The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-12-27
THE MAN IN THE RESERVOIR.
BY CHARLES FENNO HOFFMAN.

senatorial looking mothers with young childre
pacing the parapet, as we basked there the 9th
day in the sunshine-now watching the picker
that glide along the lucid edges Of the black 20
within, and now looking off upon the scene
rich and wondrous variety that spreads along IL
two rivers on either side.
''They may talk Of Alpheus and Arethusa
muImured an idling sophomore, who had EOun
his way thither during recitation hours, ''but Il
Crot0n in passing over an arm Of the sea at Spu,
ten-Duyvil, and bursting to sight again in th
truncsted pyramid, beats it all hollow. b
George, too, the bay yonder looks as blue as eve
the Egean sea to Byron's eyes, gazing from tn
Acropolis! But the painted foliage on thes
crass!-ths Greeks must have dreamed Of sue
vegetable phenomenon IN the midst OF thel
graysh olive groves. or they never would nav
supplied the want of it in their laDds cape by EN-
brOidering their marble temples with gay colors
II did not"
.Lounos his silver fin flashed upon the blac
Acheron, like q restless soul that hoped +
mount from the pool"
you!" we observed in reply to the rattlepate.
sit 10, indeed, for have done up q good dea
Of anxious thinking within circle Of few yard
from where that fish broke Just now"
"a singular place for meditation-the middl
Of the reservoir"
you look lncredulous, sir; but it's fact
fellow can never tell, until he ,s tried, in wha
situation his most earnest meditatiOns may bl
concentrated am boring you, thought"
Not 1t all. But you seem SO familiar with thu
leading down to the water is lashed against thu
stone work in y0nder corner?"
That ladder" said the young man, brighten.
ing at the question "why. The position, per.
haps the very existence of that ladder resulted
from my meditati0ns in the reservoir, at which
von smiled Just now. Shall tell you all about
them ?"
spray do
Gwen. YOU have seen the notice forbidding any
one to fish in the reservoir. Now, when read
that warning, the spirit Of the thing struck me
ut once as inferring nothing more than that one
should not sully the temperance potatiOns OF our
citizens by sleeping bait IN it OF any kind but
you probably know the common way Of taking
pike with q sip-noose Of delicate wire. l was
determined to have touch at the fellows With
this kind of tackle.
- chose moonlight night; and an hour be-
fore the edifce was closed to visitors, secreted
myself within the walls, determined to pass the
night on the top, AL went az l could wish it.
able DRIFT OF broken clouds which obscured the
moon. had walking csne-rod with 9 which
would reach to the margin Of the water, and
several feet beyond if necessary. To this was At
"Iprowled along the parapet for consider
able time, but not single fish could see. The
clouds made Pickering light and shade, that
wholly fooled my steadfast gaze. was convinced
that should they come up thicker, my whole
nights adventure would be thrown away. why
should not descend the sloping wall and get
nearer on level with the fish, for thus alone
can hone t. see enc? The question had hardly
shaped itself in my mind before had one leg
over the iron railing.
'.If you look around you will see now that
there are some half-dozen weeds growing here
and there, amid the assures of solid masonry. In
one of the assures from whence these spring, I
planted a foot and began my descent. The res
ervoir was fuller than 1t is now, and few strides
would have carried me to the margin Of the
with the one foot for place to plant it below me.
cat that moment the flap Of pound pike
made me look round, and the roots Of the weed
upon which partially depended gave way as l
Was in the act Of turning. Sir, ones senses are
sharpened in deadly peril az hive now. l dis
night as l rose to the surface the next instant,
immersed in the stone cauldron, where / must
swim for my life Heaven only could tell how long!
II am capital swimmer: and this naturally
gave me degree Of sslEposses-lon. Falling Is
had, l Of course pitched ont some distance
from the sloping parapet. A few strokes brought
me to the edge. really was not yet certain but
that could Chamber up the face Of the wall any
where. hoped that could. I felt certain ct
least there was some spot where might get hold
with nv hands, even if l did not ultimately
ascend it.
II tried the nearest spot The inclination of
the wall Was go vertical that it did not even rest
me to lean against it. felt with my hands and
with my feet. Surely, thought, there must be
some fssure like that in which that in-omened
weed had found place for it's root!
There was none. My fingers became sore in
busying themselves with the harsh and inhospi-
table stones. My feet slipped from the smooth
and eimy masonry beneath the water; and sew
eral times my face came in rude contact with the
wall when my foothold gave way ON the instant
that seemed to have found some diminutive
rocky cieat upon which could stay myself.
"Sir, did you ever see rat drowned in = half
6lled hogshead-how he swims round and round,
and after vainly trying the sides again and again
With his paws, fixes his eyes upon the upper
rim as if he'would look himself out OF his watery
prison?
Il thought of the miserable vermin, thought
81 him ~ l had often watched thus his dying
Boys are horribly cruel, sir boys, women and
savages. All childlike things are cruel cruel
nom want Of thought and f ON perverse inge-
nuity, although by instinct each Of these is go
savage is tender to its young boy il to .
lavo,ite puppy, the same boy that will torture q
kitten out OF existence. Thought then say,
Of the rat drowning in half-flled cask Of water,
and lifting his gaze ut Of the vessel as he grew
more and more desperate, and flung myself on
my back, and floating thus. fixed my eyes upon
he face Of the moon.
.sThe moon is well enough in her way, how
ever you may look ut her; but her appearance is,
% cay the least OF it, peculiar to . man floating
III his back in the center Of . ttone tank, with q
lead wall of some fifteen or twenty feet rising
,quarely on every side Of him z" (The young
nan smiled bitterly as he said this, and shud-
Tered once or twice before he went on. musingly.
The last time had noted the planet with any
,motion she was on the wane. Mary was with |
ne; had brought her out here one morning to
ook at the view from the top Of the reservoir. |
She said little of the scene, but 40 we talked Of
our old childish loves, saw that its fresh fea.
lures were incorporating themselves with tender |
Of the past, and was content.
There was q rich golden haze upon the land. |
scape, and as my own spirits rose amid the |
voluptuous atmosphere, she pointed to the wan |
lering planet discernlble like faint gaeh in the
welkln, and wondered how long it wouidbe before |
the leaves would fall. Strange girl! did che |
mean to rebuke my joyous mood. as if we had no |
right to be happy while nature whitening in her |
pomp, and the slckly moon wasting in the blaze |
81 noontide, were there to remind US Of the gone
foreverT They will all renew themselves, dear
Mary, said enconraRingly, and there is one
hat will ever keep tryst alike with thee and ma
ure thu ough all seasons, if thou wilt but be trua