A BUSINESS DAY AT CIIEE-JIA. 211 



still applied himself to the task of undressing, but 

 more deliberately, it seemed to me, than before. At 

 last the work was ended, and his manly form, 

 untrammelled by dress, stood prominently forth on 

 the river's brink, like the statue of one of the 

 Athletoe of ancient Greece ! The ^Naiads of the 

 Ashepoo blushed deep, and hid their faces within 

 her sedgy banks, as the unwonted image stood mir- 

 rored in her dark stream ! Thus stood Leander in 

 act to leap, when the love lamp in the distant tower, 

 taught him to contemn the cold waters of the Helles- 

 pont : and thus stood Loveleap ; but no Hero 

 beckoned him, from beyond the cold flood ! He 

 stood, but leaped not ; and casting a ruefnl look at 

 the deer, now receding in the distance : 



" That cursed eddy," said he, " has twirled him 

 into the middle of the stream ; and see he has been 

 sucked into the strength of the tide. Do you think 

 there is 110 danger ?" 



" If you think there is," said I, after a pause, " it 

 is enough : there is no more to be said dress your- 

 self the deer is lost." Then turning toward the 

 unconscious deer, whose head and peg horns were 

 alone visible, as it floated rapidly up the stream, I 

 vented my disappointment in this apostrophe : 

 " Go, thou fool ! no better than Napoleon, hast thou 

 known the fitting time to die ! The devil take theo 



