The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1877-10-18

ius IiguL A could see Tor u iuvmeut
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. l could
see Louise aud her ashy cheek to-
ward me as if imploring assistance
and l could see the bold glano of
the boy flashing indignant defiance
ut the war of elements, and the aw :
full danger that awaited him. There
was roll q desperate plunge, a
harsh, grating jar, sharp, piercing
scream Of mortal terror, and had
but time to clasp Louise firmly with
one hand around her waist, and seize
the HASTINGS attached to the coach
roof with the other, when We were
precipitated over tho precipice. /
can distinctly recollect the preserv-
ing consciousness for few seconds
OF time, how rapidly my breath was
being exhausted, but Of that tremen-
dous descent l soon lost all further
knowledge by a concussion 80 vioo
lent that I was instantly deprived Of
sense and motion.
The traveller paused. His fea-
lures worked for o moment or two
as they did when they were on tho
mountain he raised his hands &C.
cross his forehead as if in pain, aud
then resumed his thrilling narrative.
son low couch in o humble room
Of small country house, | next
opened my eyes in this world OF
light and shade, Of joy and sorrow,
nirth and madness. Gentle hands
soothed my pillow, gentle feet gill
ded across my cha mber. and a gen.
tie voice for time hushed all my
questonings. | was kindly tended
by a fair young girl of about six
teen, who refused for time to hold
any discourse with me. At length
ono morning, finding myself sufli.
ciently recovered to sit up, I insist
cd on knowing the result Of the &C.
cident.
"You were discovered" said she.
sitting on ledge of rocks. amidst
the branches of a shattered tree,
clinging to the roof of your broken
coach with one hand, and the insen =
sible form OF lady with the other.
"And tho lady 1 gasped, scam
ming the girls face with an earnest
ness that made her draw back and
blush.
"She was saved, sir, by the means
that saved you--a friendly tree
sand her father and brother / I
impatiently demanded.
"We found them both crushed to
death at the button of the precipice,
and We buried them in one grave
by the clover path down in our
meadow.
"Poor Louise poor orphan God
pity you !" I muttered in broken
tones, utterly unconscious that I
had listener.
"God pity her indeed, SIR" said
she with q gush of heart felt SYM
pathy.
"Would you like to see her = she
added.
I found her bathed in tears for her
kindred, and she received me with
sorrowful sweetness OF manner. |
need not detain you by describing
the efforts made to soothe her
grief, but briefly acquaint you that
at last l succeeded and twelve
months after the dreadful occur
rance which have related, We stood
at the alter man and wife. She
still lives to bless me with her
smiles. but on the anniversary of
that terrible night, she secludes her.
self in her room, aud devotes the
hours Of darkness to solitary prayer.
AS for me, added the traveller,
while faint blush ting,d his brow,
'as for me, that accident has re-
duoed me to the condition Of q phys.
ical coward at the sight Of a noun
tain precipice.'
"But the driver" asked the lady
passenger who had listened with
much attention, "what became II
tho driver, aud did you ever learn
the reason Of his deserving his post
"His body was found on the road,
within Q few steps Of the place
where the coach went over. He
had been struck dead by the same
flash Of tightening that blinded the
restive horses"
And thus ended this thrilling and
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