Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1872-07-13

Later i'll the day when Bessie q
alked down to the blnif, | was pre-. c
AIRED to answer the questions fhe t
,kcd the moment hor eyes fell upon !
le strange object in the river: "lt |
,as lnorciy a sunken steamer; these t
out crn rivers arc iull of dangerous
nags, you know"
The days slipped away quietly
nd leasantly. Under the pine
recs, we drank in health WI h their
fragrance; we luxuiated
,pon oranges and berries, and idly
Ioated up and down the great river,
the sunsets. And when
he full, white moon appeared over
,he dark belt of trees i'll the east, we
shot out from the reedy shores OF the
solemn river into the silvery path 1t
left upon the water, and drifted on
and on-dreamily happy, with no
sound to break the sweet silence OF
the moment, save the faint ripple OF
the water under our bow, or the
splash of distant oars far down the
river and then, home again, to
sleep soundly, until the echo of the
horn at sunrise should break IN up
on our rest.
One day our host loft us to the
tender mercics ol Old Aunt Winner
and her tribe Of colored satellites.
With my marine-glass and a copy OF
Tennyson, we strollod down to the
bluff, with the determination of en-
loving the day to the utmost. HAY
ING arranged ourselves comfortably,
[ opened my book, and, Of course
turned to the tlttest poem for such a
day and such place, and read
aloud
"How sweet it were, hearing the downward
4troGm
| with balfshut cycs ever to seem
! Failing asleep i'll half dream -.,..,;.h.
| 70 dream and dream like yondcr amber l'gul' a.
| Whirh viii not leave the myrrhhush on the
To hear heal each ether whispered speech;
| Eating The Lotus, day by Day ,.,
| 10 watch the Crsping nppe' on lhb pG'ou'
And lender curying lines Of creamy spray
10 irnd our hearts and spirits who ly
y" The influence Of mildmindcd melancholy
| tO muse and
"Whats that asked Bessie, sud
denly.
"Whats v hat 2 ,,
al thought | heard some one call
ing" . II;
mule" | answered, and, with TIL
ouick dismissal Of the matter, re
turned to my book:
yl;ut propt on beds of amaanth and moiy, =,
How swcct (while warma lal us, n'oWihE lo'
t viii balfdropt cycds stilL
Rcneath heaven dark and holy 1T,
To ,votr1 the long, bright river drawing Slowly
@ His waters from the pnrpehlll-
. no he,r the emerald colored water lallIl& ,t,i,
Z Through many a woven acanthus-%r'g5aC' ny ny"
only to hear and see the faroil sparkling biiho
), 0iy 0miyy to m Hear were sweet stretched ont heaca
% the pine,
"There it is again, Phil"
Ii "Be-sie," said |, "you are certain
d " nervous this morning; but | hol
yor will not make that an excuse II
4 foolishly imagining that the c4wli
G. of a crow, Or the bowling Of a darl
II over in the cotton field, is cry
e distress. Be quiet, and let's eng
'e our laziness. ..
N "But [ did hear some one dlstlnC
.d ly call for help"
10 "NoncSense. "
IN "Woll, Just listen moment al
d perhaps you will be convinced,
le So / put down the book, a
lg stooped in sensuous delight over t
dreamy lusciousness Of the day u
y, scenery. [ looked through hi
of closed lids out upon the sapph
IS waters of the beautiful Welaka'
l we waited: Bessie oil alert for
d. expected cry, l drowsily noddl
If away the moments, so comrlet
cd lmbued with the spirit of lotuS'ia
er that | quite forgot what we W
we waiting for, aud languidly lmasli
dy that the quiet happiness OF the II
ny mont would never be disturb
or- The river was so quietly boautl
re- the air so full of fragrance, the vii
vi scene so altogether lovely, that IT
or my soul | felt that
IN asurely. surely. slnmber ismorc sweet than
,ce There is 40 joy but calm
nd Suddenly acr IS the sparkling
,Tr er came a prolonged cry hal
los shout, half sigh. All my dro1
The ness fled in IN instant.
' an- swell, said Bessie, care you So
rht fed ?"
1od We listened for its repetition,
,,n. aaain the sound hoated over to l
ack a cry SO full of horror and des
tLn That we both shuddered rs thou;
,ro- sudden chill had overtaken Us,
zoe "Some one is drowning, sald
itss sic. Selling the glass aud rostl
tial. against the log, | looko out
'nnt ' the river-ihis time with wide,
old eyes, tokngin every speck that d
mt ed upon its ripples. There was
Rc- a braath OF wind ; we had not Sc
,Iat- single sail that morning. How
,nrt il posslble that any disaster c
~ ar have overtalien boat?-and ye
mid. cry certainly came from the |
, not Slowly | turned the glass up th'
N in er until it came in range with tn
,cos. wreck. There were the great
Iiga. beams-silent sentinels over
aa2ly 2 graves of the martyred dead
Grst could see nothing else, and po
zion the glass further up the river
anod then another cry--this time OF {
por- agony. Bessie clutched my arm
the cold, trembling hands; and ql
bringing the glass back so tha'
wreck was again in range, | tn
- an yes, was sure-that | de'
rebs, some strahgo oDJo0O' "llu ';,ao5 p" I =,
MUS it was a nun clinging for his
rcum- the iron beams.
ct;on. "Ouick, Bessie, call Joe, wi
oiins' oet the boat And before |