Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1869-09-02
HISTORY or A WAlF.
An Incident Ofthe Frcshet Of lsl7-
An Infant Floating nll Night IN the
ElOOd-EN hat Rec M of Her.

FlOOS-W nat became OF Her.
The Cincinnati Times tells q very inter-
esting and romantic story heard as above.
which is worth repeating if true, and if y
fancy sketch" it is SO we'll gotten up that
it can easily I've credited, on the ground
that truth is stranger than fiction. Al
all events we give the substance OF the story
as it appears i'll the Times. anu when wheh
condensed reads "thusly:'
During the great Hood OF lSl', when tho
Ohio river so tnr ovrrcnped the bounds of
propricty as to como up to Pearl street
without any invitntion,a great many dwell
lnns located on the river banks We're swept
away and came floating down the pitiess
tide, Loss Of ito not mtreuurntly attend
nj these disasters, ~ when family I'M
conscious OF their danger were asleep III
their beds when tho water rose about their
house and lifting it from itr foundations
bore it away amid tho darkness and the
| turbulent flood.
On III, west bank of tho Ohio ut that
time between Marietta and Ponleroy stood
| an humble dwelling occupied by small
| farmer and his wife, together with flve
| children, tho youngest an infant girl little
over II year old. The river rose during the
night while the family were in bed. Tho
| rocking of the house asthc sl,rglng waters
rla,ned it awoke the inmates. and through
| great and ln.sty exrrtion the farmer was en-
ahlrl to get all his family, rs he supposed,
| to n place OF safety, though he lost every
| thing else. Standing Oh " littlo en,inence
near by, he saw, through the gloom OF that
dreadful night, his house with all its con-
| tents, WELD itself to tho Grasping and
nvuricious flood. and float down the ri\c CT,
| where ii wu,, soon lost in darkness. lie
| s,Uposcu all were saved, but, alas it was
soon discovered that their infant girl was
missing.
In the confusion and excitement Of the
moment the baby was left asleep on its bed
and had been swept away to destruction
with the house. Great was the grief OF tho
parents at the loss OF their youngest born,
and although due efforts wero made to
learn whether or not she had been rescued,
nothing was heard Of her, and it was very
naturally supposed she was drowned i'll the
river.
Such, however, was not her fate. hum
lrru miles below where this dwelling was
swept away, some person on the river bank
the next morning saw something peculiar
iluating down on the current. They
thought it was the ior.u oi en- infant A
boat was procured, and the object was i'll
deed found to be an infant girl, sleeping
calmly and profoundly upon Il bed.
She was taken in charge by family in
the vicinity, who took such means as they
knew to ascertain to whom the child be-
| longed, but til, re was no clue to guide
theln, and soon tho little w;if that had
noated down to them came to be consider
ed as their own child. Meanwhile the
wait grew into beautiful girl, and beGalEe
rs dear to her adopted parents as though
she was their own. She had mourned for
'ma,nna" q little time, but ere long all
recolections OF her carly surroundings
were but dim and shadowy, and her new
parents and her new home became all-in-all
to her. A few years after the family
moved into Illinois, settling Oh o farm near
Chicago. The man prospered there, and
was enabled to give his beautiful OHIO river
founding IN education fitting her ersces
OF person, her amiability and her virtues.
A short time ago her hand was sought in
marriage ly IL worthy young farmer i'll the
vicinity of where she lived, consent OBJ
tnined, and the happy day appointed.
CHASING, her wedding outtit. At n dry goods
store u clerk who was waiting on them
obsmvstl our. heorine intently, and seemed
sinen1arly. affectett--so much so As to at
tract attention.
"EXcuse me-" he said in some confusion,
addressing the young lady, "lon't be often
deu at my staring at you, but the truth is
youare q perfect picture of n sister Of mine
ut home, and couldn't help thinking you
looked jlrst az another sister OF mine would
have looked who was swept down the Ohio
in great ireshet and was lost"
The words attracted the attention Of the
young lady's adopted parents. Theresem
blance spoken of, and the incident Of the
freshet taken in conjunction, could hardly
have failed to do that. Explanations fol-
lowed, and it was pretty satisfactorily con-
cuded that the clerk and the young lady
were brother and sister, rs indeed, was af.
terward proved to be the case.
Her parents, too, had emigrated to ILL
+nois, and lived not fsr from her own home.
! Tile families we're brought together, and
what was before believed to be true was
established beyond question, when the bed
OH which the child WAS found was protluc.
ed, aud tho garments she wore; for what
frugal housewife wouldn't recognise one o.
her own beds, and what mother would moi
remember the garments worn by her favor
ite babe?
There is little more to tell. Our heroine
was married to the husband of her choice
last week, and had the satisfaction OF hay
ing her own as we'll az her adopted parents
at the wedding. We don't consider it ne
cessary to give the names Of tho parties
but the story is Il true one, and we had thu
facts from one who is thoroughly convers
ant with them.
| A Woman Prnacl,iusr in n Trnuce.