Adventures in the Philippine IslandsLa Gironière, Paul P. de
History
Adventures in the Philippine Islands
La Gironière, Paul P. de
Philippines
I think I have during my life been a sharer of the strongest emotions
of joy or of sadness man can feel; but never had I experienced
such real, heartfelt joy as when I heard Anna's words. It is easy
to imagine the state of my mind in recollecting the bitter grief
I was in for ten days; then can be understood the mental anguish I
felt. Having witnessed such strange scenes for a considerable time,
it would not have been surprising had I lost my senses. I was an
actor in a furious battle; I had seen the wounded falling around me,
and heard the death-rattle. After the frightful execution, I went home,
and there still deeper grief awaited me. I had watched by the bed-side
of a beloved wife, knowing not whether I should lose her for ever,
or see her spared to me deprived of reason; when all at once, as if by
a miracle, this dear companion of my life, restored to health, threw
herself into my arms. I wept with her; my burning eyes, aching for
want of rest, found at last some tears, but they were tears of joy and
gladness. Soon we became more composed; we related to each other all
that we had suffered. Oh! the sympathy of loving hearts! Our sorrows
bad been the same, we had shared the same fears, she for me and I for
her. Anna's rapid recovery, after her renovating slumber, enabled her
to get up; she dressed herself as usual, and the people who saw her
could not believe she had passed ten days struggling between death
and insanity--two gulphs, from which love and faith had preserved us.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account