The morning call., 1891-02-15

my teeth into my own flesh and CRASHED
my jaws like wounded beast. flakes of
foam fell from my hot lips upon my breast
l wept. sobbed and groaned, and mingled
with these cries of impotent rage came
Marie's name. AT last, in my frenzy threw
my hands up. with intent to force my
body to sink. In vain, in vain! | came to
the surface again like a cork. rolled over
on my face thinking in this way to put an
end TO my wretcbed life. But no, the boil
ing, seetbing waters turned me over with
hendish persistency. l was doomed to i've
Death turned his back upon me, no matter
how tried to approach him. 1t was
heavens VIII that l should not be allowed
10 destroy The extraordinary strength which
1t had bestowed upon me. 1t was lesson
that L needed 10 bring my pride down. |
was not to be suffered TO turn the miraculous
powers which l had been presumptuous
enough to think were entirely my own,
against themselves. And gradually NV heart
ceased its mad struggle ana my soul no
longer beat against the iron bars which held
1t imprisoned. | could do nothing but weep
and moan like lost child whose strength
had given out and who had sunk helpless
and hopeless to the ground.
While l lay thus motionless upon the sur
face of the flood with closed eyes, indiffer-
ent to my fate, the sound of religious song
reached me. looked and saw that l was
drifting nearer and nearer 10 the church,
and then | knew that the singing must come
"
many people must have taken refuge upon
the bursting of the food over the village
l listened. The waters had ceased their
noisy swift and | could almost hear the
words Of the chant. The solemn and meas
ured style of the singing was strangely
pleasing to me. AT first it seemed TO me the
sound fell from the sky and could not posi-
bly, be the voices of living beings for how
could it be possible that any one had sur
vived the fury of the food? l was now
within stones throw of the church The
singing became louded and louder. and then,
as drlfted around to the side OF the build
ing, the voices died away to mere echo.
The next moment was hurled against the
wall of the church directly under one of the
largest windows. The water was almost on
a level with the wndoW-sill. 1t required
but slight exertion for me to lay hold of an
iron brace and draw myself out of the
water. | resolved now no longer to court
death. Heaven in its greater wisdom ap-
peared to be DESTROYS that l should live. At
any rate, l now determined to save my life
If L could. While it would but a burden
to be borne in patience, yet even
wretcbed as it might be to me l still
could make ii useful to others-to my father
aud mother, already past the prime Of life
My being spared by the food might be for
their sake The waters were still rising and
1t behooved me to think quickly as to how
was to make my escape. My first thought
was to drop into the water again. swim
upon those who had taken refuge in the
belfry to hoist me up to place OF safety.
BIT my pride would not listen to it. How
could l, Gaspard Rambuteau, the mighty
wrestler, demean myself to such an extent?
How could /. the coDqueror of Martial, Lion
OF the South, bring myself TO make such a
humillating confession that was, after all,
but common mortal, who in the first flash
OF danger must needs cry out for help at the
hands of poor, puny creatures, dozen OF
whom would be but so many children set
before me?
No, rather perish first! Rather go down
beneath the pitiless flood which had already
swallowed up the chosen angel of my life.
already plunged me into the everlasting
night Of despair
The water had reached my knees. There
was but little time left to me for action.
The food had not yet quenched all the
lamps in the church. and their soft light
streamed through the stained glass VIM
doWs. A sudden thought flashed through