The mountain Democrat., 1863-01-31
A Living Death.

1t sometimes happens on the coast Of
Brittany or Scotland, slaata uhn, traveller
or fisherlnan,, walking ON the beactT at
low tide far from the bank, suddenly no,
ticcs 7that f6r several mihhtes he has been
wallAng With diAleultv. THE strand be.
AeatAo his Geet is like pitch; l5is sOles
stick, to it; it is sand no longer il b
glue. The beach is perfectly dry, but at
every step he takes, as soon as he lifts
his foot the print which h leaves nils
with water. The eye. however has no
ticcd no change the immense strand Is
smoothe and tranquil, all the sand has
the same appearance nothing distin-
49,. . -: 49,: TcS,s-E SkJ4 80, -,>>-.
so; the joyous little cloud Of snad tieas
continues to leap tumultuousIy over the
wayfarer'S feet. The man pnFsoes his
way, goes forward, incines toward the
land, endcavores tp get nearer the upland
: :. - y. wbAbi aOD;t'
he feels somehow as if the weight of his
| feet increased with every step which he
takes. Suddenly he sinks in. He sinks
in two or three inches. Decidedly he Is
not on the right road he stops to take
his bearings All at once he looks at his
feet. His feet have disappeared ~ The
sand covers them. He draws his feet out
Of the sand-hc will rctrace his steps;
he turns back-he sinks deeper. The
sand comes up to his ankles; he pulls
himself out aud throws himself to the
left the sand is half o leg deep, he
throws himself to the right the Sand
comes up tU his shins Then he recog.
nizes with unspcakablet error, that he is
caught in the quicksaDd, and that he has
beneath him tile fearful medium in which
man can no more walk than fish can
swim. He throws off his load II no has
one he lightens himself like y Ghip in
distress, it is already too late-tbe sand
is above his knees. lie calls, he waves
his hat or handkerchief, the sand gains
on him more and more if the beach is
deserted, If the land is too far of, If the
sand bank is Of too i'll repute, il there is
no hero in sight, it is all over, he is con-
demncd to that appalling interment, long,
infallible, implacable, impossible to slack
en- 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 ap-
pears to punish you for your resistance
by redoubling Of its grasp, which sinks
the man slowly into the earth, while it
leaves him all the time to look at the ho
rizon, the trees, the green fields, the
smoke of the villnge in the plain, the
sails Of the ships upon the sea, the birds
flying and singing. the sunshine, the sky.
Each minute is an incxorable enshroud.
ness. The victim attempts to sit down,
to lie down, to creep, every movement he
makes intcrs him he straightens up, he
feels that he is being swallowed up F.; he
howls, implores, cries to the clouds,
wrings his hands, despairs. Behold him
waist deep in the sand the sand reaches
his breast, he is now only bHst. He
raises his arms, utters furious groans,
clutches the beach with his nails, would
hold by that straw, leans upon his el-
| ows to pull himself out of this soft
sheath, sobs frienziedly; The sand rises
The saud reaches his shoulders, the sand
reaches his neck the face alone is visi-
BILE now. The mouth cries, the sand fills
it; silence. The eyes still gaze, the sand
shuts them; night. The forehead de-
creases, q little hair tiutters above the
sand !; handprotrudes, comes through
the surface of the beach, moves, and
shakes, and disappears. Sinisters efIacc.
mcnt of man, Victor, hugo ....