National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1870-06-03
4 Mississippi Night

plantation.
Ny husband was absent on bust
ness in New Orleans, and had not !
returned when the prolonged rains
of that autumn began. AS the rain
storm was a general one, extending
through States far to the north, the
Father Of Waters began to rise with
more than ordinary rapidity. From
the upper porches and windows of
the house ! could plainly see the
vast volume of yellow water as it
widened over the opposite Mississ-
Ippi flats where there was no levee.
The quantities of drift wood coming
down, and the peculiar way in which
the river seemed convex and clear
of drift in the middle, while the
apparently lower margins were thick
with the SpOllS of the forest. showed
me that it was still swelling to a
higher rise, and was Vcritable
food. When the stream is falling
the suck of the lower current draws
the drift to the middle, and keeps
the portion next the bank quite clear.
But at that time the main channel
was only marked by the smooth.
waveleSs rush of the muddy tide.
and the ear caught only that low
crawl of the relentless giaut asking
! for its ocean bride.
! at once summoned every ayaila
hIn nnrson on tbe estate. and made
tho details tn huilL fires at intervals
an onr lnyon 50 as to Keen watch all
niohI AIsn detected tbo oauos
,r;,i. ',.a,iag'orI Nh. +o1nra,Iv f,r
aa' ~" n",i laI'9 on ''I' an, ,o,,t or omv calI
S rnr,;I a fran, noiolho,inTnl nlontatious
T,."r,, .,rnnantion .nnmpd to have
iIao,, .aiI-on ,,,l'i,I, ,r,s uacos.orv far
s,G,ty Iow nIonns had bnnu eleva.
t"I r,.hod ,Iarns mrud,.I and
,,a;,..' ,,,hora tI,o .p,ront sat With
,u,'t 0'''t, ,,",.o,. h,',d lam .trenrtbanrd
c.Iiad ,in,hnr nm. unint ;nst
ofI,.''> >,ta Lnu,n o,L;ch sh..nnl :,
I,a,.o ,,ann thn oId cL,nn,l the rive,
,n,ao r", - ,roa't hond and thn snller
,."tn, ,7nt ,bo oh.trnc,iuo shor,
,.,.I ".I, dnf,,,t I..h nf It's v.ll,,v
3 ,l,s.,. rnll..s and thrn turned away
7,';t,,' 'o,,l,, ,u''> conr,n ms roin+ had
Loa" .tr.n,,tl,onnd hv "a donbl,
,t;,i..o.. o'f :, rn'h,rl,mnnt hv nile,
,i,..I .,.;,l, i.,,,..' tin.h,r
Ia, ,r,'..,' ,l,,.e ,y,nt hy aud all sorm.
"a ,,'sontSo ,hut thn nir,t tirps am,
,,,t,l,ors ot o,rrv nuarTrr of u mil,
,.,ii..na",iunoi and fnlt sercncI,
.,nfJ.nt or fine auproval Of IN,
Ln.T,.L and Thar r.would clII M
' "bi> brave little wife" for posSeS>iu.
. nerve and Judgment 20 manage
nrnot nIontntion i'm the face of th
IioLoIt Aood Of many years.
Ono of fine plautcrS. three mile
oboyo. had NOT been So careful as we
o. and a small crevasse. had bee
made ON his line. 1t was not dang
nron. ~ if was ON the side of
str1irbt shoot or current of the riv
IS or ana not in the face of on,
Is SIN wp diJ What was usual. an
+ sent = I,roe lmcr to prevent posi-
Ila dancer aud iuundatiou of som
@. o,horl,rds
- That rigit there was a hriel
moonliobt aud most of the houS
srrvanfs had asked permission
,ttnnd a dance at the "auarters
Thv. !. u,s tbot wont 10 he'd vii
;. M ono in the houSe save my o
nd Inol,r.d servant. who had once bee
n,,. nurse and was now fifty yea
old II i customary with MS
oiya t;tles of affection to these f lit
fnI oI1 servants and we called h,
Iuut Sor,h
Il mnst have been about midnig
tba, / w,sowakened by n hars
gr;nding sonnd II was not lol
), Int Jnon ~ If some Tirouic mill
,n'a M ocd. Lal chosen to Grind nm
he he toroSt ,nrn grist arose in II
Lnd nnd G.,.rod and at fiji
ii, ,H",ol,, ,,,. husband was come NJ
lJ, !, ;""" ,r,, = ,ho ysnnmd or wbnpl, on +
on Gravel Hut il WAS foo deep a
V y" s''.''' s r.. ',". ,,, y "" ""I ,i,or Ln co,
.'o"' ~ . un'nn ".;th thn votnr
ry, hol eaSi,S co'i1V ho,,n "t," ~" ,n d;st;ncri
to a's"' i,,', -, ,,ontie "v sonnd ~ ike rhr II,
fr "T',a 1'T'' G,",'J ,"aSh ' w. ,Dater -, fine =
,Ga I"'ot',n Ian w. ,i'le % nmon . hrac6 As I
,"p ip'.' W ,d w. ,,n, ~" mnn, hlnyyn ~ = Sion
a@,I ~ I,n'o' ,i"" nv, and If + n,mlJ NOT Loo, /
" ,n,'I "'mSo,, ,'S',,, ". 'inrn. which brtnl,cr
'ou" u'.,' u. :, ~ 81 ,n" ,i,a ! rnurlud
81 a., "',i,o Nv m.," ',o', % ~ !, was imnoinati