National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1866-07-06

upon the coffin, that something fell
with pat upon my bright trowel,
which, if it had been left, would have
been a spot of fust.
Nothing like work to put fellow
to rights, and | soon found that
was feeling better, and the strokes
of my trowel went ringing away
down the sewer as ! cut the brick in
half; and after a bit | almost felt
inclinedto whistle; but didn't: for
| kept on thinking of that solitary
face at home-he face that always
frightened up when | went back,
and had made sich a man of me as
| thought | was, for it was enough
to make any man vain to be thought
so much of. And then | thought
how dull she'd be of looking at the
drawer where al the little things
were kept, and slisSi I--well, | amt
ashamed Of it. if am great hulk
ing fcll0w-I took care that nobody
saw what / was doing, while | had
a look at a little bit of u shoe as |
had in my pocket.
| didn't go home to dinner, for it
was too far off; so ! had my snack,
and then went to it again directly
along with two more, for we was on
) the piece. We had some beer sent
down to us, and at it we went until
it was time for Us to leave off; and
/ must say as | was glad of it, and
didn't much envy the tresher gang
coming on to WORK all night. though
it might Just as we'll have been night
with us. ! was last down, and had
inst put ny foot OH the first round
of the ladder, VIXEN | heard some
thing falling as il hit and Jared the
boards up'ards; and then directly
after what Seemeoto be a brick struck
me on the head. and before | knew
where | was. was off the little plat
orm.splash down into the cold,rush-
inc water that took me off and away
wards upon yards before ! got above
it: and then | was SO confused and
half stunned that | let it go under
again, and had been carried ever so
/ y a
my legs and leaned, painting and
blinded, up against the Shiny wall.
There stood for at least ten min
utes, | should suppose, sluddering
and Mortified. with the thick dark
ness all around, the cold, rushing
water beneath me. and my mind in
; that confused state that for a few
minutes longer ! didn't know what
: | was going to do next, and wanted
; to persuade myself that it was all q
dream and should wake up directly
: All at once. though | gave a jump
and instead OF being cold with water
dripping from me. turned all hot
, and burning and Then again cold anC
, shuddery; for ! had felt something
crawling on my shoulder, and ther
close against my bare neck, when !
gave the jump, and heard close by
me Il light splash in the water-a
splash which echoed through the
hollow, while, half to trighten the
, beasts that | fancied must be il
swarm. sIound me, half wrung from
= me as cry of fear and agony,
; yelled out
RATSw
2 Rats they were: for above the
2 waSh-waSh, hurry hurry ,wasl-waSh
hmTy-hurry of the water coulo
hear little splashes and a scuilling
/ by me along the sides of the brick
q work.
1 You may laugh at peoples hail
4 standing on end. but ! know theI
| that there was Il creeping, tingllns
D sensation III the roots of mine ~
: though sand was trickling amongs
a it; cloud seemed to come over my
i mind, and for few moments | be
t lieve | was mad--mad with fear
{. and it was only by sitting my teetl
+ hard and clenching my fists that
c kept from shrieking. However,
/ was soon better, and ready to laugi
$ at myself, as recollected that
Il could be only little way from tn
:, spot where the men worked: so
4 began TO wade along the water her
II about up to my middle. All at one
e stopped, and thought about wher
Il | was at work.
Is Which way did the water run
ii My head turned hot and my ten
pies throbbed with the thought.
e | went the wrong way | should h
Of lost-loSt in this horrible darkncs
d to sink, at last, into the foul, blac
II. stream, to be drowned and devou
Or ed by the rats, or else to be choke
IN by the foul gases that must be lurl
Ia ing down here in these dark rccesSc
10 A gain the horror of thick darI
it ness come upon me; | shrieked OF
N wildly, and the cry went cchoil
d through the sewer sounding hollo
of and wild till it faded away. Bt
once more | got the better of
| and persuaded myself that h;
T.: only cried aloud to scare the rat
t; What would have given for sto,
re stick as II defense against attack
ig | grouped my way on, feeling co
on vinccd that | should be right If
nd crawlcd down stream, when q lit
,st reflection would have told me tn
,n M stream must he the right WA
nv for | must have been borne dOv
by the water. But could not /
~. fleet. for my brain seemed in a few,
nv and now and then my teeth chatt'
It; ed as though had the ague.
as grouped on for quite u quart
ell of an hour, when the horrid thong