Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1869-07-24

was sensibIy going down, down,
| down. The moaning OF the agoniZed
animal became deeper and deeper
| aud I knew from his desperate plum
| ges that Il was one Of our horses.
| Crash upon crash Of thunder rolled
over the mountain, aud viyid flashes
of lightning played over our heads.
! By its light | could see for a moment
| the old planter standing erect, with
/ his hands on his son and daughter
/ his eyes raised To heaven. and his
| lips moving as if in prayer. / could
see Louise turn her ashy cheek to-
ward me as If imploriny assistance
and 1 could see the bold glance Of the
boy flashing Indignant defiance at
the war OF clements, and the aW ful
danger that awaited him. There
was roll, q desperate plunge, a
harsh, grating Jar, a sharp, piercing
scream OF mortal terror, and | had
! but time to clasp Louise firmly with
one hand around her waist, and seize
the f9steGings attached to the coach
---------
root with the other, when we were
prec .pitated over the precipice.
Il cav distinctly recollect preserv-
ing consciousness for few seconds
OF time, how rapidly my breath was
being exhausted, bG: OF that tre-
mendous descent / soon lost all fur
ther knowledge by a conclusion 50
violent that was instantly deprived
OF all sense and motion"
The traveller paused. His features
worked for . minute or two as they
did when we were on the mountain ;
he passed his hands across his fore
head, IA If in pain, and then resumed
his thrilling narrative.
ION 4 low couch il. an humble
rom of small country house, /
next opened my eyes in this world
of light and shade, JOY and sorrow,
mirth and madness. Gentle hands
sOothed my pillow, gentle feet glided
across my chamber, and a gentle
voice for time hushed all my ques-
tions. I was kindly tended by fair
young girl of about sixteen, who re-
fused for while to aold any dis
course with me. At length, one
morning, finding myself sufficiently
recovered to sit up, 1 insisted on
knowing the result of the accident.
90 \ ou were discovered, said she,
sitting on q ledge of rocks, amidst
the branches of a shattered tree,
c!inging TO the roof of your broken
coach with one hand, and the insen-
sible form of lady with the other
And the LADY, | gasped, scan
ming the girls face with an earn
estness that made her draw back and
blush.
:" She was saved, sir, by the means
that saved you-a friendly tree
And her father and br0thern =
impanently demanded.
We found both crushed 30 death
at the bottom Of the precipice, and
we buried them ia one grave by the
clover patch down in our meadow
" Poor Louise poor orphan God
pity YOU / muttered in broken
tones, utterly unconscious that | had
q listener.
- God pity her, indeed, sir, said
she, with 3 gUsh OF heartfelt sympa-
thy. Would you like to see her 2
she added.
II found her bathed in tears for
her. kindred, and she received me
with sorrowful sweetness of manner.
| need not detaln you by describing
the efforts ] made to sOOthe her grief,
but briefly acquaint you that al last
| succeeded, and twelve months at
ter the dreadful occurrence which |
have related we stood at the altar as
| man and wife. She still lives TO
| hLGSS me Win leE StltIleS, but on liit
anniversary of that terrible night
| she secludes herself in her room, and
devotes the hour Of darkness to sOli-
| tary prayer.
LAS for me- added the traveller,
while a faint blush tinged his noble
brow, ''as for me, that accident has
reduced me to the condition of =
physical coward st the sight OF a
mountain precipice.'
"But the driver" asked the lady
passenger, who had listened 10 the
story With much attention, what
| became OF the driver, and did you
ever learn the reason of his desertine
| his post 90
His body was found on the road
| within few steps of the place where
| the coach went ever. He had beer
| struck dead by the same flash Of
lightning that blinded the restivf
horses
And thus ended the thrilling and
| remarkable story of life.