Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-05-19
From Harper's Magazine.
a Mississippi Night.

Our home was on the Louisiana or
western shore of the great river, and the
mansion was mile or more from the
negro quarters of the large plantation.
Ny husband was absent on business in
New Orleans, and had not returned when
the prolonged rains of that autumn began.
AS the rain storm was general one, ex-
tending 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
1 could plainly see the vast volume of
yellow water as it widened over the op-
posite Mississippi fats where there was
no levee. The quantities of drift-wocd
coming down, and the peculiar way in
which the river seemed convex and clear
of drift in the middle, while the apparent
ly lower margins were thick with the
spoils of the forest, showed me that it was
still swelling to higher rise, and was a
veritable flood. When the stream is fall
| ing the suck of the lower current draws
the drift to the midi, and keeps the por-
ton next the bank quite clear. But at
that time the channel was only marked
by the smooth, waveless rush of the mud
dy tide, and the ear caught only that low
growl of the relentless giant asking for
| its ocean bride.
I at once summoned every available
person on the estate, and made the de-
tails to build fires at intervals on our
levee, so as to keep watch all night. Also
directed the gangs with spades and axes
to be ready for any break on our front, Oh
any call for aid on neighboring planta-
tions Every preeaution seemed to have
been taken which was necessary for safe.
ty. Low places had been elevated, washed
places mended, and points where the cur
rent set with great power had been
strengthened by felled timber. At one
point Just above the house, which seemed
to have been the old channel, the river
made great bend, and the sullen water
met the obstructing shore with a defiant
lash of its yellow, CLASSY roltere, and then
turAed away to its open course. This
point had been streng --eaed by double
thickness of embankment and by piles
lined with heavy timber.
Two days went by, and all seemed sc
secure that the night fires and watchers
at every quarter of mile was discon
tinued, and / felt serenely confident o.
the approval of my husband, and that ht
would call me ''his brave little wife" fol
possessing nerve and judgment to manage
a great plantation in the face of the high
est flood of many years.
One of the planters, three miles below
had not been so careful as we, and small
crevasse, had been made on his line. L
was not dangerous, as it was on the
side of a straight shoot or current of the
river, and not in the face of one. Still
we did what was usual, and sent a large
force to prevent possible danger and in
undation of some other lands.
| That night there was bright moon
light, and most of the house servants haG
asked permission TO attend a dance at th,
"quarters" Thus it was that l went t,
bed with no one in the house save my OLE
colored servant, who had once been my
nurse, and was now fifty years old. It i
customary with ms to give titles of affec
ton to these faithful old servants, and W,
called her Aunt Sarah.
}, 1t must have been about midnight tina
, was awakened by harsh, grinding
sound. 1t was not loud but deep, as i
some Titantic mill of the gods had chosen
to grind up forest for grist. / aros
in my bed and listened, and at frs
thought my husband was come, and i
was the sound of wheels on the gravel
, But 1t was too deep and heavy for that
and then he could not easily come will
the water SO high. Then I began to dis
tinguish more gentle sound, like th,
half subdued wash of water, or the sof
Hap Of tide upon beach. As the horr