The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1854-08-30

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kind ceased; industry was gone; the
mind of the philosopher, were all bent tc
the production of water; and many q
precious object was resolved back into Its
elements, aud afforded scanty supply
for a few parched mouths The linger-
ing inhabitants had the produce of past
years only to live upon, which nothing
replenished as it diminished, and to re-
new which the baked earth was wholly
incompetent.
In the heart of this desert, there was
family which had hitherto survived the
destruction of life around them. 1t con-
sisted of a father and mother, and two
young children, Charles and Alice; the
last of whom, the girl was but few
months old when the Great Drought
commenced. They had lived in Derby
shire near the range of low hills called
the Peak; and they and other inhabi-
tants' of that region had found water
longer than many others, from the sides,
of the hills, and from excavations which
| they had made in the rocks. The strong
hope and expectation of rain had kept
them lingering on as long as any supply
/
when ranks existed, had used both his
knowledge and his influence to supply
the wants of the people, and to postpone
their destruction. But those days were
gone by; his possessions were so much
dust; he wanted water, and no body
wanted any thing else. He was a mere
man now, like those who are born naked
and die naked, and had to struggle with
the needs of nature, even as every one
else. Meantime his education aVailed
him; aud the resources which it taught
him prolonged the lives of this family
and himself. But he was soon obliged
to limit himself to this sole care; Tor
the supply he obtained was scanty, and
he knew how precarious it must be. He
had explored the caverns of the Peak
with great attention, and he bored the
rock in various places, and used means
suggested by his knowledge of natural
causes, which had procured a slender
flow of water into basin which he had
made. The flry of thirsty men for wa
ter was so great, that he was obliged to
keep his secret with the utmost care :;
and towards the end of the fourth year,
he removed his wife and children to the
cavern itself, and blocked up the en-
trance, III such manner that he could
defend il against any chance survivor
| There was no want of the luxuries of
furniture in the cavern-all the splen-
dors of the land were at the command
of those who would take them; and
Paulett brought there whatever had
adorned his home when the earth was a
fit dwelling place for man. There was
velvet and down to lie upon; there were
ca: pets on which little Alice could roll :;
there were warm dresses and luxurious
ornaments of the toilet; whatever could
be used for comfort he had brought, and
all other precious things he had left in
his open house, locking himself aud his
family up with only water. At first
there would come sometimes miserable
man or woman, tracing the presence of
! living creatures, and crying for water
Pauiett or his wife supplied several, aud
when they had been refreshed, they re-
vealed the secret to others or, being
strengthened themselves, felt the des-
perate desire of life revive. and attempt
ed violence to get at the treasure. Af-
ter this the inhabitants of the cavern
fell back to mere self preservation; aud
| the father and mother were able to har-
den their hearts against others, by look
ing at the two creatures whom they had
born into the world, and who depended
upon them. But, indeed, life seemed to
shrink rapidly to nothing over the face
of the country. 1t was very rare to see
a moving form of any kind-skeletons
of beasts and men were plenty, and their
white bones lay on the arid soil /; or even
their withered shapes, dried by the air
aud the sun, were stretched out on the
place where they had ceased to suffer
but life was most rare, and became scrce-
ly necessary to use any precaution
against an invader of their store The
dreadful misery was, that this store di-
minished. The heart of the earth SEEM
ed drying, and was eeasing to be capable
of yielding moisture, even to the utmost
wrenching of science. There was so lit
tie one hot day, that Paulett and Ellen
scarcely moistened their lips after their
meal of baked corn, and warned their
children that the draught they received
was the only one that could be given
them. Charles was now seven years old,
and had learned to submit, but his long
ing eyes pleaded for more; little Alice
was clamorous, and the mother felt tears
overflow her eyes to think there was no
possibility of yielding to that childish
pevishness, and that the absolute non ex
istence of water must punish her poor
child's wilfulness. When Paulett had
set his instruments to work to renew if
! possible, the supply, and when Ellen had
removed the silver cups and dishes which
had held their corn and water, he and
she sat down at the mouth of the cavern,
and the little ones got their playthings,
and placed them on piece of rock not
far off The mouth of the cave is lofty,
and there is sort of terrace running
along one side, at the foot of which lay
the channel of the stream, that was now
dry. The view is down the first reach
of a narrow valley, which turns present
ly afterwards, and so shuts out the world
beyond from sight; and the hill on each
side rises high, and from its perpendicu-
larity seems even higher than 1T is
The shade of the cavern was deep and
cool, but the sky glowed with the heat,
aud light of the sun, and there was not
cloud to hinder him from burning up
the earth. The hill-sides, the channel
where the brook had flowed, the stones
of the cave, were all equally bare; there
was no sound of voice, or bird, or insect
no cool drop from the ceiling of the
cave-no moisture even in the coldness