The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1860-06-26
HILISDALE, MICH, TUESDAY, JUNE go, 1860.

What followed was of such swift occurrenc
that it seems to me likes irightul dream.
rushed against tho door with all my force
} but it wthstocd nv utmost efforts One sid
of the vehicle was scnsitly going down. down
down. The moaning of tie agOnized AMI
nal became deeper, AN knew from his DIES
perate plunges against the traces that it wa'
} one of our horses. Crash upon crash OF coars,
thunder rolled over the mountsin, and vivid
sheets of lightnir played around our devo
ted carriage as if in CLEO ar our misery BY
its light | could see for n mon ent-onIy fol
"a moment-the old planter standing erect
with his hands on his son and daughter, his
eyes raised to Heaven, and his lips moving
like those of one in prayer. could see Lou.
Isle turn her ashy cheeks toward me aS if i'm.
ploriuc protection; and crud see the bold
glance of the young boy flashing fancc at
the descending carriage, the war of elcTents,
and the awful danger that awaited him.
There WAS a roll-a desperate plunge, as OF
an animal in the last throos of dissoution- n
harsh, grating iar-a sharp, piercing scream
Of mortal terror, and | had time to grasp
Louisie firmly with one hand around the waist
and seize the leather iastcningS attached to
the coach roof with the other when we were
precipiated over tho prccipico.
| can distinctly recollert preserving con-
sciousncss for = few seconds Of limo, how rap
idly nv breath was being exhausted hnt of
that tremendous descent | soon lost nj, furth.
or knowledge 10y a concusSion so violent that
| was instantly deprived of sense and mo.
ton"
The traveller paused. lis fentrrcs worked
for minute or two ~ they did when we were
on the mountain; he pressed his hand across
his forehead, rs if in ain, aud then resamed
his interesting narrative.
"On a low couch in humble room Of
small country house next opened my eyes
in this world of light and shade, JOY and sor,
row, Of mirlh and madness. Gentle hands
smoothod my pillow, gentle feet glided across
my chamber, and gentle voice hu>hed for
tended 10y fair young girl, about tif cen,
who refused for length of Inn, to hold any
discourse with me. At length. one morning
finding myself sufficiently recovered to sit up,
insisted on learning the result Of the acci-
dent
"You were discovered" said she, "sittng
on edge of rocks, amidst the branches of II
shattered tree, clinging to the roof of your
broken coach with one hand and to the in
sensible form of lady with the other"
"And the lady?" gaSped. scanning the
girls face with an earnestness that caused her
to draw back and blush.
"She was saved, sir, by the means that
saved you-a friendly t,ee"
&. AL I,, c. tl.,.
tien,v demanded.
ave found them both crushed to pieces, at
the bottom of the precipice great way be-
low where my father aud uncle Joe found
you and the lady. We buried their bodies
both in one grave, close by the clover patch,
down in our meadow land
Poor Louisic! poor orphan. Go pity
youw | mu,tcrcd il, broken tones, utterly un-
had listener.
"God pity her indeed, sir said the young
girl, with a gush of heartfelt sympathy
"Would YOU like to soc her she added.
81 found the orphan bathod in tears. ty the
grave of her buriel kindred. She received
me with sorrowiul sweetness of manner. /
need not detaln your attention by detailing
the efforts made to win her from her griet,
out biiet1y acqnant You that at last ! sue
cecded in inducing her to leave her torlorn
home in the sunny South, and that twelve
months after the dreadful occurrence which |
have related we stood II, the altar as man
and wife. She still lives to bless my love
with her smiles, and my children with good
proccp's: but on the anniversary RI that ter .
rible night she sccluds herself in her room
a ii devotes the hour of darkness to solitary
prayer. As for me-" aided the traveller,
while the faint flush tinged his noble brow at
the avowal, "as for me. that accident has re-
duced me to the condition of physical cow
ard at the sight OF a IN untain precipce."
''But the driver" asked our laly passen-
ger, who had attended to the recital Of the .
story with much attention, "what brcame Of
the driver, or iii you never learn the reason
Of his Deserving his post,'
"His body was found on the road. within
few steps Of the spot where the coach went
over. He had been struck dead by the same
flash of lightning that blinded the restive
horses