The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1850-10-01

Caspars stubborn mood yielded to to his
anxiety for his wife, children, and home.
Without again asking or waiting for his
brothers help, he replaced the demolished
rampant by row of large fir stems, set
deep in the ground, and filed up the inter
walls with wicker-work, so as to break the
force of the flood. lie thus made sure Of
time to save at least the most valuable Of his
goods
The river rose higher and higher: Cas-
par took away his wife and children in a
boat the water was up TO the second floor.
lie himself still remained in the dangerous
building, like the captain of a ship, sticking
to his wrecked vessel till it sinks. His fir
tree barricadc held together famously, and
he strengthened It with great barn-door.
which he managed 10 fix against the weak
est part of the wicker.work parapct This
increased the value Of his brcakwater, and
further protected the house from the force
Of the flood. At times when the cddies
were unusually violent, the fir-trees bent
and cracked as though they would have Civ
en- way but their elasticity preserved them,
and again they riehed themselves. If the
river did not further incrcaSe-and at last
the rise seemed to have dscuntinued-lhe
house was saved.
But one evening dark clouds overspread
The sky--a strong wind blew from the west
and drove the waves over to the viage
The rain fell in torrents, the river rose two
feet an hour, and the wafer began to climb
he walls of Zcbulon's house. Zcbu'on lay
down in his clothes upon the bed on his up.
per floor. His house had never yci been
endangered hy the floods so he had not
thonght of leaving it, and had not even pro.
vidcd boat and although his brother, also
blockaded in his fortress, had skin' moored
to his window, he had no mind to ask his as
si,tance But, in fact, he was nowise ana
ious, for he relied upon the strength of his
house He kept lamp burning and read a
volume Of sermons.
Suddenly, however, Zcbulon saw the wa.
ter bubble up between the boards of the
floor like a mountain stream in the carly
spring. His hair bristled with terror: he
looked around and saw the invading clement
gush in over the threshold OF the room lie
jumped up and opened the door, and was
almost carried of his legs bv the torrent
that entered ; and hardly had he time to get
upon his table when the water was level
with the window sill. A frigh,fu. death
stared him in the face if the water rose 10
| the top OF the windows, he must be drowned
or sincd He made his way to the window
that looked towards the village, and shouted
for help; but the roaring Of the stream and
the sharp whistling of the wind mocked his
utmost efforts 20 be heard, and the water
| splashed in and out, and reached up 20 his
breast. On this side there was no chance
of rescue, but on the side Of the river
faint hope remained. Close TO the window.
shutter stood one of the spitetu poplars. lie
waded 10 his bed, rolled up dry blanket
and secured it round his neck Thea he
climbed cautiously upon the wihdow-ledae !:
the poplar stood firm, and Il stout branch Of
iered itself to his hand. At short distance
he distinguished the roof of his bro.her's
house, still above water He saw Caspar,
with lantern it, his hand, getting out Of the
top of The window into boat he called to
him, but so great was the uproar that it WAS
impossible he should be heard. With great
eXertion, Caspar pulled the boat under the
lee of the brcakwalcr; whilst Zebulon climb.
ed Up his poplar as high as its branches
would bear him, and waited for daylight and
'uccor' To his great joy, he presently ob-
served that the water was falling as fast as it
had risen; ii was soon below The window
through which he had passed, and he began
10 think of abandoning his uncomfortable
refuge, and re-entering his room Whilst
congra'ulating himself on his escape, and
just as the day began to dawn, the wind a.
gain rose and blew in short but violent gusts.
Again the river rolled more wildly, and the
poplars swayed to and fro. Zebulon was
on the very point of eflecting a retreat thro'
his window, when he heard terrible crash
proceed from the breakwaler, The roof Of
his brothers house sank plaShing into the
Hood; and in the whirl of waters that ensu-
ed, the strong poplar tree 10 which he had
clung WAS twisted round and ronnd, as tho
1t had been bat a sapling, until its branches,
and even It's topnast spray, were at times
submerged. Like the tree, Zebulon was
tain TO yield 10 the last: now under water,
now whiFled dripping through the air he
elasped bis poplar in desperate embrace,
suddenly he experienced Il violent shock f:
he brarch TO which he trusted seemed 10
haFl iIom IT, and be fell heavily upon somc-
thing hard. Stunned and bewidered, and
with the blood streaming from his nose, he
felt himself borne rapidly down the stream.
On recovering his senses sufficiently TO look
around him, he found that he was lying on
the great barn door which had formed part
Of the breakwater. At the other end sat n
man. and that man was his brother Caspar.
When Caspar, warned by the rocking Of
the walls, abandoned his house, be dared not
row towards the village, lest in the darkness
he should strike against tree, or be over,
whelmed by the rush of waters. lie sue
ceeded in reaching the Lreakwater, which
still stood firm. There he lay at anchor
sheltered from the storm, and with the force