Barre evening enterprise. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-1898, 1898-04-14
IN THE RESERVOIR.

sN#Auu nail II uOZell seudtOflul IOOhlllS
IL a mothers with young children pacing
the parapet, as we ourselves, one day
Ii the past generation. basEed there in
the sunshine-now watching the pick
\ erel that glidcd along the lucid edges
Of the black pool within, and now look
WI ing off upon the scene of rich and Won
n Grous variety that spreads along the two
rivers Oh each side.
"They may talk Of Alpheus and
n Arethusa, -" murmured an idling sopho-
Ss more who had found his way thither
M during recitation hours, "but the Gro
ton, in passing over al arm of the sea
2s at Spuytcn Dayvil and bursting to
sight again il: this truncated pyramid,
I'M beats ii all hollow. BY George, too, the
s bay yordcr looks as blue as ever the
~ Eecan sea to Byron' eye gazing from
Che Acropolis. Bat the painted foliage
on these crags-the Greeks must have
SSs dreamed of such vegetable phenomenon
in the midst of their grayish olive
groves CT they never would have sup
piled the want of it i'll their landscape
by embroidering their marble temples
with gay colors. Did yon see that pike
y break, sir:'
81 did not
"Zounds! His silver fin flashed upon
the black Acheron like restless soul
II that hoped yet to mount from the pool. y
"Tbe place seems suggestive of fam
cies to you?" we observed in reply to
the rattlepate.
&c T. :,,l,,oJ Go, T box,n J,,,o Wv, n
Goood deal of l~. :, king within a
ircIe of fe'i yards where that fish
sbsokeijnst now
pingular place for medtation--
the middle of the reservoir. :"
Yum look incredulous, sir, hat it s a
8Cts fellow can never tell until he is
kFd6d HI what situation his most earnest
sditAtions may be concentrated. / am
|.s..ing you though"
Not at all. But you seem so familiar
q WITH The spot that wish you could tell
N me why that ladder leading down to the
sT wIter-is iasi1ed against the tho st1ieHulN
III in yonder corner"
u "That lajder?' said the young man.
NJ Frightening at the question. "Nhy, the
position, perhaps the very existence, Of
ss that ladder resulted from my medita-
aa& lions in the reservoir, at which you
@ smiled just now. Shall / tell you all
& about theM:'
2 "Pray DO"
8 "Wcll, yea have seen the notice for
s bidding any enc TO fish in the reservoir.
@ Now, when / read that warning, the
& spirit of the thing struck me at once as
Z inferring nothing moro than that one
should not sully the temperance p>ta-
gay tions of our citizens by stepping bait in
NJ it of any kind; but you probably know
IN the common way of taking pike with a
slip nooso CT delicate wire. | was de-
termined to have "a touch at the fellows
with this kind Of tackle.
81 chose y moonlight night, and an
hour before the edilico was closed to
visitors l socrctcd myself within tic
s walls, determined to pass tho nie.ht Oh
WI the top. All vert as could VI il it,
The night proved cloudy, but ii was
3 only a variable drift CT broker clouds
MI which obscurod the moon. | had Il
S walking cane rod with me, which
Il would reach to the margin Of the water
and reveral feet beyond il necessary.
INV "To this was attached The W Ire about
54% 10 inches III length.
sM II prowled along TIE parapet for 4
I'M considerable time, but hot single fish
could | see. The clouds made a flicker
@ ing light and shade that wholly foiled
3s my steadftst gaze. Twas convinced that
s should they come up thicker my whole
s nights adventure would be thrown
Ss away. why shall l not descend the
s sloping wall and get nearer Oh Level
2 with the fish, for thus alone can J. hope
WI to sec one:' The question had hardly
ss shaped itself in my mind before | hat
SIN one leg ever the iron railing.
@& III you look around, you will see
a now that there are some half dozen
ss weeds growing here and there amid th(
s& lssurcs Of the solid masonry. IN ono OF
SN the assures from whence these spring
S# / planted foot and began my descent
I'M The reservoir was fuller than it is now
~ and a few strides would have carried
IN me to the margin of the water. Holding
" on to the cleft above, felt around with
N one foot for a place to plant it below
Nh me.
II elm that moment the flap of 4 pount
# pike made Inc look round, and the roots
Fl of tho weed upon which | partly de
VI pended gave way as was in the act O
# turning. Sir, ono S senses are sharpene(
ID in deadly peril. AS live now l dis
tinctly heard the bells Of Trinity chin
Ii ing midnight as rose to the surface
II the next instant, immersed in the ston
ualdron where | must swim for my llt
n heaven only could tell how long.
81 am capital swimmer, and thl
u naturally gave me degree of self pos
session. Failing as had, I, of course
had pitched out some distance from til
sloping parapet. A few strokes brough
me to the edge. l really was not ye
certain but that could chamber up IN
face of the wall anywhere. l hope
that 1 could. l felt certain that at le"E
there was some spot where l might &c
hold with my hands, even if L dld nc
ultimately ascent it.
81 tried the nearest spot. The lhcllht
ton of the wall was SO vertical thau
did not even rest me to lean against i
felt with my hands and with my Zee
Surely, / thought, there must Ee som
fssure like those, q y Thich tEat
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4 ....--.. y,