The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-03-17

had the assurance of Symes' security
dawned upon me as possibility, when
a deadly faintness crept over me, and
think for minute or two L lost con-
seriousness.
How succeeded in getting down
without disaster through that perilous
labyrinth 1 car form no idea, nor have L
any recollection. / remember devoutiy
thanking God as l stepped out from the
door of the transept on to the floor OF
the nave.
"'Here / am, old fellow l cried
aloud to Symes, and sprang forward into
the open space.
"There was no reply. My heart beat
violently Could he have gone home
and left me there9 The moonbeams
had sloped farther up the building,
leaving the center aisle III deep gloom.
Creeping forward in vague terror, l al
most stumbled over the body of my
friend, apparently lifeless, but still
clinging to the rope. With trembling
haste disentangled his limbs and drew
him on TO the mat beside the verger's
bench, where l left him for a moment
while rushaA to fetch assistance. But
conceive agafh my blank despair when /
found the door, which with n spring,
locked, and the key couldn't tell
where I had probably laid it down in
some forgetful moment, and was locked
in, with man dying or dead under my
charge.
81 shouted / beat kicked upon
the door, in the vain hope of being
heard by some stray passenger but
there was no house within fifty yards,
and had heard the clock strike 10 some
time before. Wild with desperation,
ran back to my inanimate companion.
By this time 1 had become so used to
the obscurity as to be able to discern
that while l had been away he had lifted
his arm on to the bench. although there
was still no further sign of conscious
ness. Such moments, my dear fellow,
make one religious, if nothing else does.
/ do not know whether you have ever
experienced the wave of relief that sue
ceeds the unexpected deliverance from
extreme peril but / assure you that the
conviction that poor Symes was not dead
brought me upon my knees, IN thankful
ness for the mercy that had protected us
in such an awful crisis.
81 was overcome with WEAKNESS and
weakness holding the hand of my uncon-
, scious friend, and / almost think that
, / was doing when j heard the sound of
J an opening door and friendly voices. l
cried aloud, and we were at once sur
| rounded with lights and eager, brighten
, ed, inquiring faces, besieging me with
questions, which for the time L was alto
gether unable to answer. Symes, still
insensible, was carried to his lodgings
on the other side of the green, whittier
/ followed him, and waited for more than
half an hour, until the doctor came
| and told me that he was partly conscious,
T but must not on any account be disturb
ed or excited by seeing anybody. de
[ said he would remain with him through
: the night and returned with anxious
: thoughts and an exhausted frame, but
, with grateful heart, to my own home.
, cit turned ont that little Jenny
| Oxley had been the means of bringing
us the help that we had despaired of.
) My old housekeeper had come into my
room here two or three times during my
f absence and could not understand my
leaving the light burning if had intend
ed to be away so long. She went over
to Oxley's and mentioned the circum.
{ stance, on which the verger said why,
my boy left them in the cathedral an
hour ago. And you may depend upon
! it, added he, that they've agone and
, locked themselves in, and that ere young
, fellow has been and lost the key, and
they can't get out = Which turned out
TO be pretty nearly the truth. And now,
! let us have some tea. :"
. "Well, said /, "that's ~ adventure,
certainly, and not badly told either. II
, made me feel very shaky alb mt the knees
: when that poor fellow went down the
, hole. I suppose he got all RICH again 2
"No; poor man, " said Mitlaud, with
, sigh "that is the saddest pant of the
, history He was dreadfuliy knocked
, down for some days, and then appar
emily recovered his general hcrlth, except
that he had lost all his buoyant spirits,
, looked like an old man. aud always
seemed to avoid me. H. has since
!, gradually sunk into state ] tile better
j than idiOcv, which the doctors attribute
to the shock to highly exc iaole brain,
and declare it to be quite hopeless"
"Poor young fellow" said L. 81
wonder how far he remembers the cir
, cumstances of that night"
every little, you may be sure" said
Maitland.
And so we gradually foated away into
the stream of friendly talk upon general
subjects, until at a late hour we parted
for the night.
avoke in the morning from an eerie
and weary sleep-journey, and soon gath
cred what had been the miscellaneous
spirit presiding at nv dreams A bath
set me to rights. And after breakfast
Maitland drove me briskly out of the
old city through the frosty morning air
to the station.
MAY ] make Use of your story ?" said
to him as we parted.
"With all my heart" he replied.
"And if you like I'll send you my
memoranda. Good-by."
And this is the use 1 have made of
it.-Chicago Tribune.
Letter Writing.