Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-12-14
Not moment was to be lost. 1 pulled in

hastily.
leap shouted. ..leap." As 1 spoke rose
up In the boat The plank5 winked once more
and ratified. Jump" yelled In my excite
Rent.
swiftly running river, and the person al
dressed leaped feet first. Unthinkingly /
moved suddenly; the light gig rocked. In vain
| attempted To recover my balance; the boat
tipped over. and fell headIOng into the water
Row covered with debris.
The two pianks started after me together
from beneath the thWartS.
sank; and as did 50 I thought of Rosie, and
made up my mind to die. II must; but strllg-
gled manfuliy for life the while.
When one is unW1llingly under water the
brain seems to become buster than at all other
times. | know not why, but in that half
minute or so that / was underneath saw many
acts OF my life. Circumstances looked, from
my mental point OF view, very different from
what they had 70 my bodily eyes. | had plenty
of time To repent uf my raShne5S, to utter
prayer and 10 forgive my enemies: and then
struggled, knocked my head, half sank again.
put out my right arm and graSped something.
1t was a plank.
Seeing body risine up close by, raised the
head. The person had tried to save was SEN
oible, evidently.
| was delighted to find that he too was float
ing on plank. The twin supporter of my arm;
and how those good friends tossed about, and
drove up against each other in sheer delight, as
we all floated away fast down stream together.
battles description.
impencd INV plank towards the other and
traction and sympathy which exists even in
wood. succeeded in getting close TO my com
rlniOn. Leaning nlJ arms upon the tru5ty
plank. managed to support the form near me:
but all this time we neither of us spoke Il word
nor could we discern each others feature. The
fast subsidng fire was far behind us now.
The steady p!ankS Kept floating with us to-
wards the bank. but / was not very anxious to
90 ashore just then, as the river sides were
steep and certain curling eddleS did not look
attractive.
The moon had been obscured by heavy
clouds; but we could discern the stones which
here and there rose up from out the water, from
ShOal in mid-Stream. We should soon be in
safety. The planks apparently thought other
wise. They bObbed about and grew very i'm
patient 10 reach the shore.
There's distant thunder, storm is coming
up. No, it must he Il train passing the bridge
above. No; tie noise i lcTcdseS, the sound il
borne continuously on the wind. The blanks
got very restless now. The banks even come
closer 10 us, out the stream ran all the faster.
The noise was getting loader every min ute.
knew what it was at last. knew too wen.
II was the Mill Weir.
II the SlUice We're open TO the huge oyer-ShOt
wheel our doom was sealed. Nothing much
short OF a miracle could save us. Striking ont
for the bank. | called to my companion 10 do
the same but encountered with the ulster coat
his progress was lot great.
We would find fo0tiGgOn the lasher, probably:
tut eudy would assist us.
VS. Heated round ti.c turn In the stream.
Tie Whcci was revolving. | could plainly hear
the splash. splash OF It's montonOu5 clank ana
dash; HE water dTipp@d and ran aWfI from the
grinding woodwork, and gladly escaped be-
meath 10 save being crushed TO air ON the TOP nf
those mighty paddles.
We had two channels to choose frOm-OnP
over the weir, the otter beneath the wheel
The suction to the latter was tremendous
swan strongly for the former. / reached the
slippery piles and caught them. A bright light
was burning in a small window in the mill,
twenty yards or so away, We were in an eddy
for moment. called out loudly. \ head was
put out; yelled again. The plank wherein /
lay slipped from beneath me. rose up again
and carried me headiong down the foanlng
ldSiier Ike an arrow rom a bow, While my COM
paniOn was Wrenched away and darted for the
wheel. loud cry escaped me as we parted.
Nj was over now. Death at last. Ion. Rosie.
my darling Rosie; till we meet in heayen-fare-
weii:' had time TO think so mueh-no more.
Hes all right; don't you lubbers keep
around like that; sheer of, can't We? Let a
chap have a moutAful OF air. Hurrah. yer
sCNlS. he's breathin.''
He was. IL was 1. But how weak, how very
ill., mentally and bodily. felt when | awOkp
again to life and asked for '-ROSe!''
sure he's wanderin' in his mind so he is.
Dinny, run up and tell the captain the gintle-
mans alive. HuTrE now"
remember nothing more until found nv
self in barracks, in my brothers quarters
Then suppose fell asleep. But when again
awoke TO consciousness, they told me in muttied
tones that had only just pulled through brain
fever. and had been in bed nearly five weeks
Five weeks. was due in London. told the
F doctor or SOMEBODY spoke 1Of me-it least
HE voice was not like my own,
Indeed, then, its Gu5 o this ye don't stir,
me lad, lawyers OF nO lawyers. Quiet now, or
, III give ye a composer, aud send ye to sleep for
another month";
+ | submitted, and got better. In fortnight
was down again in the ante-room, where was
welcomed as hero OF romance The good
natured quizzing and congratulations on my re-
eoVery were inceSSant. AT last, noticing my
puzzled look. my brother said
perhaps lie hasn't heard the real facts =
have you. H."
E II nave not the very slightest idea what YOU
are Ill talking about" l replied. III it's a JOKE,
/ don't see IT,
+ Now look, here she is again. Lucky fellow
Not day but what size rides over to in
:. Her fathers here too"
Tell them To- come in, Hanabavn, and see the
preserver Of The SIDE daughterof his house and
heard but scarcely needed. all this ..char.~
The door opened a lacy In well-iittlng habit
appeared. Mechanically rose as She came In
looked at her for one brief second, the next
had ciaSped her in my arms.
Rosie, my darling Rosie, can It be YOU, in
deed?''
No doubt about it, She had come 70 thank
me. For what? For saving her life that night
when Sir John Carney's house was burned
II was Rosie had rescued, then. No wonder
my heart had beat 80 fast while we fioated
down the stream.
Rosie was my own at last. She is mine still,
thank Heaven.
Temple and her daughter had been paving a
round Of visits and while staying at Sir john
carney 5 mouse the fire had broken out Rosie
bad been my companion during that twenty
minutes IN the water. Wrapped UP as she was
aud Silent as We both were, we did not recor-
niZe each other III the dark. The miller had
stopped tie wheel and pulled Rosie out OF the
eddie Just in time.
For day or two Rosie had been quite unable
10 give an account of her rescue from the nre
aGd when her father arrived, in obedience to a
telegram. he learned at the barrackS-wncre he
had called with Sir John to thank the COM
handing officer for his timely aSSistance-tnat
his daughters preServer was myself.
The reader Will almost guess the sequel.
Soon after my return To London | was ap-
pointed secretary IL nice little company. with
q nice little salary ana work To match. ali
through the influence of the good solicitor.
This employment left me leisure for Other work
which was lucky enough 10 obtain, and my
success enloOldened me 10 ask Tor Rosie once
more.
This time was no. refused. We We're mar
Tied the year following; and now. when we
wander lover hill. over daie," often recall
how VT struggled together for life that MEM
ora be night. Through loDd-thrOugn fire.
fCuSsctF~ Magazine.
Is OPPOSITION TO NALTHUS.-The actual fe-
cundiiy Of the human race has never approach
ed It's possible fecundity. The possible rate OF
Increase in the human species is said, upon
good and almost undisputed authority. to be
doubling in every 10 years. Nothing like this,