Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-07-30
IN THE RESERVOIR.

In THE RESERVOIR.
Thirty years ago you might have sen sofns
Of the best society Of New York On the top Of
tAs distributing reservoir AZ Forty 1second
street any hne October morning There
were two or three carriages tn waiting and
half . dozen SENATORIAL looking mothers with,
young children pacing the parspst as Ne
ourselves one day in the past generation,
banked there In the sgnshine-no~ watching
the pickereI that glided along the lucid edgo
Of the black pool within. and now boxing on
upon the seene OF rich and wondrous varsity
that spreads along the two broad and beautf
ftd rivers each side.
They may talk Of Alpneus and Arsthusa-
murmured an ding sophomore. who had
found hts WY thither during recitation
houfs, but the Crotnn. in passing over an
arm Of the sea at Spuyten Duyvil and burst
ing 10 SIGHT again In this truncnted pyramid,
beats It all hollow By George, too, the bay
Wonder looks AZ blue 81 ever the Egean SEA 10
ByronS eve gazing from the Acropolis Did
you zee that pike break. sir"
II did not"
His silver I'm flashed upon the black
Acheron. ike "A restless soul that hoped vet
TO mount from the pool
The place seems suggestive OF fancies TO
your we observed In reply to the rattlepate
1T Is. indeed. for have done up good
deal Of anxious thinking within circle OF
few yards where that fish broke Just now
Shall | tell you about itf
Pray do"
%
any one to fish in the reservoir. Now, when
| read that warning, the spirit OF the thing
struck me at once a. inferring nothing more
than that ONE should not suily the temperance
rotations Of our citizens by stepping halt in
il Of any kind; but you probably know the
common way Of taking pike with slip moose
Of delicate wire was determined 70 have
a touch at the fellows with this tackle.
Il chose a moonlight night, and an hour
before the ediiice closed To visitors 80
creted myself within the walls, determined
to pass the night the top. All went as
| could wish II. The night proved cloudy
but 1t was only variable drift OF broken
clouds which obscured the moon. had
walking cane rod with me which would reach
To the margin Of the water, and several feet
beyond II necessary To this was attached
the wire, about fifteen inches in length
II prowe along the parapet for a consid'
cradle time, but not single fish could see.
The clouds made Pickering light and shade
that wholly fotled my steadfast gaze. was
convinced that should they come up thicker
my whole nights adventure would be thrown
away Why should not descend the slop
ing wall and get nearer on level with the
fish for thus alone can ! hope TO see onef
The question had hardly shaped itself in my
. t-.at, IL.
ing.
III you look around you will sec now that
there are some half dozen weeds growing
here and there amid the assures Of the solid
masonry In one Of the assures from whence
these spring planted foot and began my
descent The reservoir was fuller than IL is
now and few strides would have carried
me to the margin Of the water Holding on
to the cleft above, felt round with one foot
for place 10 plant II below me
"ln that moment the flap Of pound pike
made me look rouno and the roots of the
weed upon which | PARTIALLY depended gave
way as | WI. IN the act Of turning Sir
ones senses are shfrpened in deadly peril, M
| live now, | distinctly heard the bells OF
Trinity Ginning midnight, as rose 10 the
surface the next instant, Immersed in the
stone caldron, where ! must swim for my
life, Heaven only could tell how long,
81 am "A capital swimmer, and this natur-
! ally gave degree of self possession. Fnll-
ing as | had l. of course, hal pitched out
some distance from the sopng parapet
few strokes brought me to the edge, really
was not yet certain but that could chamber
10 the face Of the wall anywhere | hoped
that | could
| Il tried the nearest spot The inclination
| OF the wall was so vertical that it did not
even rest me to lean against it. felt with
my hands and with my feet Surely, |
| thought. there must be some fssure like those
| in which that i'll ornened weed had found
| place for its root
There was none NJ fingers became sore
in busying themselves with the harsh and in
hosptable stones Ny feet slipped from the
smooth and Shiny masonry beneath the water i,
and several times my face came in rude con
tact with the wall, when my foothold gave
way on the instant that | seemed to have
found some dininutive rocky ceat upon
which could stay myself
Sir. did you ever see rat drowned in a
! half filed hogshead-how he swims round
| and round and round and after vaiuly try
ing the sides again and again with his paws
| fixes his eyes upon the upper rim as il he
| Thought Of the miserable veriniu, thought
| of him As had often watched thus his d wing
agouies. when a cruel urchin OF eight or ten
| Boys are horribly cruel sir, boys, women
and savages All child like things are cruel
cruel from want Of thought. from perverse
ingenuity
Il thought then, | say, Of the rat drown
ing in half flied cask OF water and lifting
| his gaze out OF the vessel as he grew desper
ate, and | flung myself on my back and
| floating thus. fixed my eyes npon the moon.
The moon is well enough In her way. how
| ever you may look at her. but her appear
ance is. To say the least OF it. peculiar to .
man floating on his back in the center OF .
stone tank, with q dead wall Of some fifteen
or twenty feet rising squareiy ON every side
of himr' The young man smiled bitterly as
| he said this, and shuddered once or twice be
fore he went on musnglyl
The last time had noted the planet with
any emotion she was on the wane Mary was
with me- | had brought Der out here one
morning to look at the view from the top OF
the reservoir She sail little OF the scene,
but US we talked Of our cid childish loves ]
saw that its fresh features were incorporat
| lug themselves with tender memories Of the
past and was content
!
landscape, and as my own spirits rose amid
the voluptuous atmosphere, she pointed to
the waning planet, disaernible like a faint
cash in the wekin. and wondered how long
| it would be before the leaves would fall
Strange GIRL did she mean to rebuke my
| Joyous mood as II We had right to be
happy while rsiture. whitening in her pomp
and the sc&ly moon wasting in the blaze OF
nooutide. were there To remind US Of the
| gone foreverf
| They will all renew themselves, dear
Mary said l, and there is one that will ever
keep tryst alike with thee and nature through
| all seasons, IL thou witt but be true to one OF
us, and remain as now q child Of nature
"A tear sprsng to her eye, and then search
| ing her pocket for her card case, she renem-
bersd an engagement to be present at Miss
LAwson's opening of fall bonnets at o'clock
And yet, dear. Wild, maynard Mary, l
thought of her now. You have probably
outlived this sort Of thing. sir, but 1, looking
at the moon, as | Hoated there upturned to
her yellow light, thought Of the loved being
whose tears | knew would flow when she