Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1877-12-31

me- / do not know. Louis was no
swimmer; and besider, that was not his
way Of doing things. His vas delib-
arate and thoughtful rather than rash
and venturesome nature. He called to
me eagerly that he was going for help;
| should wait; / should drop the oar;
in few moments he would get boat.
saw him Fastening along the shore at
the top of his speed I saw the solitary
SHIRE, the deserted fisher huts. the far
strtches of sand he would have to trav-
ell lefore reaching the little fishing vii
lag | saw it all but dimly now.
Yearly dropped the oar and sank
back in the boat. Surely / need do
not ing more. Oh, surely Louis would
frescoe me He would not let me die
alone within reach of his loving arms
Night was creeping on, with twilight
on its garments hem. l could see that
lone and shadowy ship lying at anchor
beyond the bar. If only | could reach
that ship But the current would drift
me past her in an instant. Widely
and l,ngingly now l call for help,
stretching my arms out yearningly to-
ward that silent vessel; but nothing
answered me. The shore had grown
far and dim, ard dimly, strangely the
stars, coming out with their unfamiliar
beauty, made me afraid. Sad, solitary
and deserted. was l going to my death,
out of all that bright afternoon. that
overhowing love, that fulness of life
and pleasure profered me?
Afraid? Well, yes, 1 was afraid !;
for one brief moment, as l covered
back into the boat, shrinking in the
solitude of the awful waste of waters. a
fear of that unknown world into which
| seemed sailing oppressed me. But |
bethought myself that if l must die it
was better to die bravely. Perhaps /
was going to meet Jim. If l were in
that other world. that ought to be a
CHEEKY thought. No doubt he died
bravely. But was he dead ? Jim, my
only staunch friend. whose glad, good
face had frightened my wretched child
hood, oh, where was he?
It is said that in the hour of death
the memory of past events Is preternat-
urally vivid. And as my mind reverted
to those cid days. forgetting my latter
| friends, and forgetting Louis. 1 felt sure
that l was going to die. A trance of
peace came upon me, in which | seemed
to clasp Jim's warm hand again. as in
days of old.
"Jim JIM" l called aloud, rousing
myself as from dream, yet dreaming
still. But nothing answered me. The
darkness was growing deeper, the cur.
rent more rapid and Louis. with his
soft taper fingers, would never reach
me now.
Unconscious. half delirious, 1 musI
have been, perhaps, for it seemed to me
that Jim, on whose name | called, wa:
spirit, and that his presence, some
where near me, was unfolding me il
this hour of need, as l drifted further
away from all earthly hope. How long
1 knew not i; how far l knew not i
seemed to me l had been on the way
all eternity. and-had l or had I no
heard through the death dream an an
swering cry! Did | or did | not Sc,
mistily, as though a vail, the spars anc
shrouds of that silent vessel that hat
afar off been watching my struggle
with death :? And. great God was i
Jim's face-dear old Jim's face-bend
ing over me, and was this heaven?
"My DEAR" said Mrs. Belden, com
, ing into my room one morning, 'yo1
are getting quite strong again the sea
, air has done you world of good
, fact, you look better, / think than be
| fore your accident l am thinking W
NAV as we'll return to the city as soon a
you like"
l was lying on couch by the wiz
] dow, looking out upon the sea.
; "Well," said 1, absently, in hal
; reverie.
"You feel quite strong, do you no
dear ?"
g "Oh, yes ma'am," said I, rousin
myself; "quite strong-stronger tina
ever
was stronger than ever; since ths
!. night when Jim saved my life. swim
, ming out to my sinking boat again,
f the current, and risking his life to hel
8 an unknown waif-unwitting that
was his little nursing of old, who wa
i, in deadly peril-since that night
e world of new thoughts had come crowt
ing in upon me, sharing with me the
: strength, aud making me ashamed
the idle. silken life I was leading.
0 know not what premonition of charg
: of banishment, was tugging at my heal
this morning. as l looked out over Il
D cleaning waters, and filled my ey
j. with tears.
: s.You are sorry to leave the Sc
!