Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1860-07-06
CEDAR CEDAR FALI4s, IOWA, FRIDAY, JULY s., 1850.


- - -. :. ,,.s,,..,;.
madly against the shores, and leaped from
roclS'to rock, in their nnpctuous race to the
awful abyss into which they were soon to be
lost. i.,,Ir .he., .......,.. ,.-.t.n...
For, several days Arthur seemed to be
laboring under dcep..melancholy, from which
Evelyn and myself in vain endeayored to re.
call him. He Stunned our society, and every
morning betaking himself to his skill, pulled
over to this island and spent the day with
his gun in the woods. His object was evi
IDENTIFY not to hunt, for every evening he re-
turned without game Of any kind, and his
gun had the appearance Of never having beer
! discharged. ="
"Onc morning, however he salutcd us both
at breakfast with his usual cheerful manner
and excusing himself to us for what he term
ed his want Of good fellowship, proposed that
! should accompany him to Table Rock and
the Whirlpool, and promised in the afternoon
to take Evelyn and his name-sake with him
in his skiff over to Navy Island, which with
its inviting green woods, was one of the mos,
beautiful features in the wide landscape seer
from the windows Of bis residence. a'lFfit
| ~ never had = more delightful ramblc
than / did TINT morning with my friend. =
lie seemed more like the beloved Arthur O
our younger days, than he had before sine,
our arrival; and when we returned home t
dine, he would scarcely sppcase the keen
appetite the walk had given, us, before h,
ordered his boat in, readiness. L was also I,
accompany him; but as there was not room
IN the little craft to accommodate her, the nurs,
fwas To remain behind, and the care of Ettl,
Arthur dcyolycD upon his mother and myself
ny u11hs,e buA eHplsltilynf laagt ldj ,fiJF.
! my friend seated at the sculls, which h,
handled with the skin Of an experience a wa
tcrman, pushed off from the shore, and sing
ing a cheerful boatman' s song as an accom-
Raniment to his vigorous strokes, soon stlucl
| the shelving beach.
""I never remembered I'd have seen m,
cousin in such hilarious spirits before; ant
was alarmed lest a reaction might he at
tended with the same melancholy from whicl
| he had but Just recovered He laughed loud
| ly in the cxuberancc Of his excitement, ant
made The old groves resound with his merr,
songs. Catching his little name-sake from
the arms of his mother, he tossed him in til.
air, and throwing him upon his shoulder
ran and lcaped over the green swarf like .
thoughtlcss school boy The cEild partak
ing Of his NOISY enthusiasm, emulated him il
tiny shouts, while the happy Evelyn looked
on delighted. All my friends, little could
we forcsec the fearful termination of day
which opened upon us so promisingly "a
day that was to close down upon one OF that
little party in an awful gloom, which no Joy
could again light up. But let me hasten to
the fatal tragedy, which wound up this event.
full day Ofiny life, SfN 3 eHR gEa =
The afternoon soon glidcd away, and MS
the long shadows began to stretch out upon
the river, had to remind Arthur that it was
time to return. At first he proposed that We
should wait till the moon should rise, and
return by her mellow light; but fearing tu
expose Evelyn and the child to the evening
dews, | urged our immediate departure and
placing my wife, and our little boy, in the
after part Of the boat, took my own position
in the bows, that L. might the better assist
Arthur to push her from the shore. lie
sprang in after us, and taking his position at
the sculls, as before, with few vigorous
strokes we were once more afloat upon the
strong current of the Niagara j3i z
Instead of striking directly for the Cana
dian shore, was surprised to find that he
was making for the opposite direction, pass
ing between the head of Navy Island, and
the foot of Buckhoril, out into the main
channel of the river. t.s,, (
-. :" Arthur! Arthur! shouted, where
in Heavens name are you steeringy for
had heard frightful stories Of boats being
carried down the sweeping currents of this
passage; and in my ignorance ofthc naviga-
rtion Of the stream, supposed that il was new
er voluntarily venturcd into.
"' Ha! ha Harry, old boy don't distress
yourself, why, you are more scary than an
old woman Don't you see I'm going to
circumnayigatc the, island, and enter the
mouth Of the creek from below. It's a thing
I've done hundred times; besides You see.
in that way I'll take advantage of the stream,
sndldfift into the eddy formed by the out.
aporing current Of the Chippewa ~
Don't be alarmed my boy Ia! ha !
ha!-but wen have right merry time of it
yct--ha what say you little one s-(the
child had echoed the wild laugh )--what say
you, dear sister mine? !? Shall VIC not hare q
merry time Of itY-and with another mad
burst Of mcrriment, and fierce cleaning
from his dark eyes, which had never burned
there before, Arthur spyang once more to his
oars, with q strength that made the little
craft, with its precious freight, leap almost
from the waters, as it sped rapidly along,
under the outer shore Of the Island.
D "A few, such strokes sufficed to bring us
to the lower end of the long point which
stretches nearly opposite the mouth Of the
creek we should have entered, when, with
another hoarsc, hysterical ha hal ha! he
shouted in voice that might have been
heard on. either shore: 81
:. go Il say, Harry, old fellow, don't YOU know