The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1864-07-07

Without an instAnt's thought of the con-
sequences, Martha ehsyeA her 6rst impalse
and struck the loes with her FOOT exerting
"a her mad styeusth in. the blow. The frail
fabsic rtottered the soft. sarth gave way,
there was breath ef avlul; suspense, and
then the bridge, went down with dull
purge into the waters beneath The sharp
claws. of the wolf had already fixed on the
scant vegetation or tho rock, and he held
there . momsnt, Struggling with fsrocious
atrength to gain : foothold, the next he slid
down into the OhasiDn, utsering q 3iId howl
/ Of iisappointed rage. 2asanli.f adf
|" Martins sank on her knees and offered up
I fervent prayer of thanksgiving for her es-
cape; but simultaneously with the beattfslt
"amen," there came dread recollection.
The bridge formed the only connecting link
between the Pulpit and the main land, and
that was severed True, she was not more
than twenty feet distant from the shore Of
the river, but she might ~ we'll have been
thousands Of miles out in the ocean. The
water was deep, and Il ran with almost in
conceivable rspidity, forty or dfty feet ibe-
low her. over rocks 20 sharp and jagged
that Il made her shiver to look over the
brink. s5l .niv4iE M. .asaasursl b.57
Her only hope was in her husband.-
Should he return at the expected time, they
might still be alive but If by any accident
he should be detained beyond the time I
She closed her eyes, and hesought God for
protection and help. sa&
Cold and hungry, and drenched by the
mist Of the river. Charley begsn 10 cry for
home She could bear any thing better than
that Sae took of her own garments 70
fold sround him. and hald him to.her breast
and sang him the sweet cradle songs which
had 80 often sootAsd him. q4a !.f .IT.
j But the fierce howls of the wolves. and
the sullen thunders of the river, flied his
little heart with terror, and oil the long dark
night through, he chung to her neck sleep
lessly crying to 60 home to papa.
Day dawned at last, the pale sun swine
ming through . sickly sky. the pallid fore.
cast Of storm. Weak and faint from hum
ger, and suffering intensely from cold---for
summer is no hsarer Of tropical smiles, in
that inhospitable clime--Martha paoed back
and forth the narrow limits of the rock
Naan calne-the faint san oeolined-it was
night again. A cold fog sank down over
the mountain, followed by Z drixz;ing rain.
which before morning changed to perfect
delnge. The river rose fearfuily. foaming
milk.white down the gorge. filing the air
with shuddering roar, like the peal Of an
imprisoned earthquake. ,lg.s
The day that followed was no better--onlv
gray rain. and. ashen white mist-not ray
of sunshine. stsr.e.., 4, g.5.-
A new fear arose in the heart Of Martha
Warren. The turbulence Of the stream
must have swept away the bridge over
which her husband would cross on his re
turn. and he, would be detained--for days,
maybe for weeks. p ,q.y5
She gave up al for lost. Strongly and
fcarfully was she tempted to fold her child
in her arms and plunge into the cauldron
beneath and thus end all her fear and Doubt
1t would be better. she thought. than to sui.
fer that slow. painful death of starvation.
But something hold her back Gods curse
was on those who do self murder.
Towards night . lost robin, beaten about
ny the storm. stopped to- rest moment on
tho rock Martha seised upon him and rent
him in twain. with almost savage glee, for
her child to devour raw-she. who three
days before would have weps At the sight OF
. wounded sparrow. ae- = asSs 81
Another night and day-iike the other,
only more intensely aeoniEirg. Martha
Warren was snlleniy Indifferent now suf.
fering had palsied every noble feeling
Charlie moaned for supper-too weak and
spent to sit up, he was laying on the rock,
hls head on her hp, his great eyes fixed On
her face. lff;ea
She tore open vein in her arm With her
scissors, and made him drink the blood !!
Anything. she said To hersslf. to ealm the
wild, wistfdl ysarning Of his syss.
The boy raissd-hs sat up, and psersd
through the darkness.
"Aamma," !" he said, apapa is coming /! I
fee him touch mel" aasH - @
She wept ct the moskesy, and drew the
child ffanticaily to her bosom.
The night was fair-lit up BY new moon.
OvercoWs BY : deadly exhaustion, against
which she could make no resistance, Martha
feis inte an uneasy siumber, which. towsrd
midnight, was broken by startling ery.-
She sprung to her feet and gazed around
her. A14 sei ealf 'kasi'a
Not her eyes did not deceive hsr-shere
on the shore stood the st.lvart form Of her
husband, and hs vas ssliiag hsr name vith
the energy Of despair. She could eaiy cry
out, "Oh, Mark Mark r. and fell sensslssss
to the earth. seP
when she woke to Consciousness, she was
lying on her own bed in the cottage, sup
ported BY her hushspd's 9 arms.
II WAS no dream. Ghs sad her darling
boy wsre ssfe, and he had come back.
Many weeks passed before she grew
strong again, but Mark tended her a.
mother would an infant, and BY the lime The
autumn ffosts isI. she was the btthe Mar
| ths Warren of old. nlslb ihliq ea o1a
AZ Tho tins Of The ftsshsk tie bridge Oyer
| kha Anoaoaaae1rn had indeed hsea .~.-t