The Ned M'Keown Stories: Traits And Stories Of The Irish Peasantry, The Works of; William Carleton, Volume ThreeCarleton, William
General
The Ned M'Keown Stories: Traits And Stories Of The Irish Peasantry, The Works of; William Carleton, Volume Three
Carleton, William
Ireland -- Social life and customs -- Fiction
“Hitherto, therefore, all was still doubtful, whilst strength was fast
failing him. In this trying and almost hopeless situation, with an
admirable presence of mind, he adopted the only expedient which could
possibly enable him to reach the bank. On finding himself receding down,
instead of advancing up the current, he approached the bank, which was
here very deep and perpendicular; he then sank his fingers into and
pressed his right foot against the firm blue clay with which it was
stratified, and by this means advanced, bit by bit, up the stream,
having no other force by which to propel himself against it. After this
mode did he breast the current with all his strength--which must have
been prodigious, or he never could have borne it out--until he reached
the slope, and got from the influence of the tide, into dead water. On
arriving here, his hand was caught by one of the young men present, who
stood up to the neck, waiting his approach. A second man stood behind
him, holding his other hand, a link being thus formed, that reached out
to the firm bank; and a good pull now brought them both to the edge
of the river. On finding bottom, John took his Colleen Galh in his own
arms, carried her out, and pressing his lips to hers, laid her in
the bosom of her father; then, after taking another kiss of the young
drowned flower, he burst into tears, and fell powerless beside her. The
truth is, the spirit that had kept him firm was now exhausted; both his
legs and arms having become nerveless by the exertion.
“Hitherto her father took no notice of John, for how could he? seeing
that he was entirely wrapped up in his daughter; and the question was,
though rescued from the flood, if life was in her. The sisters were by
this time recovered, and weeping over her, along with the father--and,
indeed, with all present; but the mother could not be made to comprehend
what they were about at all at all. The country people used every means
with which they were intimate to recover Rose; she was brought instantly
to a farmer's house beside the spot, put into a warm bed, covered over
with hot salt, wrapped in half-scorched blankets, and made subject to
every other mode of treatment that could possibly revoke the functions
of life. John had now got a dacent draught of whiskey, which revived
him. He stood over her, when he could be admitted, watching for the
symptomatics of her revival; all, however, was vain. He now determined
to try another course: by-and-by he stooped, put his mouth to her mouth,
and, drawing in his breath, respired with all his force from the bottom
of his very heart into hers; this he did several times rapidly--faith,
a tender and agreeable operation, any how. But mark the consequence:
in less than a minute her white bosom heaved--her breath returned--her
pulse began to play--she opened her eyes, and felt his tears of love
raining warmly on her pale cheek!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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