Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1871-12-27


well us | did my fathers garden walks. ln
September, however nists will rise and. a.
| approached the valley, there came the 4.
spring Of the pretty stream which ran through
It, something like light cloud running aloug
the ground before the wind. Is there a nivhi
fog coming on? Perhaps there nay be. II
so, better steer quite clear of the cliff, by
means OF gentle circuit inland II is quite
impossible To miss the valley aud once il
the valley. It is equally difficult to miss the
hamlet. Richard Leroy has been frequently
ackwnrd aud forward the last few evenings
1t would be so strange it we should chance to
meet here and on such an occasion.
On, and still on, chceriy. Ia few min
utcs more shall reach the farm. and then.
to pass one more solitary night is almost u
pleasurahle delay. refinement in happiness
could sing and dance for JOY Yes, dance
all alone On this elastic turf There Just
one foolish capvr just ono
Good God is this not the shock Of an
earthquake hasten to advance another
step, but the ground beneath me quiyers aud
sinks grasp at the side Of the yawuing
pltiall but grasp in vain. Down, down, down.
| fall headong
When my senses returned. aud | could look
about me, the moon had risen, and was shin.
/ my in at the treacherous hole through which
had fallen. A glance was only too sufficient
TO explain my position Why had always
SO ioolishly refused to allow the farmer to
meet me half way, and accompany me to his
house every evening knowing, as did know,
how the chalk and limestone of the district
had been undermined in catacombs. sinuous
aud secret, for wells, flint, manure building
materials, and other purposes My poor
father aud Charlotte
Patience. Ii can hardly be possible that
now, on the eve OF marriage, | am suddenly
doomed to lingering death The night must
be passed here, and daylight will show some
means Of escape will lie down on this
heap Of earth that fell under me-
Amidst despairing thoughts aud hideous
waking nightmare, daylight slowly came.
The waning moon had not revealed the ex-
trcniity of my despair but now it was clearly
visible that had fallen double the height |
supposed. But for tue turf which had fallen
under me, must have been killed on the
spot The hole was too large for me to Greer
up, by pressing against it with my back anC
knees, aud there were no friendly knobs OF
, protuoerances visible up its smooth sides
The chasm increased in diameter as it de
scended, like au inverted funnel. | nigh
possibly climb up a wall but could creel
along ceiling.
shouted as lay; no one answered.
r shouted agaiu--and again Then | though
4 that too much shouting would exhaust N
- strength, and unfit me for the task of mount
. ing. | measured with my eye the distance
from stratum TO stratum OF each well-marke
:, layer Of chalk AID then the successiv
! beds of they gave me the greatest hope,
II ioUt-hoes could only be cut Though III
h. feat was difficult, it might be practicabl,
A The attempt must be made
arose stiff and bruised. No matter. TIL
first layer OF flnts was not more than seve
A or eight feet overhead. Those once reache,
y could secure footing, and obtain a Cir
- stnrting-place for escape. | tried to climb I
n them with my feet aud hands. Impossible
,, the crumbliug wall would not support half III
,e weight. As last as attempted to get hau,
# hold or footing, it fell in fragments to Il
- ground.
=, Bnt, better thought-to dig it away, AT
:; make mound so high that, by standing {
" " It, could manage to reach the flint with II
20 hands. had my knife to help me an
ufier much hard work, my object was acsor
o- plished aud got within reach Of the shelf
I'd My hands had firm hold of the horizont
flint They were cut with clingng but
d found that, by raising myself, aud then thrus
= ing my feet into the chalk aud mari, | cuu
II support myself with one hand ouy, lenvir
n. the other free to work. did work clea
le ing away the chalk above the flint, so as
We give me greater standing-room. At last,
nt thought | might venture upon the ledge itse
of BY supreme effort, reached the shelf; b
moisture had made the chalk unctuous
on slippery to the baffled grasp. 1t was in Va
re to thiuk Of mounting higher, with no point
er support, no firm footing. A desperate lie
no across the chasm afforded not the slight
" hope because, even if successful, could /
AT for one moment maintain the advantage ga
d ed. | was determined to remain on the led
,h 0f flint. Another moment, and a rattllng
SO The floor soon taught my powerlessness. Do
in, sunk the chalk beneath my weight and /
ii. stony table fell from its fixture, only Just II
nd ing 10 crush me under it. Stunned aud
n. aud bruised, | spent some time Frustrated
ia halcconscious but acute sensations Of mise
th Sleep, which as yet | had not felt, began
IRE steal over me, but could gain no maste
in With each moment Of incipeut unconscio
we ness, Charlotte was presented to me, frst,
he her wedding-dress next, on our terra
Ter beckoning me from the garden below tn
Ter we were walking arm-iu-arm in smiling C
ty. versaton; or seated happily together in
i'm fathers library. But the full cousciousu
aid which rapidly succeeded presented each
,ch ment the hideous truth. IL was now br
NO. day and | realized Charlotte's suferir
Isl. beheld her awaiting me in her bridal Dire
ms now Fastening TO the window, aud strain
ON. her sight over the valley, in the hope of
I'd, approach; now stricken down by despair
lch my absence. My father, too, whose life
ad, been always bound up in mine These
on. cies destroyed my power of thought. |
or. wild aud lrenzed | raved aud shouted
ted then listened, knowing no answer could co
by But an answer did come a madden
Pile answer. The sound Of bells, dull, dead,
nde in my hdeous well.hole, just distinguishes
OF They rang out my marriage-peal. Why
uiu not Ouflcu ullNc NHtn L ufsl Iell
in. could have drunk blood in my thi
TO had il been offered to me. Die | must
OF full well but let me not die with my mo
Of in famef Then came the struggle of sle
aud then ftful tantalizing dreams. Charl
on appeared TO me plucking grapes, and dropT
full them playtully into my mouth or catct
ioI water in the hollow Of her hand, from
Ser little cascade in our grotio, and drank.
ne. bark drip, drip. and again drip Is
d. madness still No. There must be wi
,ry oozing somewhere out Of the sides of this
TO. tested hole. Where the treacherous wa
ock simiest, where the green patches urc bri,
th- ost and widest spread on the cammy side
ar my living sepulchre, there will be the spo
dig aud to search.
my Again the knife. Every blow gives m
hal dead aud hollow sound The chalk dislod
Of is certainly not moisture but the blade sti
,ne fast into wood the wood of cask so
GU thing slowly begins to trickle down. |
pot brandy
led Brandy shall taste itf Yet, why ne
! "A did aud soon for a time remembered no