Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1871-09-23

hillock just raised Its crest about the yellow,
muddy waters; a few trees remained to show
where orchards had smiled; half dozen houses
were, like the church itself, surrounded but not
destroyed, everywhere else were gaunt, wooden
RIBS rising out of the water solitary gables, posts
bits OF roofs, perhaps broken balcony hanging
to the side; all round a terrible d:solation,
floating waste of wood, trees, dead animals
what else? Everything was invested with a
horrible, namelesS dread.
The food was not rising. 1t came towards
below the church; but whether a large outlet had
been forced into the lake, or from some other
reason, II did not appear TO grow higher.
:. III only could get OUT" sighed the cure.
from the tower windows, in q feeble cracked
voice OF exultation, "A boat is coming! We
Despair changed to excitement and every
movement of the boat was proclaimed by eager
women.
alt draws nearer!n
"Ah, dear Heaven! how slowly they row.
"TEink of the current" ..
"Where can they land?"
The boat came up slowly. Some one stood up
IN II and waved, and a woman fell on her knees
in the water. :" 1t is walther, nv walther!"
she cried, sobbing and laughing at once.
Lisa SturIn said humbly, with culver in her
voice which went to the cures heart: "wIll
your reverence be good enough to tell me the
moment you see our little Marie? NV eyes are
not what they were, and the child is such little
thing and then she broke off and looked at
Thomas Is not there said old Wilhelm.
shading his eyes with his hand, and shaking his
head
81 think he would not come in the first boat"
she answered i'll the same pleading tone; 'sbut
the child she is SO little"
The priest took her hand, greatly touched.
. Lisa, a" he said very quietly, sssOmetimes our
Father takes his little children from our arms
into his"
For he had seen that little Marie was not in
the boat.
The boat rowed mn. woman rusl,oa into tho
water and dragged it in with cries of joy. Who
were there? Karl, Franz, Walther, Fritz Pa
ter, Heinrich LEM, two women and two dark
hgures lying at the bottom of the boat. Ali the
men were more or less hurt; all looked solemn
and awe-stricken. In the midst of torrent of
questOnings, they kissed their wives or mother
others went to lift out the dark figures.
briefly.
Johann Schmitt was taken out first-wbite.
motionless, with sudden clothes His wife was
away at the Semen Alps.
He is dead" said one in a hushed voice.
and no person contradicted it; but they carried
their sad burden into the church, and the priest
directed them how to use certain simple reme-
dies. AS he went back to the boat he met the
second little procession-the second heavy ST.
lent burden, more CHASTITY than the last, from a
deep, cruel cut across the head.
VINO is it?', asked the priest, who could not
recognize the face.
christian Amrhein," said Fritz, to whom his
mother was clinging rapturOusly.
And then the cure saw that Elsie was at the
head She had run out from the church and was
In the boat before any one could stop her, kiss
ing the white, stained face in passionate silence
and as she would let no one take her place. the
men had passed a coat under his shoulders and
carried him so, Elsie holding his head. They
all loved Christian and were very tender with
him, but they shook their heads in answer to the
cures questioning. look. When they laid him
down gently whisper went round, and the good
priest tried TO draw the girl away but she lifted
her head and looked at them all resolutclv.
" He is not dead" she said. .. NV mother Is
dead, know, but God has given me back
Christian"
Was il so, indeed?
They cut his hair and bound mp the gaping
wound The cure made fire at which to dry the
mems wet clothes, and then, while the boat was
gone to fetch another load there came a irving
time of inaction. When the,bOat returned there
were more joyful greetings, more questions of
SICK anguish, more talk about what had or had
not been saved.
So Car as they could tell, four men were miss
ing, Thomas Sturn among them; then there was
little Marie and Elses mother, and the two w.
ing within the church; and, when the heavy
tale was told, il was, after all. only wonder
That SO many had been saved from that terrible
death. Not long after there was a stir at the
Coor. Other boats appeared on the lake as the
storm subsidized. Some of them roged about
outside, trying TO pick up those portions of the
lake.
One at last dragged in a heavier burden, with
which they rowed directly to the church. This
reverently covered. solemnly lifted out, brought
into the church. with the cure walking before it,
Lisa StuTm rose from her knees aud went to
meet ii, putting out Her hand and trembling
violently. Some one tFied to stop her.
"Take Off the cloth" she said, in a hoarsa
strained voice. "That is Thomas
AT sign from the priest the men obeyed. Her
instinct was true.-there, calm and still, lay her
husband, and there. too, clasped tight 10 his
breast, lay little gOlden-hare Marie That
embrace had never been broken; his arms were
hB fRI hAaA y.,l,
llIn, when quick, sudden death came leapinp
down and riveted it,. There was something SO
tender, SO peaceful, SO holy in the attitude, in
the faces. that it hushed all mourning: the wall
died away on the mothers lips, the priest eros
sed himself and knelt down beside these still,
passionless figures; Lisa glanced at him, tremb-
led, bent down and kissed each face-husband
also.
About an hour afterward one of the boats
came back with doctor. First of all the wo-
men who were watching brought him where ,Jo-
ham and Christian lay little apart from each
other They knew that Johann was gone be-
yond the reach of all skill, only his wife was
away, and il seemed more fitting to these simple
fOlk that the doctor should say in plain words
that no more could be done by any of them And
then he turned to where Elsie still kent her
faithful watch, with the yellow sunlight shining
upon her hair, her hand under the dear heal
her eyes upon those closed eyes that had looked
so sadly at her when last she met their gaze.
He is aive-that is ALL" said the younp
doctor gravely. After all he could not do much
and the woman looked at little Elsie. poor child
and shook their heads as the minutes came and
went, and brought no change. But the border
land was not pasSed-there came "A slight futter-
ing movement, n gasp; the doctor was at his
head in moment-another, painful breath,
then the wondering eyes opened and fixed them
selves on Elsie, wandered away, returned. the
lips parted. " Hearts beloved" breathed
Christian in the faintest, feebleSt sigh her arms
were round him, and the doctor half-scoldinp
half-ianghing. became peremptory at once
COTTihH Magazine.
The NECK-TIE-At length, driven from its
former stronghold, the element of color has in
renched Itself III the "tie." The old cravat