The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1881-04-13

! madness, so | resisted the fiery thirst
that would have me release my hold and
perish. Water Yes, there was water at
the bottom of the shaft, fathoms deep
below my feet, but | could only reach
that to die: and there was water on the
fair earth, fathoms above me-water l
should never see again.
| grew dizzy-sick- blind. / should
have fainted-havo falIen-dicd; but as
I leaned my head against the rock, |
felt rs though cold, refreshing hand
were laid upon it suddenly.
1t was water 1t was no madness-it
was water. A tiny. stream trickling
through the bare wall of rock, like dew
from heaven ! held forth my parched
tongue and caught the drops as they fell;
and as drank my strength was renewed,
and hope and the desire for life grew
warm within me again. And yet on this,
the second night Of my horrible impris-
onment, / cared not so passionately, L
looked not SO eagerly for succor NV
limbs were numbed, my brain deadened;
life was ebbing towards death; shadow
at times fell over my eyes; and If held
still to the hilt of my sword, if my feet
sought still the ledge that rested them,
they did it mechanically, from habit, and
not from hope.
| think sometimes | was not in my
right mind. was among green fields
and woods, / was gathering flowers, L
was climbing mountains; and from these
visions [ awoke always to darkness
darkness above, around, darkness below,
hiding the abyss that hungcrcd grecdily
for my life. And no friendly face no
voice, no football near. Not II step,
through all these slow, slow hours. II
passing peasant through tho day, had
heard the lonely cry rising from the
depths he had set it down to ghost or
piXy, and had passed on his frightened
way regardless
And now the night was wearing on,
and no rescue. ] could not live till
morning. knew that,
My mind wandered again. My mother
waited for me- must hurry home; but |
was bound by a chain, III outer darkness,
and / was going to die. There was no
Christian in all the land to succor me-
was forgotten and forsaken, left i'll the
pit-and would unclasp my hands, and
fall and die.
No, [ would call again once more,
"Help! help! Mercy! help
AS my fainting voice died in the dark
depth, and quiyered up to the glinmer-
ing sky. ] felt hope die with it, and l
| gave up all thought of lIic. / turned
my eyes towards my grave below, and
mmnlurcd with parchcd lips:
"Out of the depths have | cried unto
Thee, 0 Lord"
The little riIl that had saved my life
hitherto trickled on, and its slvery
murmur. as it dropped on the rock be-
low, was the sole sound that broke the
deathly silence around me.
My prayer was over, and had not re-
IiuquiShcd my hold. ! was stronger
than had deemed myself / would cry
out again, "Hclp! help! help"
/ stopped. l listened. A sound was
floating on the wind. Coming, going,
| joining the drip, drip drip of the rll-
| then dying, then returning, Listening
with my whole being, / recognized the
| sound.
Bells-church bells-chimes ringing in
| tho Nnu Nror go (inl have mercy ON
,no, r,o -'o" ho"o ,,l"rc, o,'r an MAP
AL, ,.inl,ino% in tho Now Ycor-hrIls
o1,;n,;,,o o;, IN t,e oara ~ friends trIlpr Of
sajnass7 and ~, nf no--hrlls closbiua in ot
",,',,,.' ,'4,r,',is ho,ynnn mrsic and
u invnE4,r Iaring areetinos kisses and
JOY.
,,;t,, Nv -, 49, Nv ,oog oi, An, missed nowhere .
lTTi,S lTi,s Lnua La 49, cb;mn for fnnst;nr ond olod.
noss. @ ond 7 am hero HANGING between
iifc and Icoth The laws of the grave
nro LnnootL mo NV iEints orc broken
Srd tho LolIs cLimc on Would if NOT be
. '', GOOD den1 on tLis New Years Day to
co2o ma9 O frogters and reyelers, hear
,,aI ', ~
"TTclp' helm, II is Christmas timel
Helm, for Christ's sake, good people!
Tho hoIrs aoot noorer and drown fine
me pclls 'ol: :.iiI:' hG'iei '.,,ua J o'.,,
uiIP VI t''I ~ " ,onl;r5 , en-, vii al
hGiP hGlp; cE SE%s NY -,om n,,o, w., oroa ro
tlll dle' nun sioMo p'gi J, niJ ty1o, as
put my VOICE - s'loiiS r'lI'
Sh"u'' 'iiiI'li''o nu. - ~; VI =
sake heii' EoT,' va nosI. ,osiL'',a ns eu,, r.,
"a SteaG lIS"' "a li''ot VI iIto' ". T."
moment oeeih IL "c"il' lnen, S"Iil,b
upward Sgt' "pli' Hiu" H,. VI 'o,o.,v'' n,
1aces-oh' uIeF N'lo Si'bcio W ne
eager faces PoGilnB tomh""Iu 4N.i, IT, ,lnur nmu
close by me SwliGS loht eJrtn fo, e. on 'omn n,r
il'o lLG s H'l''"o' oroot 1 sho,,t rorJs tho
haggord tace-a great Sho"' renuS ''''
night SKY os,, h0 1;rosw
lie Is l'rc.--hG 10 sIi'.-.iG i;,a LIVE. ,ao,o
cannot Speah' t1ousi IN my iipa 20, n'oro'
ana my he1rt SlanuS SUI; 40 thomSeIves auo Je
'"o, inc ,"'i" nv, l';o rsod 70 donpnr
over the abySs-llners, O,a ,sea oro ~ "nM oron%d
anu IN u nioniGil' ,"o a'o'' naorJ na carried
me, and am p0th1 uP""'';, ,,tamt io on
gently ike Giild Paceu I n't anJoriu NIL on o
my feet, and then i''iu oo"h .oii'.oiis VI