Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1891-08-27

0O"OA oAAOhtAyp 6WAAOAy away InUO the
darkness. with the faint glimmer of the
moonbeams falling on it-lay the river.
Yes, there, 1t seemed to me, was the an
Swer to that question. There in the cold.
silent water was the end for all nv
cares and troubles. was one of the nm.
tortunates Of whom the world seems to
haye SO many. In its hurry and hustle
there is no place for one whose failing
strength made him unfit to share the race
for earthly prosperity. / was not wanted,
no one would so much as miss me when
the morning came. 10 one would in all
the world think of me and pity. Pityi
why do speak of ita There Is no pity In
the world
No, none, save in that cold, dark stream
at my feet Yes It had pity, for one
plunge downward into Its silent bed and
the rest would be-the end longed for.
1 was tired-weary to death Of the world,
and the stream would tell no tales.
Yes, one plunge, and all would be over
See how swiftly and silently it flows -
SO calmly the lost one Cast upon it would
but ruft1e its melting surface for a mo-
ment; then it would glide on as before,
carrying Its burden swiftly on to the sea,
just as the ripples Of time carry the lost
soul on through far-reaching time to that
tossing, boundless ocean, Eternity.
Half mechanically, as these thoughts
filled my soul, loosened my hold of the
low railing of the bridge upon which I
stood, leaDt forward with arms out
stretched; my ears mind, my very soul,
filled with the echo of one bitter cry my
dry feverish lips had not strength to give
utterance to. Already seemed to feel
myself falling down, down into the depths
below, to feel the touch of the icy water as
1t closed over me- to feel all life and power
slipping away into a calm, unreal moth
tngness-self, everything gone, gone
And then. All, then suddenly a
sound.-one note Of music like the wall
OF sorrow-stricken soul, pouring out its
life's agony in the one breath, broke the
death-like silence around and-1 was
saved.
That one broken chord, drawn know
not how from the instrument at my side
/ may have touched It unoonsciously, the
night wind may have swept over It, or
some guardian angel sent to save me
from this last mad sin may have tangled
its strings with mercifully outspread
w1ngs-that one wall of agony saved me-
The madness which was driving me
beyond myself withdrew it's fiery touch.
saw, as 1t were, the waters divide, and
white, calm face, that of my mother
looking up at me with large, sad eyes:
1 saw a yawning abyss beyond, down
which dared not look, and bounding up
Hike mailman Iregained my hold OF the
fran support which lay between me and
that awful Eternity, which but a few
moments ago had been SO near, and stag
gerlng like drunken man, fell upon my
knees beside my harp and covering my
race with my hands covered down,
unable to move, speak, or see, or think,
overpowered by the awful sense of the sin
had been about to commit.
How long remained 30 I know NOT
1t seemed 10 me like hours-it might
have been but few short momenta for
when the heart is wrung by bitter
anguish, Time seems to walk with leaden
weights upon his feet.
How that time, long or short as it may
nave been, was spent Twill not here
write down. There are some feelings
which lie too deep for words, and mine
were such,
At length, however, by q mighty effort
recalled my wandering senses, and even
after the struggle had Just goue through,
so fearful was in my new mood, that 1
turned and fled from the scene of my
temptation like one who flies from some
great contagion.
1t was not that feared that even then
my weakness might prove too much for me.
No; it was only that in my new strength
could not bear to look upon the scene
of what had so nearly been that of my fall
Clasping my dearly-loved harp 10 me
(who says now it was not charmedN, I
crossed the low bridge, glancing neither to
right nor left, descended the moss grown
steps, and so on-on along the rond out
into the darkness of the night.
Where to go-what to do-how vet to
resume my struggle to live, I took no
thought; only knew 1 wanted to get
away from that hateful spot as fast as
ever my steps could carry me.
On, on, sped, knew not where, only
blindly on through the night until at
length could not bat pause and ask my
self where was n
AS had walked it seemed to me that
the Providence, which had stood between
me and the mighty sin of self-destruction,
would befr1end me yet once more and lead
me farther on to good fortune. had
KIND of inward consciousness that these
few terrible moments on that moss-grown
bridge were to be to me the turning point
Of my life, and even though calmer
thoughts came as I walked through the
cold and darkness that one idea remained
fixed.
Now, asked myself, as paused on my
way, in what direction, both literally and
dguratively, was to turn.
paused as put this question to my
self, and glanced curiously, not TO say
fearfu1ly round me.
Nothing but one broad, wide spread Of
lay behind, before, on all sides
IF me-darkness which seemed to me
Yes, at flrets then suddenly as I gazed
nigh above me in the sky, it seemed to me
4 bright hight flashed out clearly amidst
The gloom. All said, will find my
way TO that light. 1t is a heaven-sent
beacon to guide me. Imbued with this
dea, once moro started on my way.
This found q more difficult one than I
imagined; but even had the obstacles
encountered been twice as many as they
were l am assured should have sur
mounted them willingly. full of the con-
Vfctdon that in making my way to my
beacon lay my safety.
Keeping it, therefore, well in view, 1
;ramped on through the wind and cold
tho only traveller, it seemed, out on such a
hight My way led down long lanes
'ver fields and paths to travel 'hich, even
n the daytime, one would have to pick
mes way as 1t were-but in the darkness
we're simply one continuation Of petty
pitfalls
STILL persevered, and at length, after a