately, and had just be-
gun to think that she had perished in my arms
when saw signs of returning life, and re-
doubled my exertions. At last had the joy
of seeing her open her eyes, and of knowins
hat her senses had retl rned. She now looked
wildly around her, and scarcely comprehendina
what had occurred, asked for her absent frien S.
"'They are gone, dear Mary said l. with a
bursting heart, they will return to us no more:
you are all that is left to me now; and may God
his mercy either preserve you, or take rs
both together to the land of spirits
"Yes,' she replied iaintly-so ia ntly that
had to put my ear close to catch the words
-'and we must p rsh too-but we will perish
'ogether. We must we cannot live-wt
cannot escape-and SO let US die at once
"In Gods own timer l replied, I'VE have
no right to take, ur lives in our own hands
lie gave and must take. 1t is our duty to bt
'eadv at his CALL ~ --
"sBnt I cannot survive this she said, death
s an hundred times preferable to this agonizins
<uspense.
IL encouraged her as we'll as one in my
situation could; | repeated that while there Was
life there was hope; 1 used every argument and
:very term of endearment could think Of to
persuade her to cling to life; and at last she
seemed TO be more resigned to her fate-the
fate of waiting and Watching with me for the
coming death. .19Ff -11i
"Why should I dwell upon that horrible
scene? Why live over again in relation to the
agony 1 suffered in reality? No! rather let me
hurry on to the awful cose-for awful it was,
and made these then black hairs turn white in
the very prime Of manhood. a- -.se
"Mary gradually drooped-grew faint for
the want Of food-grew benumbed and torpid
through repeated drenchings of the chilling
waters; and at length, when another night be-
gan to close around us, with the storm still
unabated, feebly but painfully foresaw that
should I still live on, must soon live alone
be the last survivor of that once happy group
s'My forebodings were awfully fulfilled =
Another night set in-and proved, oh God !!
the last being then had in the wide world to
love l had gradually grown weak myself
so weak that [ could scarcely keep my hold
upon the rocks-to which / still cllng with
the instincts of life, ard for the preservation
of nv poor Mary who had long since given
up the attempt of preserving herself
tBut the end came. a larger wave than
ever burst ovr us. loosed my feeble hold, dash
ed ME against the rocks behind, and left ne
half stunned and bleeding on the very verge
of the abyss. 1 crawleG up again and felt tor
Mary. Great Heavens she was. not there! she
was gonc. With shrek of despair, threw
myself fat upon lny face, determined to make
no further effort for my life. y --- -
s'Bnt God, in his inscrutablc providence.
saw fit to preserve me. The storm had now
reached its height, and from that awful moment
it began to abate. The morning found me
alive but alone, and the angry waves that had
snatched from all priced on earth, were
gradually subsding to quetude, as if satisfied
with the work of destruction.
ssMorc dead than alive, I kept my position
upon the rocks through that day and another
night, and then being discovered by some
Canadian fishermen, | was taken off and con-
veyed to their home on the other side of the
lake. There after long and delirious illness,
I finally recovered. and learned that the bodies
of my friends had been found, taken from the
water, and decsntly inferred on the American
shore.
'sI have many times since" concluded the
aged narrator, in a trembling voice, 's.isited
the humble grave where they still quietly re-
pose together, and never but with regret
that I did not sleep beside them 1t was then,
over that lonely grave. J took ,lemn oath to
be true to my first love; and you now behold
mo wifeless and childless old man, whose
only abiding hore is. that shall soon join
them in better world"