Milford chronicle., 1889-07-19
IN THE RESERVOIR.

thirty years ago you might have seen some
OF the best society Of New York on the top Of
the distributing reservoir at Forty second
street any fine October morning. There
were two or three carriages in waiting and
half dozen senatorial looking mothers with
young children pacing the parapet as We
ourselves, one day in the past generation,
basked there in the sunshine-now watching
the pickerel that glided along the lucid edges
of the black pool within, and now looking on
upon the scene Of rich and wondrous variety
that spreads along the two broad and beauti-
full rivers on each side.
'They may talk of Alpheus and Arethusa, II
murmured an idling sophomore, who had
found his way thither during recitation
hours, but the Croton, in passing over an
arm Of the sea at Spuyten Duyvil and burst
ing to sight again In this truncated pyramid,
beats it all hollow. By George, too, the bay
yonder looks as blue as ever the Kgean sea to
Byron's eye gazing from the Acropolis. Did
you see that pike break, sirF
II did not"
His silver fin flashed upon the black
| Acheron, like a restless soul that hoped yet
to mount from the pool"
1.-THE place seems suggestive Of fancies to
your we observed in reply to the rattlepate.
at is, indeed; for / have done up good
deal of anxious thinking within circle Of a
few yards where that fish broke just now.
Shall tell you about itr
pray do"
"Well, you have seen the notice forbidding
any one to fish in the reservoir Now, when
read that warning, the spirit of the thing
struck me at once as inferring nothing more
than that one should not sully the temperance
| potations Of our citizens by stepping bait in
it Of any kind; but you probably know the
common way Of taking pike with a slip moose
Of delicate wire. | was determined to have
a touch at the fellows with this tackle.
Il chose a moonlight night; and an hour
/ before the edifice was closed to visitors / Sc
GREETED myself within the walls, determined
/ to pass the night on the top. All went as
I could wish it. The night proved cloudy,
but it was only variable drift of broken
clouds which obscured the moon. / had a
walking cane rod with me which would reach
to the margin Of the water, and several feet
beyond if necessary. To this was attached
the wire, about fifteen inches in length.
II prowled along the parapet for a eonsid-
cradle time, but not a single fish could l see.
Aue IAOuAn hldtAG a lAIhcAAAlE AAEAb anu bhtAAr
that wholly foiled 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
mind before I had one leg over the iron rail-
ing.
IF you look around you will see 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 it 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 to plant it below me.
'In that moment the flap Of pound pike
made me look round, and the roots of the
weed upon which l partially depended gave
way as l was in the act Of turning. Sir,
ones senses are sharpened in deadly peril as
live now, distinctly heard the bells of
Trinity Ginning midnight, as / rose to the
surface the next instant, immersed In the
stone caldron, where / must swim for my
life, Heaven only could tell how longl
II am capital swimmer; and this natur-
HAA9 EeAfG AAAo a VI nIAA loaaGooAll4 EaAA-
ing as l had, I, Of course, had pitched out
some distance from the sloping parapet A
few strokes brought me to the edge really
was not yet certain but that l could Chamber
up the face Of the wall anywhere. / hoped
that could.
81 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 fissure like those
in which that i'll omened weed had found a
place for its rootl
There was none My fingers became sore
in busying themselves with the harsh and in
hospitable stones. My feet slipped from the
smooth and Shiny masonry beneath the water;
and several times my face came in rude con-
tact with the wall, when my foothold gave
way on the instant that l seemed TO have
found some diminutive rocky cleat upon
which I could stay myself.
'Sir, did you ever see a rat drowned In a
half filed hOgshead-how he swims round
and round and round, and after vainly try.
ing the sides again and again with his paws,
fixes his eyes upon the upper rim as if he
would look himself out Of his watery prisonl
"Ithaught Of the miserable vermin, thought
Of him as had often watched thus his dying
nbbuASof nuNA q VI utA uAGAlAlA VI HlRut OF ltlA
Boys are horribly cruel, sir; boys women
and savages. All child like things are cruel
cruel from want Of thought from perverse
ingenuity.
II thought then, say Of the rat drown.
ing in q half filed cask of water, and lifting |
his gaze out Of the vessel as he grew desper.
ate, and l flung myself on my back, and |
floating thus, fixed my eyes upon the moon.
"The moon is well enough in her way, how |
ever you may look at her; but her appear
aISce is, to say the least of it, peculiar to |
man floating on his back In the center of a |
stone tank, with dead wall of some fifteen |
or twenty feet rising squarely on every side |
Of himp CThe young man smiled bitterly as |
be said this, and shuddered once or twice be. |
fore he went on musingly.J
'The last time / had noted the planet with |
any emotion she was on the wane. Mary was /
with me; | had brought her out here one |
morning to look at the view from the top of |
the reservoir. She said little Of the scene, |
but as we talked Of our old childish loves ! |
saw that its fresh features were incorporat-
ing themselves with tender memories Of the |
past, and was content
"There was a rich golden haze upon the |
landscape, and as my own spirits rose amid
the voluptuous atmosphere, she pointed to
the waning planet, discernible like faint
cash in the welkin, and wondered how long
IL would be before the leaves would fall |
Strange grill did she mean to rebuke my
Joyous mood, as If we had no right to be
happy while nature, whitening in her pomp,
and the siczly moon wasting in the blaze Of
hoontide were there to remind us Of the
gone foreverF
They will all renew themselves, dear
Mary said /, and there is one that win ever
keep tryst alike with thee and nature through
all seasons, if thou wilt but be true to one of
us, and remain as now a child of nature
"A tear sprang to her eye, and then search
ing her pocket for her card case, she remem-
bered an engagement to be present at Miss
Lawson's opening of fall bonnets at 2 o'clock
"And yet, dear, wild, Maynard Mary,
fhouoht NJ har. now Vo,, hova rrohobIv