Year: 1871

III ulatlG me W1lQ.


Every faculty of my nature sne--a
/ absorbed with the animal longing for
food.


[ tore my shoes, and chewed the
the leather with a keen relish, and my
coat and vest were sacrificed in the
same manner


At last I grew very weak aud tired.
ALI desire to eat left me. The thought
of the most tempting viands sickened
me. / could not have dined with any
degree of pleasure even at kings
table.


The memory of the blue sky and the
warm sunshine, the voices of birds
! and living friends, woke in me no long
ing All L wanted was to rest. I
wished that I had a soft bed to lie on
my bones seemed to be so old.


From that I fell to wondering if I
were not very old, and if this weary
/ feeling were not old age.


Then there was q long blank, and
| from it I awoke with transitory
strength which vented itself in wild
halloes and cries for help-the very
first I had uttered since being in this
horrible place.


The sound of my own voice was
frightfu1 to me- It seemed to come
from an immense distance, and it was
echoed and reechoed from corner to
corner with appalling distinctness.


Was it a fancy, or did [ really hear
my call family answered.


Again I shouted, and this time I was
sure human voice replied.
I rushed toward the sound, and look
ing upward, saw grey gloom instead
of the everlasting blackness.


It convinced me that I was near an
opening. 1 tried to bound on toward
it tr1ed to scream louder, but voice
and strength alike failed, and I fell
PROSTATE to the earth.


When came to myself was lying
on the grass with my head on Katie 8
bosom, and her soft hands were push
ing back the wet hair from my temples,


hot tears falling fast upon my face the


while.


care the chicken and cranberry


sauce cold, dear 2" asked in wander
ing sort OF way and from that time
forth, for days and days, Twas oblivious
, of every thing


Afterward, when I was myself,


heard the whole story.
Katie had been very angry-she con
3 fessed it to me with her own sweet face
l hidden on my shoulder, and her deal
little hand in mine-but the next day
| after she had expected me my mothers
L servant came over to inquire after me
: and in her alarm Katie had forgotten


her anger at orce.
Search had been made everywhere
but no one thought of the old mine.
Two days and nights passed, ant
: they were about giving up the quest il


despair.


Suddenly, Katie said, like CLEAN
of light came to her the thought of th
}. old mine.


l She had hard work to persuade an,
! one to join her-so much were the peo
pie in awe of poor Rutherford's ghost


but by dint of tears and prayers sh
J had at last prevailed upon the old mi
J. ners to go with her.
= They went to the largest shaft first
l l and by Gods providence I had bee
u led to the same place.
They heard my cries, and the me
L would have fed in terror, had not Kati


ridiculed their fears to such an exten
IS that they remained from very shame
But neither of them would risk hin
q self to descend into the mine, and
= was Katie herself who had got in th
IL basket, and came to my relief.
e She has been my wife these two hal
J Ply years now, but she says that ofte
!, in my sleep [ start up and cry for hell
Ii just as [ did that night when she foun
, me so near death.


But her voice and touch soothe MI
:, and sleep again, and dream no MOI
the horrible dream which has all th
J semblance of dread reality.