The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1862-11-21
A Living Death.

1t sometimes happens, on certain coasts of
Brittany or Scotland, that man, travel,e or
fisherman, walking on the beach at low tide
far from the bank, suddenly notices that for
several minutes he has been walking with
some difficulty. The strand beneath his
feet is like pitch his soles stick to it: it is
sand no longer, it is glue. The beach is
perfectly dry, but at every step he takes.
as soon as he lifts his foot, the print fills with
water. The immense strand is smooth and
tranquil, all the sand has the same appear
ance, nothing distinguishes the surface which
is solid from the surface which is no longer
so; the joyous little cloud Of sand-feas con-
tinues to leap tumultuously over the wavfarer's
feet. The man pursues his way, goes for
ward inclines towards the land, endeayors to
get nearer the upland. He is not anxious.
Anxious about what? Only, he feels some
how as if the weight of his feet increased
with every step which he takes. Suddenly
he sinks in. He sinks in two or three inch
es. Decidedly he is not on the right road :;
he stops and takes his bearings. All at once
he looks at his feet. His feet have disap-
peared. The sand covers them. He draws
his feet out Of the sand. he will retrace his
steps, he turns back, he sinks in deeper
The sand comes up to his ankles, he pulls
himself out and throws himself to the left,
the sand comes up to his shins. He then
recognizes with unspeakable terror that he is
caught in the quicksand, land thathe has beneath
him the fearful medium in which man can no
more walk than the fish can swim He throws
off his load if he has one, he lightens himself
| like ship in distress; it is already too late,
| the sand is above his knees
| He calls, lie waves his hat or handkerchief
the sand gains on him more ard more if the
beach is deserted. if the land is too far off
if the ssnd-bank is Of too ilrepute, if there
be no hero in sight, It is all over, he is con-
demned to enlizement. He is condemned t.
that appalling interment, long, infalibie, i'm
placable impossible to sIacken or to hasten
which endures for hours which will not end
which seizes you erect, free and in full health
which draws you by the feet, which at every
effort that you attempt, at every shout that
YOU utter, drags YOU little deeper, which
appears to punish you for your resistance by
a redoubling of its grasp, which sinks the
man slowly into the earth while it leaves hin
All tllc tltiC W ioph It tHe ilOllLOU, tI!e trees
the green fields. the smoke of the villages il
the plain, the sails of the ships upon the sea
the birds flying and singing, the sunshine
the sky. EnlizemeDt is the grave become a
tide and rising from the depths of tn,
earth towards living man. Each minute i
, an inexorable enshroudress. The victim at
, tempts to sit down, to lie down, to creep
every movemen, he makes, inters him; h,
straightens up, he sinks in he feels that h,
} Is being swallowed up; he howls, implores
, cries to the clouds, wrings his hands, de
spairs. Behold him waist deep in the sand
the sand reaches his breast, he is now only
bust. He raises mis- arms, utters furou
: groans, clutches the beach with his nails
: would hold by that straw, leans upon hi
, elbows to pull himself out of this sol
sheath sobs frenziedly; the sand rises
rises. The sand reaches his shoulders, tn
sand reaches his neck; the face alone
, visible now. The mouth cries, the sand fill
it; silence. The eyes still gaze, the san
shuts them; night. Then the forehead de
creases,a little har| |autters above the sand
l hand protrudes, comes throug h the surface {
p the beach, moves and shakes, and disappear
: Sinister efacement of man.-Tictor Hi