The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-11-17

mendous roar of the rushing waters.
Why, here was occupation for weeks,
thought, in merely listening to these
beautiful noises; and had not the doctor
told me that this was one of the ways in
which should employ myself? Had he
not said: Listen to the music of run
ming water?" Well, I never expected to
find holiday diversion in such pur-
suit; but here it was, and for whole
fortnight gave myself up to this de-
licious idleness. Then, as if further to
develop the unsupported music, poetry,
or whatever you may choose to call it,
of my nature, found among the few
cotfee-room books a copy of Southey's
poems. Instinctively read again and
again: How does the water come down
at Lodore?" l took the volume down to
the wood, to the waters edge, to the very
foot of my waterfall, which seemed to
me to be doing all that the poet de-
| scribed as possible under the circum-
stances.
The weather heretofore had been su-
perb, midsummer sunshine, and not a
drop of rain.
The sunshine glinting through the
trees; the pure sky above; the song of
birds, not yet all hushed, in the woods;
the fresh, breezy odors-these all became
such novelties and charms as had never
conceived possible. But, seated on my
isolated rock, it was still, after all, out
of the Z" music of the waters" that l got
my chief mental enjoyment,
At last there was sudden change of
wind. Heavy clouds swept over the
Landscape, burying in mist or occasional
showers all forms save those close at
hand.
Regular Welsh weather, STRIP said
fresh-colored, elderly, gentlemanlike man,
in tourists suit, whom l found the next
morning in the coffee room. "My party
will be house-bound for a couple of days
at least, if know anything of this coun-
try; shocking place for weather. Been
here long, sir?"
l told him how long, and that had
not had drop of rain the whole time.
Disadvantage in that, too, he went
on; mountainous scenery wants mist
and rain to drift round the peaks, fill up
the torrents and bring out the waterfalls.
This one here will present fine sight
after another four and-twenty hours of
such weather; it was mere dribble last
night when we arrived"
l was consoled by this gentleman's
words for having to spend the best part
of the day indoors; there was new SEN
sation then yet in store for me; and l was
little disappointed to find when, early
the following afternoon, lull in the
weather enabled me to 90 down to my
favorite rocky haunt, that there was very
little perceptible difference in the volume
of water coming over the fall.
So here | sat, suppose, for more than
an hour in my accustomed state of placid
enjoyment. With my eyes half shut
was saying over to myself the first few
lines of Southey's "Lodore," and trying
to make the music of the waters" fit
into then as an accompaniment, when
there suddenly sounded in my ears
roar so loud and increasing so rapidly in
volume that started, and looking up
perceived that now indeed the fall had
become grandly augmented. stood up
quite excited, but not even then for one
moment dreaming of danger. Town
bred idiot that was, quite unacquainted
with the terrific force of the elements
when once Embossed, l never imagined
for second that | could be placed in
peril by fact so beautiful as this now
before me. In the eXaggeration which
ignorance gave to my estimate of these
natural wonders, thought | was gazing
at the harmless Niagara; had never
seen anything half so beautiful; whilst
the almost deafening, thunderous roar
which accompanied it was such a new
phase of my favorite music that stood
spellbound with sort of wild delight.
Not for many minutes, however, for a
heavy rain cloud that had suddenly over
swept the sky warned me to retreat. l
turned with this purpose toward the step
ping stones by which always regained the
precipitous bank of the river. To my
horror they had all disappeared, and in
their place boiling, bubbling ferment
of brown water and frothy foam was
sweeping along at tremendous pace.
Then in an instant knew that the river
was rising rapidly. Anyone but fool
would have foreseen this as the natural
consequence of the increase of the water
fall. Right and left and all around the
river had now become boiling caldron
of broken water; / was cut off from all
hope of retreat, and should be washed
away like fly, | knew.
Helpless and scared, l stood irresolute
yet a moment longer.
recollect in this dire emergency sud
denly observing still further increase
in the volume of the fall, and almost
simultaneously with it feeling my legs
slip from under me. as the brown water
gurgled in my ears and glistened in my
eyes. Then there was choking, tum-
bling pressure forward, several sharp
blows upon my legs and arms, an effort
TO strike out, met by coming in contact
with more rocks, and then whirl and a
twirl and spinning around as if had
been cork.
The swimmers instinct, however, was
of some use, after all, for in the first
place it enabled me to retain little
presence of mind, and in the second to
bring my head up to the surface after
the first plunge. l saw l was already a
long way from the upper fall, and an ad-
ditional pang was given to my sensations
by the recollection that l was being hur-
ried on to the lower, over which, if
were carried, must inevitably be
drowned. Fortunately, just now was
- L. IL