Charles City intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Floyd County, Iowa) 1864-1866, 1866-02-22

II NY THE AUTHOR OF ''L Lorf's FssT LovrIErrER."
Tho rain camcacwr in torrents. The
lightning blazed, the thunder crashed,
the wind blew tornado. Neither I,
nor my horses, had ever been out in
such astorm.
was, at that time, q young man of
twenty-one, who had just been admit
ted to the Philadelphia bar, and was
now at the country-seat had inherit
ed. Most OF my time was spent in
the saddle, or, when it was too hot for
riding, in driving my pair Of chestnut
sorrels, whose pedigree went back to
the Godolphin Arabian. ..'
Suddenly l heard childish voice.
as if in distress, pulled up and look
cd around. Under a tree. at the road
side, where she had sought shelter
from the storm, was little girl about
ten years old the most beautiful child
| had ever seen. She had been out af.
ter wild Strawberries, to Judge from
basket on her arm. a a'f'a
threw the lines to my groom and
jumped down. Please, sir, won't you
take me home? piped the little voice,
her big, brown eyes looking at me,
half slyly, yet courageously. If there
had been such q thing as falling in
love with a child of that age, | should
have lost my heart then and there, she
looked so arch and bewitclIing. s. p
soon had her in my trotting- wag-
on, promising to take her home, She
was on visit, with her aunt she said,
at the White House on the noun
tain )" favoritc resort, as knew,
for citizens spending their summers in
my section of the country. Her shy
ness soon wore of, and she chatted
! away as if she had known me for years.
She was still rattling on, when we
drew up at the hotel, and her aunt, in
great fright, came ont to receive her.
As the rain was pouring down, and as
there was no cover to my wagon, did
not stop to listen to the profuse thanks,
but drove swiftly down the hill, and so
homeward 1t was not till the hotel
was out of sight, that remembered
had not asked the name of my little
strawberry-girl and when, the next
day, | rode over to inquire if she had
caught cold, found she had left for
the city, her aunt having received an
unexpected summons home. "Mrs
Brown was so sorry you couldn't stay
yesterday" said the inkecpcr, or, that
she couldn't wait to thank you for TAX
ing care of her niece, poor little or
phan, sir" . ...-
Often, that summer, as passed the
thicket, where had first seen the lit
tie strawberry-girl, | wondered if
should ever meet her in the great town.
And after IJiad returned to the city,
it was months before gave mp the
habit OF scrutinizing every childish
face passed, in hopes of recognizing
my favorite for, by constant thinking
of her, she had grown to be such.
Many time, in my lonely office, as
sat looking into the embers of my
wood fire, late at night, indulged in
a vague dream of educating just such
a child to be my wife.
Seven years passed. Gradually the
memory of the little strawberry-girl
grew DINNER. | went abroad, visit
ing every capital of Europe, spending
a winter upon the Nile and dreaming
away month by the famed waters of
Damascus. On my return, | grew alb
sorbed in my profession. took an
active part in politics, SO had but
small leisure for all reveries. Yet the
face of my favorite would continually
come up to me. ! had never seen it
since that day but knew that if |
I did, should recognize it among thou
sand. | pictured to myself the cham
ges which years had made in it. And
| fancied tall, willowy figure, grace
ful as Atlanta herself, with wonderful
chestnut hair, and great spiritual
brown eyes.
One winter, worn down by excessive
labor, took trip to Cuba. The re-
turn voyage was very rough, and there
were few passengers on deck until the
last day. Then, the near prospect of
land, and the subsistence of the gales,
tempted almost everybody out on deck.
| was leaning over the rail, not far
from the stern, when heard splash,
and simultaneously the awful Cry, /" A
man overheard |" looked down. A
little head was disappearing in the wa
ter about midships whoever had fall.
en-. had fallen SO close to the wheel,
that he had probably been killed by
the paddles /; but a woman's wild
scream, my boy, my boy ~ ringing
out, sharp and shrill, and oh with
such agony, made me disregard all
this I; and plunged in. reasoned
that by the time could reach the wa
ter. the lad would have drifted near to
where | struck it; so that, if alive,
and to be saved at all, he must be saw
ed by me. OF my own personal risk
4 thought nothing. ! was good
swimmer but the chance Of thus rescu-
ing drowning person is, under any
circumstances, very slim, while, with
a steamer at full speed, it is too remote
to calculate. But did not think of
this.
Il / remember going down, down, down
through the dark water, while just be-
low me, an indistinct object, which
knew to be the child, kept sinking and
sinking, ever beyond my reach. AT
last, with a desperate effort, grasped
it by the shoulder. Then began the re.
al peril of the undertaking.. The boy,
instinctively. strove to seize me around
the neck. If he succeeded, we would
both, l knew, be drowned. Despera.
tion gave him unusual strength, and
once or twice he nearly gained his OBJ.
ject. There was moment, indeed
when was almost tempted to throw
him off for my strength was nearly
exhausted and we were still long
way below the surface. But, with a
sudden exertion, | got him, at last, al
arms length, and held him there, while