The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-04-28

He knelt there on the floor and prayed /
-and knelt beside him ard took one of /
bis hands in both of mine When we |
arose we heard the first low washing of /
The water against the east side of the |
house, mingled with the louder rushing |
and brawling of the torrent beyond.
When it grew so dark that / could not |
see Ben's face, l lit candle and we sat
there together in silence, ! holding his |
hand. My heart was too full for speech,
and Ben said nothing but a word of COM
fort now and then. q
''There's nothing for. ussto do but to
stay here and hope for the best he told
me once. And then added. 'sWhile there
is life there's hope. and when there's none,
I'll not leave, Bessy.''
Dear, noble Benz 1 wanted to throw
myself on his breast and tell him my se-
cret, but something preyented-I' don't
Know what-and | only pressed the hand
that held. There was no slackening to
the river it rose higher and higher every
moment, and by ten o'clock the wafer
was over the floor where we stood Ben
had carried the TRUNKS and The things /
cared most for up stairs and then we
took to the second story. Here we stayed
tor two hours more, l listening ali the
fine for the sound of oars and voices, for
l hoped that father would come and fake
US off. Midnight came, and / grew inn
patient, and complainingly asked Ben if
he could tell why father did not come and
'sl'm afraid can, Bessy,'' he answer
ed with grave face. "The great raft
went down the river two hours ago ]
heard the voices of men SHOUTING, and |
don't doubt your father is carried away
with the rest. But don't be afraid they
are all safe, l hope, and they'll get 10
shore when morning comes"
couldn't help crying when he told
me that, and nestled up to him as if
had been child, and he put his strong
arm around me. 1t was not long after
this that we felt the house settling and
tipping, and not much longer when it ca
reened halfway over, and was wbirled
away into the river, by the torrent that
had been undermining the foundation
That was An awful hour my lad Ben
held one hand around me, and with the
other hand graspec the window sill, while
he braced his feet in the corner of the
room and the rising and the falling of
the poor wreck under US, as the heavy
current swept US along, gave me at first
the feeling that we were going first to the
bottom. The wind moaned outside, the
water beat against the planks,- and the
beams cracked and gaped as though the
poor old house was falling apart. Long
before daylight we both saw it was set
thing down deeper and deeper into the
water, which rose over the upper floor !;
and when Ben had succeeded in knocking
out the skuttle, he dragged me out on the
roof-how, | don't know. / only know
that he did it, and but for him my drown>
ed body would have foated there in that
old wrecked house when morning came.
And don't know much about the rest
of how that dreadful night passed. Ben
sat upon the ridgepole, and held me on by
main strength and in the cold and dark
ness believe slept certainly l forgot
where was for a long time, and forgot
was cold too. But then | didn't know,
until | woke up at broad daylight, that
Ben had taken his coat off and put it
around my shoulders. The house had
sunk so low that one of the caves was
tipped clear out Of the water, and the
other was three feet under. We were
drifting slowly down the centre of the
stream the shore was almost a mile off
on either side, and there was not a sail nor
sign of help in sight. | looked at Ben
perfectly hopeless and calm in my despair,
and he looked back with hope and cour-
age.
"There's one hope yet. Bessy," he said
ject floating ten rods behind us-an object
the sight of which filled my heart with
gratitude to God, that He had heard and
had answered our prayers. 1t was my
fathers skiff, with the oars lying in the
bottom of it, following along in our tracks
| as if to save US from destruction / un>
derstoed at once how 1t was Jacob Car
die had drawn it up on the shore after
| deserting US, and the rise of the food had
carried it out and falling into the strong
current of the neck, which set towards the
middle of the stream, it had followed us
all night Ben looked wistfulIy, at it, and
measured with his eye the distance to it.
The roof to which we clung was alter.
nately sinking and swaying, and the water
sucked and eddied ominonsIy around it.
SO s''sThis old thing can't swim many min
utes longer" he said. Can you hold or
here alone, Bessy, while swim out tc
the skif and bring it to yous' He die
not wait for me TO reply, but lifted me t.
the place where he had sat, and showed
me how to grasp the bare rafter, wher,
the boards had been strained off Wher
he had done this, he stopped, just as b,
was going to let himself into the water
and looking at me with a tenders mourn
fuI look that can never forget-no, no