Ivi MEMOIR. 



maiij drawn tqward tlie bank, and there, finding that she 

 could stand, she was led out of the water by.twq men. 

 With, the rest of the bewildered, horror-stunned people, 

 she walked up and down the margin of the river looking 

 for her husband. Her brother and sister met her as she 

 walked here^a meeting more sad than, joyful. Still the 

 husband did not come, nor the mother, nor that friend 

 who had implored the mercy of God. Mrs. Downing Fas 

 sure that her husband was safe. He had come ashore 

 above — ^he was still floating somewhere — ^he had been pick- 

 ed up — ^he had swam out to some sloop in the river — ^he. 

 was busy rescuing the drowning^-he was .doing his duty 

 somewhere-7-he could not be lost. 



She w>s persuaded into a little house, where she sat at 

 a window until iiightfall, watching the wreck and the con- 

 fusion; Then she was taken home upon the railroad. : Th» 

 neighbors and, friends came to' her to pass the night. They 

 sat partly in the house and partly, stood watching at the 

 door ajid upon the piazza, waiting^for news frofli the mes- 

 sengers who came constantly froiQ the wreck. Mr. Vaux 

 and others left directly for the wreck, and rernained there 

 untn the end. The wife citing to. her hope,, but lay very 

 iUj.in, the care of the physician. The day dawned over 

 that blighted garden, and in the afternoon they told her 

 that the body of her husband had been found, and they 

 were bringing.it home. A young woman who had been 

 saved from the wreck a^d sat .trembling in the house, then 

 said what until then it had been impossible for her, to say, 

 that, at the lalst momenty Mr. Downing had told her how 

 to sustain herself in the water, but that before she was 

 compelled to leap, she saw him strliggliag in the river 

 with his friend and. others chnging to him. Then she 

 heard him uttei: a prayer to God, and saw him no more. 



