Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1868-05-07

lne GUNNER OF CnlS year lACI was we
and stormy. The wind, day after day
was from the southwest 1t seemed as i
the weathercocks would never shift from
the southwest. From May till Septem.
Der, every hour, the clouds and the waves
poured in from the southwest.
Now. understand what happened from
this. The water from the Atlantic Ocean
was driven up, past the coast of Spain
past the bay of Biscay, past Ireland, be-
tween Iceland and Scotland; and so, in
the Arctic Ocean, and off the coast O.
Norway, it stood many feet higher than il
did in the mid-Atlantc. Ships, in com.
ing from Portugal to England, were, SC
to speak, sailing up hill This was the
case all Summer; but on the 23d of Sep.
tember the wind suddenly veered round
to the north. All this mass of water
then. was driven into the German Ocean
which thus became too full; for the enor.
nous waves came rolling in from the
north, far more swiftly than they could
race out through the straits Calais -
Therefore, as you must see for yourselves
when, at three o'clock on the afternoon o.
September 25th the wind again suddenly
chopped round from the north to the
northwest, and rose to hurricane, al
this eight of ocean was driven on to the
dykes of Holland.
Close to the Hondsbossche there was
then, and there is now, little village
called Kamp. Let us see what was hap
pening there when the wind, on that 25th
of September. had shifted for about three
hours, and all men began to say that il
would be an awful night. Doors were
barred, windows shuttered, fires went
roaring up the yawning chimneys, and
every now and then cast a bright cheer
full CLEAN into the village street. The
clouds drove over head like pack of wild
horses; the wind grappled with roof
here, dashed through Tree there, shook
the well-fastened door with giants
hand, roared like wild beast down the
chimney, and then went rioting along
over what is now the Zuyder Zee, but
was then one long fruitful pasture mea-
dow.
A poor old man entered the village at
! nightfall. ''Friend," he said to stout
hearted laborer, trudging courageously
houewards, 'is there any one here who
will give me a lodging tonight for the
love of Christ ?''
''Try at Jan Maarsen's, up yonder, fa-
ther,'" he answered. ''He is rich enough,
Our Lady knows! but be loves his own,
too"
onder farm?'' inquired the beggar.
Even So" said the laborer. "God be
with you" And be went on.
A pleasant place was that same farm
house towards the close Of fine Summer
day. It's huge gables, its thick thatch,
and white walls, the three or four elms
that sang a quiet song, as the evening
breeze sprang up; the orchard, with its
rich promise of fruit; the little garden,
with its trim plots Of tulips and roses; the
two yews. one cut into a peacock, the
other formed into lion; the red kline
feeding in the deep, green meadows; the
Flanders horses in the farm yard, lazily
whisking their tails to scare off the hosts
of gnats. But now all was gloomy and
desolate; the orchard trees clashed their
arms together in the tempest; torrents OF
water poured from the thatch; now and
then a heavier gust caused the spray OF
the distant sea to miugle with the rain.
and pools of salt water soaked here and
there in thegarden.' The beggar unhook-
ed the wicket. passed in, and with feeble
hand struck the door again and again.
''Who's there p at length exclaimed a
gruf voice. from within.
"a poor man, that begs nights lodg-
ing for the love of God" ~ -
5''Then God may take care of you, for
[ will not" said the farmer. There be
trampcrs enough I know, nowadays"
Only an outhouse and a, bundle oi
straw" pleaded the poor man.
''Be off with you," shouted the farmer,
'or I'll loose the dog
Il give you one more chance, Jan
Maarsen," said the beggar. ''Will you
yield me nights lodging?" =
Here, Garmo! Garmo I" cried the far.
mer again. And fierce growl within
showed that the dog had answered bis
masters voice.
The beggar, without troubling himself
to hurry, walked quietly through the gar
den, out into the village street and passed
on,
Now come with me to another farm
house, half mile further on, and some
what nearer the sea. This time we will
step into the kitchen, and see who are
there.
A cheerful, happy group. At one side
of the fire the Householder Gas the Ger
mans say), Conrad schoorl, stroag. sun.
burnt, good humored farmer. He is rig ght.
ing pair of shears that are out of order
and every now and then casting well
pleased glance on the others-on his wife
Dame Fleta, who is plying her needle bu.
silly on the other side of the FIRE, and Co.
letta, who is helping her younger brother
Willibald to make cross-bow, and little
Trudchen, who is playing with the grea
long haired dog that lies basking before
the fire.
Il wish Poppo would come in.' sale
Dame Schoorl at length.
"More like that shall have to 60 out,