Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-05-19

; ing to dismiss the mystery in sleep. just
then heard the feet of Aunt Sarah on
4 the stairs, not as usual, but as if her shoes
had water in them.
As she came in the room / detected the
drip-drip, on the carpet. Isprang up and
} exclaimed, "What does this mean 2" Her
voice was soothing as when was fretful
child, as she replied, Fore Gracious, Is
sorry to come on de nice carpet wild my
wet close but scuse me this time"
i As she lighted the burners | saw that
she was wet and dripping to the waist. |
was out of bed in moment, and asked
anxiously, Why, nay dear old nurse,
where have you been? Did you go to the
leyee and slip into the Tater?
i She proceeded to stir up the fire, and
arrange my clothes for me to dress, as she
said, " Jest look out of the window, Mis-
tress."
As threw up the sash and stepped out
into the wide upper veranda, I thought
I saw what had happened in moment.
It was evident that the swollen stream
had received some new accession of vol
ume from some of its great upper feeders
perhaps from the Missouri, with its
springs under the arches of the sunset.
Then, coming down like vast tidal wave
it overleaped all artificial barriers. 1t
was the crushing and splintering OF the
massive timber breastwork that L had
heard at first. Everywhere around me
the moonbeams glittered on the ripple of
the yellow water, while trees, buildings
and fences stood out of the shiny surface,
and cast delicate shadows upon it. Every
cloud had passed from heaven, and the Sc
| - .4o oof,o cforc io+
and holy. The illuminated water was
less that I only felt mortified because my
husband would know that the Mississippi
had defeated his wife. The negroes who
were near at hand were crowding on the
unbroken part of the levee, some mile
above, and / could see their dark forms
relieved against the glare of the fire they
were building. [ saw the women and
children and cattle, slowly moving up the
broad embankment to safer ground.
| felt that no great loss was likely to
occur, and SO said to Aunt Sarah, who had
silently joined me with a shawl. She
| looked at me a moment and said, You
won't be scared ?"
"No," said I, " for should rather like
| it, were it not for the loss to my husband,
and the wetting to you. How did you
get wet 7"
She answered, 81 went out wild hoe
when 1 see the ribber Citing up, but it
come too strong and like to washed me
away. I couldn't find the horn to blow
for the quarter peoples"
You foolish old woman" said I.
"Never try to mend break by yourself
But as you are safe, don't mind the Gre
vase"
She was silent for little while, and
said, " My lamb, dis is no crevasse; dis is
cut. Off"
Are you dreaming?" said I, with
laugh that was mixed with vague terror.
She pointed to the timbered land back
of the garden, where [ could see that the
ripping water of only two or three feet
depth that lay around the house changed
to a deeper and more rapid current.
Look at dem trees leanin ober," said she.
Dare, two of 'em goes down"
l felt my heart stand still and my limbs
tremble, as [ looked and comprehended
the worst. On each side of the swift path
of the water the giant oaks with their
hoary boards of gray moss, were leaning
together over the mid current and as she
spoke two went down with splash.
Perhaps a thousand years before that
had been the old channel of the river.
Some raft or drift of million interlocked
trees had checked the rush of some past
food, and the retarded waters had whirl-
ed away to cut new channel around the
elbow of some twenty miles.
Centuries had passed-mold had cover
ed the sand and mud on the raft. Oaks
and tall magnolias had taken root down
as they grew up; and for half a century
man had looked ont the annual food with
huge bars of earth, and redeeming the
virgin mold from nature, had built his
home, and gather that richer golden
fleece than Jason dreamed Of
Now the autocrat river claimed its an
Gent bed, and swept down with its hoarse
rebuke to the forest and to man. Our
home stood directly in the old path and
the leaning and falling trees showed how
terribly sure was the great pillow making
its furrow. Nature had harnessed the Mis-
sissippi.
Aunt Sarah was perfectly calm as she
said NOW You is looked enough. Get
all de warm dresses an jewelry an blank
cts, while puts on dry close an gets an
AK"
can AK" said "what for p
ITO pry up the porch floor an mike a
raft, nay precious. Dis house will wash
away by day break"
I saw too that hesitation and delay
were over. My husbands valuable papers
were first secured, and then clothing,
money, plate and iewelry. By the time
had begun to roll up blankets Aunt
Sarah was in warm, dry clothes, and [
heard the crash, as her strong arm smote
down doors and window-blinds, and soon
began to cut and pry at the long narrow
planks of the veranda floor. I brought
an iron Uar from the tool-room on the
frst-foor, and by our united strength we
overcame the tenacious nails, and stripped
up board after board. A few blows on
the lower ceiling made a hole, and we
dropped them through, where they lay
almost on level with the water.
[ never knew before that [ was so strong
when excited, and the soreness and bis
tered hands were not thought of till the
next day. Still it was my old nurse who
thought of everything, and talked to me
in her queer way, as if | was still her
child. There We're some large and mas
sive French bedsteads in the sleeping
rooms on the first floor, and by our united
strength we turned them ed geways and
pushed them through the windows that
opened to the yeranda floor. While the
stout old woman arranged the long boards
across them, I was sent to the store of
farm implements in the building, end
told to bring every rope and pillow line
and ball of Irvine I could find. They
were abundant, and the boards We're
woven together like the bottom of huge
basket, and laced to the sides and ends of
the bedsteads. Then we tied strong cords
for cable, and rolled them off into the
water. They dipped down and were wet,
but that did not matter, so they foated
again. We got the two side by side and
securely fastened together; then doors
and window-shutters were laid on or tied
up for sides and finally Gotten mattress
ses were put to keep them above the
water. Then came trunks and blankets,
and when we had all that was safe to take
or that was at once small and valuable,