ATTEMPTED ESCAPE. 



ferent to life, we now felt an involuntary desire to escape from 

 this dark agent of destruction and its unseen comrades, whose 

 labours might in another instant crush us to atoms. The 

 spade we had purposed using for poor Martha's interment had 

 accompanied our fall, and assisted by this implement we 

 amassed a heap of rubbish whereon we climbed to the opening 

 above. We thus regained a footing on the broken floor of 

 what had been but three days previous our well-ordered, well- 

 swept domicile. Oh ! that giant spider ! she had well avenged 

 her pigmy sisterhood, victims of the broom ! Her victim 

 was buried in the ruins, where, with a sigh, we were com- 

 pelled to leave her, making our way in fear and sadness across 

 our so lately trim little garden, now a spot of barrenness, not 

 to be distinguished from the wider wilderness around. It 

 was a summer's evening ; but the glowing west, against which 

 the defoliated trees were exhibited in all their bareness, wore 

 much more the appearance of a frosty winter sunset. In the 

 midst of these skeleton trees we could discern the outline 

 of a cottage- 1 the habitation of a neighbour some half-mile 

 distant from what had been our own abode ; and though it 

 seemed but too probable that its occupiers might have per- 

 ished, or be now perishing under the monstrous visitation 

 which had befallen, we felt impelled towards it, in hopes, at 

 least, of the brief companionship of some survivor like our- 

 self. Looking fearfully around, and perceiving no living 

 thing, we crawled onwards as well as our failing strength per: 



