The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1868-05-28

been my own dress that had caught iir
only I should certainly have bu,ne,
to death before Mr.. Harrison voul,
have come and wrapped me in quill
aud hugged me.
From that day forward, some povc,
full influence was at work upon me-.
struggled hard after that cool name
which Mr.. Harrison possessed in so EN-
iocnt degree. T oven .venture1, i,
the pursuit Of perfection, to ask hin
how he could do it.
II suppose" said he, "it is because
naturally have such an extreme terro
Of danger in every shape-such a live
Iy sympathy with those iu peril-tha
feel very strongly the necessity fo'
being calm when others are excited.
think that whatever excuse lady may
have for losing her wits-and that is
at the best, very little-a man has q,
excuse whatever: / always try " Aes,
my wits about me"
ITO be calm them" said I, with the
withering irony common to girls Of from
fourteen to eighteen, t'sone only need,
to Have bis wits about him"
""Exactiy," said he'; cor, to chang:
the sex, her wits about her."
'-"J lust 'ss,''- I added, "the secret o.
wealth is to get money" J.
j "And' to keep i" said he.
F On one thing T was fully determined
he never should hear me scream
again. "7 . '''': -;
+: However,! he left the sch ool soon .f:
ter; and I ala likewise IN in,''ii about six
months. J. :, .'i.' -.
f.. 1had' effected great change in my.
self before I met him sgain.
-. - i: =. IL. ;'@:
1t was in the summer Of the yea,
which saw me pass my twentieth birth.
day, that We met 4 Niagara Falls. He
wsssthere With his: cousin, my .dsa1
friend Belle Harrison, aud I With my
sister and niother::"i.:' y: . 4..'
~ Oa certain'day We we're all taking
a walk on Goat Island, whom mother
dropped her parasol, aud it slid down
the bank some fifteen or twenty feet,
and out of reach. MI. Harrison de-
scendcd the bank after it, but though
he used proper caution, bis foot slipped
on the treacherous soil, as he was re-
turning, and he slid rapidly down, to
the very verge Of the precipice. I e1-
pected nothing else than to see him 20
over, and be dashed to pieces on the
rocks ahuudred feet below but though
the three other ladies screamed loudly,
I did not. You see, I was pretty thor
oughly drilled by this time. However,
as Mr.. Harrison neared the edge of the
preoipiee, he threw out his.risht haud-
still holding the parasol in his left
and seized the upturned roots of a tree
which leaned out over the chasm. The
tree shook violently under the sudden
shock, and the roots began to tear
themselves out Of the thin soil slowly
and steadily, under the influence of this
superadded weight. In few minutes
more, it would have given away, and
then Mr.. Harrison would be killed. I
know my face was pale, aud was ter
ribly frightened; but 1 leaned forward
and spoke to him:
'Tell me what to do"
"Take all the ladies' shawls, skirts,
and any other articles of dress that you
can spare, and which arc strong; cut
them in wide, strong strips; tie them
firmly together and make rope"
I obeyed as calmly as I knew he
would have done, but none the less ex-
peditiously on that account be very
sure. He continued speaking to me at
intervals while was doing his bidding,
and he spoke as deliberately as if he
stood ia perfect safety BY my side.
"Your calmness is quite charming,
Miss Monroe" said he: "Be sure and
and make the knots tight. I judge
that this tree may be relied on With
perfect confidence for ten or fifteen
minutes yet. . Your rope is long
enough nov, l think. Tie a stone ia
the end; aud let that end down to me,
That's it. All right now. 10
nothing but hold fast, ladies, and l will
come up to you"
He drew himself up, hand over hand
With extreme caution, and was saved
Ny mothers parasol was restored to
her with a eourtly bow and he brush
ed thu dust from his clothes and walk.
ed away with US. I walked by his
side; but he made no reference to the
peril just passed, ...,.
That evening, however, as We sat on
tho piazza Of our hotel, where it over.
looks the river-how we'll 1 remember
the rushing sound Of the waters down
below he said:
ave are alone now, Miss Monroe,
and can thank you tor saving NY
life, without any offence to the other
ladies'"
1t was too dark, out there, for him
to see the blush of delight that went
over my face at these words How much
they meant, to me! y -.
81 knewI was ~ good as saved" he