Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1902-12-10


Struggling. r.sping. be conss 10 the SCR
tsce; be hs. tasted cncs OF death. WIN
be reach the shores The watsr eoils
srouna him from eta ovn sxertions. He
struggles es-psrstsly to escsr himself
from ala gun, bat ia vain In his blind
folly before attempting the crossing he
had fastened to his neck the mill-stone
| which nos cot OF his only chance Of life.
"Ged have rDerryi" be gs.ped snid the
consulsfss throes % bis siranguistion.
oncs more the Turxiinx water with its
racing esbnls% OF foam closes over him.
snd claim. BIN sxsin a. its vaDqashsd
/ prey. But 30 instant, and his feet
touched bottom. With the last EFFORT
OF bis resiinx senses be springs 10 the
.srf.cs. God be prstseci he smsrges
from the river. he las resehsd she
shore. He fails fsinsisg upon The hsah
TIE nasreiie~. storm bssi. upon aim 90 be
lays there prone upon tie camp earth
With she waters Of The river l.gping ct
be s~~s-
Presently be sturdy nature ssserfs
Itself once more. Consciousness returns,
and wider h aimseii sxssn- lie arose
/
easd ass he crsmped limits, and. itke enc
arising from . deep sleep, xsred seoai
hm in hewiidermrot, uncertain for
moment WHISTLER ssiii dres ming or really
aaake. where was be. how did he get
there, sud what bad be been doing.
These we're the mental questions that
ftashsd upon him.
1 Then be rcmsm bered all. Tba hard
ships and saasrtng Of the last ts~ hoars,
and stove ali his late marvellous escape
from death. For the Srst time In his life
be s-oke TO the belief 10 an over-rsliug
| provitencs. lie fslt that the visible hand
Of God had heea unmiss&ksbiy manifest
| ia this latest sdTenturs- He bad come
| OF praying parents. bet somehow hss own
heart had never been bronght into that
same state of tru.tfnlne~s. He bad rec.
/ ogptred God a. . necessary eisment Of
the universe, snd, iiks all othsr men not
too hardened in crime, be bad resolved TO
tecome q Christisn some day, but thu,
day bad been postponed from time 10
time until nos past mlsdie rfs he Vas
seemingly no nearer tho anal decision
than at any time In the psst.
/ AZ be looked bscs ossr the sista OF
years siresdy spent, he rcsiired tie many
times that bis rough woods-iifs had
brought hin fsec 10 face With death, and
he marvsliea that be had been spared GO
long. he woasa see The p@r~On wben be
/ got henss, snd talk via hin. lie wo1id
help hin on tic right path ssssn.
lie AT thsre IN the darkness for soms
time, deeply absorbed ia meditation. TIE
sinc vas stiiI lghing throsx the forest
the rsia had ceased for a time. bns u vas
only temporary iuii In the storm The
darkness wss quite as blank a. 1t bad been
all slong. II must have teen some, hinx
past fnidntg ut, bat 10 Wilder II seemed .
I fan week since he ieft fhr camp. His
| watch bad stopped bec@ass OF tie late
| immersion In the river. and even ~ It had
| no, be couId not possibly have found oct
whst the time wss, for his matches wsre
useless. nis gun was allied with water,
and 10 this be Turned bis attention as bss.
he could IN ths darkness.
when again be bad leisure 10 think OF
| himself ha found that be was weak snd
faint from bis recent adventure; bis bead
wsi heavy. and his lungs we're ersmped
with = duh, oppressive pain. TIE chill OF
| bis dripping clothing xss . soaree OF
great discomfort. and his boots were
| oiled with water THAI charmed up and
down ia an uncomtortabie manner ~ be
| walked.
Having drained bis boots and ssaeexsd
some OF the dampness out OF bio ciothlng.
| he prepared TO pash on 10 the road n
I 81
ionl Hts 81 Judgment OF the last few
hours bad betrayed him into . wonderful
| tangle of anhsppy adventures Bat shis
was the ero~nins folly OF all. ss be real
| lxsc in sorrow sud repented In suffering
| little later on. But be could not bc
blamed for this rash action; the wiscs,
man would have probably done the
very same thing under the same circum-
stances. Ills brain wzs too unsteady for
calculation. too dull for iorei bought, aud
too confused for Logical reasoning.
His present suffering. which be knew
every hours dsisy would serve to inteu-
si.y. seemed 10 spur him on 10 immediate
action. The pangs OF hunger bad not jet
fastened upon him, bat he knew thst
nature would soon MA he kposn her
wants In no uneerssiB tone. lie msst do
somsthingsto Keep from pvEtshing OF eoid,
for the chill air OF nignt made hi. water
soaked clothing feel iike an iee-cnl6
armor thar ciaug TO him snc seemed to
resist bis every movement.
IL was bat the work % a momept TO
decide which way he should travel. Il
was OF no aso 90 attempt TO follow the
stream back to the road again. A much
quicker wsy would be to strike cot boldly
across the high land, tangled win brush
and blocked with thickets a. II was. tie
felt sure that be could reach the road 10 .
short time, and soon be well along toward
! home.
No longer delaying, he set out with
nothing TO guide him In the darkness