Southern standard. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1851-1856, 1851-10-18
"Mary, the captain saws he shall nntus ashore ?

on BOARD, went back to C--s to try my luck
once more, and the scoundrels won every dollar.
The knaves they've cheated me If could only
have had time to try my luck again, I'd soon have
shown them could win as roundly as they
In giving vent to his excitement, he forgot, for
the moment, the consequences which his gratifed
passion had already brought upon his helpless fam
lily, and angrily starting up, paced the narrow
space about them with flushed and scowling face
! Poor Mary had received the tidings of her new
misfortune with suppressed groan, but now her
emotion only visable in the silent tears that
fell thick and fast, while she encrced her uncon-
scious children more closely in her arms. She re-
membered the many days and nights of weary toll
she had endured to gather portion of the little
sum that was to convey them away from the scenes
/ of her suffering, and with which they were to
cure an humble home farther west. But now all
was gone.
! The bright anticipations of home of their own
IN some quiet spot had long been her strength, and
many an hour of sorrow had been lightened with
the thought that one day they should till their
land, that she should see the bright grain waving,
and the prairie flowers spring luxuriantly around
their dwelling; and her heart beat with joy, as, IN
Imagination. she saw her children bounding upon
the green sward, and breathing the fresh pure air,
that had thus far been denied them; and, above
all, she would see her husband freed from the in
huences that drew him and his hard earnings TO
]
despite all resolution and promises. But poor Ma
rvs imagination had travelled too fast, and her
| happy dreams were all crushed now. No word of
reproach escaped her lips, though she shuddered
as she listened to the night wind, and thought
how soon they should be without shelter Her I'M
complaining sorrow touched the heart OF the gam
bier, and again he threw himself down upon The
old chest, and buried his face in his hands, awaited
the summons he momentariy expected from the
captain.
There they sat till midnight approached. Quiet
had taken the place Of the noisy confusion of the
evening, as one after another dropped away IN
slumber. The heavy rumbng sound of the ma
chinery fell painfully upon the nervous ear of the
gambler, as he listened to the approach of every
football till suddenly the sound ceased, and only
the rushing waters and the whistling of the wind
broke the stiffness. Presently the captain, accom-
panied by a bearing a lantern, appeared, and
ordered the unwelcome passengers forward. They
arose, and, without word obeyed the summons.
The boat already lowered, and two men at
the oars awaiting orders. Mary prepared to de-
scend, and placing her baby in her Young daugh-
ter's with word of caution, turned from
them and in a moment more safely seated IN
the boat. By the dim light of the lamp she watch
ed the coming of Anna, with her precious burden,
and with anxious fear them lifted to the boats
edge. She reached forward to secure them, but
Anna tottered, and in a moment was plunged in
to the rolling waters A shrill shrek rent the air
and rang through the boat with such wild agony
as awoke every sleeper.
my child Ny Anna ~ cried the fanatic moth
err as she gazed vainy in the dark waters that had
closed over her beloved ones.
"'Save them save them - she still shrieked,
while she struggled 20 throw herself after Them,
though firmly held by OF the oarsmen. The
other plunged into the river while half dozen
lights flung a broad CLEAN over the water, and en-
abled him to discern any OBJ ect that appeared
The father peered into the distance with keen,
quick gaze, and then gave a loud shout, as a dark
mass rose on the surface With few expert
strokes the swimmer reached Anna, she was
sinking beneath the waves again, and with strong
hold he grasped and bore her safely to the arms
OF the distracted mother, who folded the dripping
exhausted child 10 her bosom Still she shrek
ed
MY child my babe is gone oh, save him too!''
And with wild gestures she enTeated them to find
'sWhat does she mean ?" asked the astonished
oarsman.
Anna had the babe in her arms when lifted
her down to you," replied the excited and bewil |
dered father
Without another word the generous boatman
plunged in5o the water again, and glided here and
there in search of The lost. vain the lights flash
ed hther and lhither, throwing long c.roaL Of
brig Illness to he shore. NoJhinr was yisabIe and
hope sunk in the hearts Of the lookers-on who had
gathered upon Geek, and even the harsh captain
pI5'ed ne mother, as he heard her agonized sobs,
, wnen the search abandoned, ard the hoatman
returned, chilled and weary, from his frutless eff
forts. No spoke, and many eyes still anxious
~ watched the ruffied waters Amid the silence, !
save the half-sted grief of the bereaved mother, /
the boat glided slowly away, the dipped light
y into the waters that had embosomed The sleep
ing babe On and on they softly moved, till the
boat-fghts glimmered in the distance, and they
could see the wavy lines of the shore, and the dark
dreary wood that bordered it,
Close upon the shore stood few hamlets; and
here, in the midnight darkness, they left the mon
eyless gambler, his stricken wife, and the half
drownded Anna. Poor Mary sat mourning on the
river bank, clasping her only remaining child and
straining her gaze afar the water IN search of
the lost one. The conscience stricken father has
tened to the nearest cottage for relief while the
skff pushed from the shore, and returned to the
steamboat, which in a little ime noisely push
ing and putting along the river and leaving far
behind the broken group that had been despoiled
of their treasure.
Quiet again restored among the passengers,
and each returned to their dreams, or his waking
thoughts of the unhappy midnight scene-some to
sympathIze, to censure the sad lesson, that
however man may err, woman is the greatest suf-
ferer thereby, and few, if any, to profit by the
warning of the gamblers misfortunes.
INTERESTING CoRREspoNDENcE.-The two fol-