The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1850-11-14


gone these twenty wears. He seemed surprised
when | told him they were all deDared; and at the
end of The bridge we separated Now, Widow Cur
lis, did see ali this and yet old Sam Jacks knows
precious well there was nobody there. 1T was
nothing but fancy and deceit and so was the crV
YOU heard. Cheer up, old girl Martha all right 20
But the widow was not 10 be satisfied. The old
mans stories rather excited her Imagination, and
she declared that every instant she feit more
that Martha was gone. About midnight she started
towards home, and Abel went along the water.side
with her, to say few words of comfort.
=" Did you hear that" Suddenly said the poor
mother. ''lf that was not Maftha's voice, it was
her spirit
Abel had heard the cry it was shrek Of des-
pair, SO clear, so distinct, 10 man could hesitate or
doubt. The night was now calm and still, and the
moon shOne brightly over the whole scene. A boat
lay nOOred within an indentatiOn of the river at
the young mans feet He gaZed rapidly round
Just above the point of the island he saw small
canoe, and person standing upright in it-a wo-
man with her hands clasped, as if in prayer. The
canoe was hurrying down the stream, though not
yet in the rapids. A lovers glance is not easily de-
ceived. Ii was Martha To leap into the boat, to
push cut towards the canoe, and to begin rowing
with the energy of mingled love and despair,
the work of q single iHstaLt The widow sank
down upon her knees on the bank.
The river was wide, and the current strong,
while Just below were the rapids. Abel was al
most within their influence, and soon found it ne
,essary to pull upstream 10 avoid being sucked in.
When again he turned the bow Of his boat across,
the canoe was not more than fifty yards above the
spot where he lay, and was coming with extreme
velocity.
" Courage, dear Martha cried the young man
" Abel is at hand"
"Idroppsdmy paddles, Abel, while getting away
from a snag'
''Check the canoe with your hands, dear girl.
Put them in the water. Every inch gained is valu-
able''
al am going too quickly, Abel. You can never
save me. Is that my dear mother on the bank!''
" 1t is Martha" replied Abel, solemnly, at the
same time pulling vigorously. " But silence now"
The two boats were drawing near, while both
were setting down with great velocity the ra-
pids. Martha was in a light bark canoe, which lay
almost on the surface OF the water. A few minutes
more, and Martha and Ahsl were parallel TO each
other, at a distance Of about dozen yards. Abel
leaped to his ieer, and looked around. They were
within thirty feet of the rapids, and two hundred
OF the falls, in the very middle Of the stream. All
hope Of Abei's catching the canoe was now gone,
She, it seemed, could not he saved They could
only be lost together. The young man gazed at
the mOonl isle, the shore, his fathers hume the
aged mother knseling the shore, while old Jack
aud ms mother stood mOtioness near The threshold
Of their house.
Martha cried Abel, in a voice calm and col
lscted, though husky, act with courage aud spirit
One minute, and we part perhaps forever. Rouse
all your courage, think of your mother and Of your
future husband, and let the thought give YOU the
energy ol u man. Lie euoMl quickly IN lne canoe )
lie sull, and move not. The fall is sweed by the
| rain, and the white rock is hidden That is dear
| girl Move not for you life Adleu 70
| No more words were spoken. Martha, she
| was oia, lay at tull length IN the bottom oil the
shgh' Dark canoe anu next instant was sucked INTO
tHe IdPiuS' Nouhu anu louhu went the iran poab
| and then entering the very centre Of the quick
flowing stream it darted along, and was lost sight
of over the falls Abel pulled like madman for
the shore guiding his boat slightly up stream.
| My chlid, my child !" cried the agonzed mo-
! ther, as he leaPed out upon the bank.
| Boy, SAID his father, severely, " what have
| YOU done with Martha?"
| " Father stay me not Martha Is IN the hands
| OF Providence. Follow me, and lew minutes
I will decide her fate :"
Z The mother and AheFs whole tamliy ran with
ihe young man along the shofe, iouowhB the port
! age OF the idiia. Ihey soon reached the nook IN
! which lay the boat used by the Jacks for fishing
/ under the cataract. As Abel expected, the high
! tide and the great volume OF waters considerably
| lesseued the height OF the fall which was also
| Where is my child 2 cried Widow Curtis once
! more.
| Abel made no reply, but eaplng into the boat,
| pulled across the stream. The two falls, one on
| each side of Cuth Island made of course very
strong current in this part OF the river but where
| the two currents met, the one conteracted the
| other, and the volume of water being very great
| three backwaters ensued one going back to the
| island point the other two along shore. A bel
pulled for the still water in the centre and in few
minutes had the intense satisfaction of seeing the
| fraI bark canoe IvinU motonless on the yeTv edge
| oG tLe eJJv
| Martha he cried. in : low aoonized voice
/ No answer was oiven and in a f.vy minnie,
mora Fs sInrgslrie there She law in the m Ia
rra-l ,r - LIN "a inf,n; nm lis rootbar,s bo.
r, L5,t 20 III annaarancs Itf.gs.s. Xii JiGNI
her Rurriedlv into ms boat. and s1rinIIeJ her
EIs F,s, ,yiTb ,,ata dsan sirb 8, Ioz,, ,,.,iiiyo
,J ,f ,air, md tI,a, q b,rst ~ tar,rq nd JsnrL
,r y,yoclg;,aJ tho victor, az ,,orth and ,,aInr.
| over death
| >. Nh AhaI lo,,, I,av. bssn sayoi -, said tbf
,-o,,Liina .ni aaitate5 airI cias0ir,y he, joyer,
| tu.o ban3s
! "RU tbrr couroga and ,rust in pyovidanca 1ael
Martha y ranIisd AbsI in q lou, tome ana tbas,
,,, simnle insonbe,icated children of lneIt
and win the roaring cataract m each side anr
The nlacid skv ahnve nraved IN the Cod of thei
hesrts
| "Jet us 90 10 nv mother said Martha after a,
instant's nanse and Ab-I vithnnf anotber word
strnck ont for the shore The meating fnrmed
most exciting scene. Tears and onestions an,
thanks and laughter. were strangely mingIei witt
oa,b o,bar aDJ tbap ,b, ,,b,ia -, r,1,r,oJ- :
old Jacks house.
cba,arfsr and a,vsrs oF tbn IN naSc nr storr
upon her mind, had determined, as soon as tn
moon rose, 10 cross over and rsassure the wido'
as to her own sateCy. She took her mothers bar
canoe, and starting good way above The site {
| he bridge, began pulling across. NGen well J
the Stream' a beam OF wood checked her progress
Eager 70 push u IRON er PAIN s45 lrt go her pad
GeS' "h'Ch sue iluG iofeO.ieh 70 laseh on TIE fG