Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-11-08

! stayed c,mposedly in their houses, few
even slept, overpowered by fatigue and the
Try, sitting heat, but the greater part had
taken refuge in the church, and had gathered
their children there.
/" How long will this last?' asked the
priest of Thomas Sturm, when the morning
light revealed further work of destruction
= Only heaven knows, answered Thomas,
q when even my father has never seen such
a Fon -
u, for one, shall q content if nothing
worse comes, -aid Christian, who had join-
ed them.
:" Worse -
L am thinking Of the stream. This wind
will melt the SHOWS. -
The cure was IA brave man, but he looked
at Christian for moment with the trouble
of a new horror in his eyes. Thomas broke
in" No fear. My father says the ton
melts too gently for that work, and he knows
It's ways better than any man in the valley
= That Is true Christian answered, . yet
| cannot feel at rest about il.
Nv father Is sure to he right. said
Thomas, obstinately.
just then his youngest child, golden
haired, round laced little girl, escaped from
her mother, and cime running TO hlm,
stretching out her little hands, half crying,
half-triumphant in her struggle with the
hurricane He lifted her in his arms, held
her tight. and wrapped his coat round her.
So the two remained, her head against his
breast, has arms clasping her.
- Let us 20 and give look at the stream,
said Christian.
!. II is no higher than have seen it TWEEN
~ times, said Thomas, with triumphant
conf lcnce In old Wilhelm's experience. lie
2. = ~ baaT r,ra-snI flnlp
Ivaetinst him. and was holding her tenderly.
=. / believe il l. all safe, Christian sand,
turning away and then, with sudden
shout OF horror, and a clutch at Ih 1mas :
arm. :. Ah. dear heaven ~ he cried, " look
look I"
For from tie height where, 0u peaceful
summer days, they could see the little inno-
,e,t stream dancing downward, vast body
of yellow water was coming, leapInS. raging,
spreading over the rock, huBng great trees
before Dc. with roar before which the f9n
sank iuto n-gu hcancc. swift and terrible
this new enemy rushed upon the unconscious
yllie-a, tor 90 moment lts awful aFprosch
stunned Christian. ami then with a cry from
tire very depths ot his heart he sprang 70
meet tit was Ike horrible nightmare
lie ran. vet he dli not seem to move, his arms
were stretched out. Else hearts heloy-
I'd 2' he cried in agony There was the
farm. he did NOT see il. he saw only the
cottage with its closed windows Quiet
ALI the roar was In his ears-up1u him
he s3w the walls rock, cape, tall-one moment
and the awful enemy had him IN his CRASH,
and was wh.riug him along unconscious,
inert.
IN nc ittlc dim church were the cure ard
hI~ small c1ngrs CATION, almost all tie women.
d. tom 81 q
The cure. who had Just entered, was knecling
in PRAYER. the women had huddled together
IN l.ttlc groups many had been there all
night. others had just come IN one girl
among these latter kuclt "a little apart. her
face buried iu her hands Suddenly L seem
cj a- ID tAc NOISE ami Jury outside incre tsed
tent li With il came the rush ot water, ami
. -iriIl. terrible shrek, piercing the dull
rlar aud THE hearts 1t -le listeners The
Women >artci from their knees u tie door
tic cure. who was there as soon a. they,
WIS the first t. oYen il, standing 50 as T.
keep back the eager, terrified group But
they saw.
Slue fell on theIr knees, athers shrieking
willy !. Frltlt - Thomas 81 Mother
names nj that moment dcarer than life, tried
T. rush latt rlc flood. l. was all the priest
could do e. hold the door against them, and
te t.rce il back and bolt II. For IA spite 81
tie caurcI standing ON its ltt.e hill. tie
yellow turhli water WIS there at his Get
and lis tie door opened, rushed IN httIe
strcsm into the huHlinL The V men broke
out ia an a..u zai vail Lisa Ntumr dragged
herself ou her knees 10 tde cure ' Let me
-. let me -. " she spbhcd a. have Thomas
out there and then looking round her
wildly. " Al. and my little Maria. too
Yes. poor mother. With her head on her
.ttIer breast
Then i young siri pr ssei up against him
tranJcaHy.
..I must he let OUT, she cried, desperate
n. TRYING the lock. must, | must.
lm Else EaAt'er and my poor mother Is Ill
iu Icr bad only came for one minute, be
cause Size would not rest until did. | hear
her CRYING for me Else, Else '' Oh, your
reverence, y1l were always good to me-let
rae ont
What could the poor priest do? The terri
Bile uath0s 0t these bcseeching voices pierced
ai, heart like knife. He did the best ne
.ouIi There by the door, under which the
.It-la yellow stream OF water was guTglinS.
1e knott down.
E. My children, ne said in a voice Of un-
ltter3llc compassion. '' there Is One who
1nce -tIlied the hungry waves into great
.alm let us pray To Him.
Wuata prayer But it lmed them, as
he expected those who had been frantic
row only wept and moaned softly. Lisa Sturm |
saying over gam ani again under her breath /
:. Ny Httle Maria my little Maria ,'
The Fon had suddenly moderated, As II its
xor. were finished the hot sun shone /
overhead the mountains, unmoycd by she |
am and turmoil beneath, lay with the maics- |
tie light o heaven upon their faces; but
IA tbls little nest Of homes, where but short /
all II, Il
peace. what q contrast No green meadows
we're left here and there a little hill5ck
just raised its crest above the yellow, muddy
water few trees remained 10 show where
orchards had smiled half a dozen houses
were like the church itself, surrounded but
not destroyed; everywhere else were gauut.
wooden ribs rising out of the water. solitary
= tule>, POSTS. bits OF roots, perhaps broken
balcony hanging T. the side; all round a
terrible d,so!aton, floating waste Of wood
trees, dead animals-what else Every
thing was invested with horrible, nameless
dread.
The flood was not rising. 1t came toward
them in waves. and was at least ten feet
deep below the church; but whether a large
outlet had been forced into the lake, or from
some other reason, it did not appear to grow
higher
7'lf only could get out - sighed the
cure.
Then one of the OLD men cried out u them
from tie tower windows, in feeble, cracked
voice of exultaton, d" 4 boat Is coming
Nc see it.
Despair changed to excitement, and every
movement of the boat was proclaimed by
eager women.
= Ii draws near -
" All, dear heaven how slowly they row "
- Think OF the current
- Where can they land -
The boat came on-slowly. Some one
stood up in it and waved, and a woman fell
down on her knees in the water. Z" 1t is