The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-12-24

''see, therei On the shelf OF ice below the
dogsn
ward, and they were all silent But they were
not al Inactive for Marguerite, with swift and
skilful fingers, bad detached both herself and
him from the rope In ieH seconds,
'show me the baskets. These two are the
only ropes"
"Thc only ropes here, ma'amSelle; but at the
Hospce =" . -,
II he is alive-I know It is my lover--he will
be dead before you can return. Dear Guides!
blessed friends of trayelleTsI LOOK ~ me-
Watch my hards. If they ialter or 20 wrong,
make me your prisoner by force. !. Ia, Sngy ~ are
Iteady and go right, help me to save mn, nltn y
She girded herself with cord under the breast
md arms she formed 1t into Klhd oI lsGket,
she drew II into knots, she lald lts emu sloe Oy
side with the end of the other cord, she twisted
and twjned the two together, she knotted them
together she set her foot upon the knots, she
strained them, she held them for the two men to
"she is inspired" they said to one another.
y "By the Almighty's mercy ~ she exclaimed.
'tYou both know that / am by far the lightest
here Give me the brandy and the wine, and
lower me down to him. Then go for assistance
and stronger rope. You see that when it is
lowered to me-look at this about me now-I
can make it fast and safe to his body. Alive or
dead, will bring HIM up, or die with him, |
love him passionately. Can say more2"
They turned to her companion, but he was
lying senseless on the snow.
"Lower me down to him." she said, taking
two little kegs they had brought and hanging
them about her, "or | will dash myself to
pieces ! am peasant, and know no gidd
ness or fear; and this is nothing to me, and l
passionately love him. Lower me down."
"Maamselle, maamselle, he must be dying or
dead.n
"Dying or dead, my husbands head shall lie
upon my breast, or will dash myself TO pieces"
They yielded. oyerborne. With such precau-
lions as their skill and the circumstances adj
mitted, they let her slip from the summit
guiding herself down the Precipitous, icy wall
lowered down, and lowered down, until the
cry came up: "Enoughln ~
SIS it really he, and is he dead? they called
down, looking over.
The cry came up:-"He is insensible; but his
heart beats. II beats against NINE"
chow does he llep
The cry came up:-"Upon ledge of ice. 1t
has thawed beneath him, and it will thaw be-
meath me. Hasten. II we die, am content"
One of the two men hurried off with the dogs
al such topInost speed as he could make; the
other set up the lighted torches in the snow,
and applied himself to recovering the English
man. Much snow-cbafpg and some brandy got
him on his legs, bat delirious and quite uncon-
scious where he was.
The watch remained upon the brink, and his
cry went down continually :-"Courage! They
will soon be here. How goes it," And the cry
came up;-"His heart still beats against mine.
I warm him in my arms. l have cast off the
rope. for the ice melts under us, and the rope
would separate me from him; but l am not
afraid.n
; The moon went down behind the mountain
tops, and all the abyss lay in darkness. The cry
went down:-"How goes 1t W The cry came up:
1--WE are sinking lower, but his heart still beats
against mine"
AT length the eager barking of the dogs, and
flare OF light upon the snow, proclaimed that
help was coming on. Twenty or thirty men,
lamps, torches, litters, ropes, blankets wood to
kindle great fire, restoratives and stimulants,
came in fast. The dogs ran from one man to
another, and from this thing to that, and ran to
the enge of the abyss, dumbly entreating Speed,
speed, speed!
The cry went down:-"Thanks to God, all is
ready How goes it?"
The cry came up:-"We are sinking still, and
we are deadly cold. His heart no longer beats
against mine. Let no one come down, to add
to our weight. Lower the rope only.n
The fire was kindled high, a great glare of
torches lighted the sides of the precipice, lamps
were lowered, strong rope was 10 wered. She
could be seen passing it round him, and making
it secure.
The cry came up into deathly silence =
tRaise Softly J" They could see her dimin-
ished figure shrink, as he was swung into the
air.
They gave no shout when some of them laid
him on litter, and others lowered another
strong rope. The cry again came up into a
they caught her at the brink, then they shonted,
then they wept, then they gave thanks to
Heaven, then they kissed her feet, then they
kissed her dress, then the dogs caressed her,
licked her icy hands, and with their honest
faces warmed her frozen bosom!
She broke from them all, and sank over him
on his litter, with both her loving hands upon
the heart that stood still.
ITO be continledl