Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1860-07-13
WATERTowN, WIS, FRIDAY, JULY 10, 1860.
AN AWKWARD PREDIcAnaENr

still, but an Incident of so friehtful a
character took place as to put the matter
entirely out of the question. | was a
young undergraduate, spending the sum-
mer with reading 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, in XII
larney, as ourselves. and we all met every
day, We boated on the lake together,
fshed, and sang and read. We landed on
the wooded islands in the soft, summer
evenings, to take our tea in gipsy fashion,
and to sketch; but she and mostly whis-
pered--not about love at all, as | remem-
Der, but of the weather and the rubic;
only it seemed so sweet to sink our voices
and speak low and soft. s.....
Once, in party over the moors, while
was leading her pony over some boggy
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, my friend, and that youth of
the spirit which no power can ever more
renew. knew what she felt and what
would please her, as soon as the feeling
and the wish themselves were born. Our
thoug tiny thought at least leaped
out to wed with thought ere thought could
we'd itself with Speech . She took fancy
to huge mastif dog belonging to fish
erman, and bought it for her at once, al
though it was terribly savage, and (cxcept
for Lucy's liking IT'D not either good nor
beautiful. It's name, also-the only one
it would answer to, and sometimes it would
not at that-was Towser, not name for
lads's pet at ALL and scarcely for GENTLE
mans. There was little secluded field
hedged in by a copicc, which sloped into
the lake about mile from the hotel, and
there Lucy agreed { for the first time) to
meet me alone. | was to be there before
breakfast, at eight o'clock in the morning
and you may be sure was there at six
with .Towser. Perhaps | was never hap
pier than at that particular 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 rip
pling waves of the lake looked irrepressibly
tempting, and | could not resist swim
Just a plunge and out again, thought I;
for though had plenty tinc to spare,
determined to be dressed and ready for
the interview at least an hour before the
appointed time. Lucy might, like myself
be little earlier; and at all events, with
such an awful consequence in possible ap-
prehension, would not run the shadow of a
risk. Mind my clothes, mind them,''
said to Towser, (who took his seat there
on at once, sagaciously enough, for | had
heard of such things as clothes being sto-
len from unconscious dippers before them,
with results not to be thought of, and in I
went I remember 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 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 man
stunned deaf by a fall; it was my last per-
feet pleasure, and succeeded by a shock
that shall never, think. quite get over
When | had bathed as long as | judged
to be prudent, | landed and advanced to-
ward the spot where my garments and
Towser lay !; as did so every individual
hair upon his back seemed to bristle with
fury; his eyes kindled like Goals of fire:
be gave me notice by a low, determined
growl that he would spring on me and tear
me into fragments if approached nearer;
it was evident that he did not recognize me,
in the least, without any clothes Tow,
Tow, Tow said | pleasantly, good old
Tow, you remember me;'' but the brute,
like the friend whom we had known in bet
ter days, and appealed to when in different
apparel, only shook his head in a menacing
manner, and showed his teeth the more
Towser, be quiet, sir; how dare you
Tow-Tow-Towser-( here he nearly had
a bite Of my calf of)-you nasty, brutal
dog; go away, sir-go-ain't you ashamed
of yourself?" Drops of foam oozed thro'
the teeth of the ferocious monster as he
stood up, with his tail erect at these re-
proving words, but he manifested no sign
of remorse or sorrow. My situation be-
came serious in the extreme, what if he
chooses to sit there on my personal appar-
el, until? --sl s-s.y.e. ..-.. ..e. rr-- .t.-..
At this idea, too terrible to be contem-
plated, profuse perspiration broke out all
over me. Presently, feeling a little cold,
| went back into the lake again to consider
what was to be done, and resolving upon
the fell design of cntlcing Towser into the
water and there drowning him. Abuse and
fattery being equally thrown away upon
him, | tried stones; heavcd at him with
all my force the largest pebbles could Sc
lect, the majority of which he evaded by
leaping from side to side, and those which
struck him rendered him SO furious that /
believe he would have killed and eat me if
he could, whether / was dressed or not,
but be would net venture into water after
me STILL. 4asr frsst.v a
At last, the time drawing on apace for
the appointed interview, which / had once
looked forward to with such delight and
expectation, was fain. in an agony of
shame and rage, to hide myself in dry
ditch, in the neighboring copsc, where |
could see what took place without being
seen, and there I covered myself over like
a babe in the wood. with leaves. .a,
Presently my Lucy came down, a trife
more carefully dressed than usual, and look
ing all grace and modesty; the dog began
to howl as she drew near? she saw him and
she s,v my clothes and the uotinn that [