The Placer herald., 1863-01-03
NUMBER 1S.
A Living Death.

1t sometimes happens on the coasts of
Britain or Scotland, that o man, traveller
or fisherman, walking on the beach at low
tide far from the bank, suddeoly notices
that for several minutes be has been walking
with difficulty. The strand beneath bis feet
IS like pitch; his soles stick to it; i: 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 which it leaves fills
with water. The eye, however has noticed
no change; tn immense strand ia smooth
and tranquil, all the sand has the samo ap.
pearance; nothing distinguish. the surface
which is no longer so the joyous little cloud
of sand tleas continues to leap unanimously
over the way farers feet. The man pursues
his way, goes forward, inclines toward the
land, endeavors to get nearer the upland.
He is not anxious. Assxious about what!
Only he feels somehow as if the weight of
his feet increased with every step he takes.
Suddenly he sinks in. He sinks in two or
three inches. Decidedly be 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. lie
draws his feet out of the sand-he will re.
trace his steps, he turns back-he sinks
deeper. The sand comes up to his ankles;
he pulls himself ont and throws himself to
the left; the sand is half leg deep, he throws
himself to the right; the sand comes up to
his shin. Then he recognizes with un.
speakable terror, that he is caught in the
quicllaand, and that lie has beneath him the
fearful medium in which man can no more
walk than fish can swim. He throws off
his load if he has one, he lghtens himself
ike ship in distress; it is already too late
the sand is above his knees. lie calls, he
waves his hat or handkerchief, the sand
gains on him more and more; fthe beach is
deserted, if the land is too far off, if the sand
bank is of too ilI-repute if there is no hero
in sight, it is all over, he is condemned to
en|izement. lie is condemned to that ap-
paIIing interment, long, infalible, impacable
impossible to slacken or to hasten, which
ndures for hours, which will not end, which
selzes 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, draes you little deeper, which
appears to punish you for your resistance by
man slowly into the earth, while it leaves
lIlIl an lilt tIHt 10 lpOk dt lDo uOflZOn, tD0
trees, the green fields, the smoke of the vii,
lage in the plain, the sails of the ships upon
the sea, the birds flying and singing, tho
sunshine the sky. Each minute is an exor
able enshrouduess. The victim attempts TO
sit down, to lie down, to creep, every move.
ment be makes inters him; he straightens
up, he sinks in, he feels that he is being
swallowed up; he howls, implores, cries to
the clouds, wrings his hands, despairs. Be.
hold him waist deep in the sand; the sand
reaches his breast, he is now only bust.
lie raises his arms, utters furious groans,
clutches the beach with his nails, would hold
by that straw, leans upon his elbows to pull
himself out of this soft sheath, sobs frenzied-
ly; the sand rises. The sand reaches his
shoulders; the sand reaches his neck; the
face alone is visible now. The mouth cries,
the sand fills it; silence Then the forehead
decreases, little hair lutters above the sand;
a hand protudes comes through the surface
of the beach, moves, and shakes, and dlsap,
pears. Sinister etfacement Ola man.
Victor Hugo.