The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1873-08-21
The Story Of Last Island.

The Story Of Last Island.
Ltppincott's Magazine tells this realistic
tale of the South:
Nine days after storm in the Gulf of
Mexico, traveller, finding his way from
the salt-pans of Western Louisiana, took
q little fishing-craft. There was that fresh
purity in the air anc the sea which fol
lows the bursting Of the elements. The
numerous 'bays" AMI keys that indent the
shore looked fresher and brighter, and
there was that repentant beauty in nature
which aims to soothe us into forgetfulness
of its recent angry passions. The white
winged sea-birtl, flew about, and tall
waterfowl stood silently over their shad-
ows, like picture above and below. The
water sparkled with salt freshness, and the
rowing winds sal in the shoulder of the
sail, resting and riding to port.
The little bark slipped along the shores
and shadows, and in and out, by key and
inlet, seeing its shadow on the pure white
sand that seemed so near its keel. The
last vestige of the storm was gone, and
the little Gulfworld seemed fresher and
gladder for it. The tropical green grasses
and er-plants hung their long, linear,
hair-like sheaths in graceful curves, and
patches Of willow paid and palmetto, in
many an intricate curve and invOlution,
made labyrinth of vcrdure. The wild
lovelincss of the numerous slips and chan
nels, where never boat seemed to have
sailed since the Indians water-logged
canoe was tossed on. the shadowy banks,
was enhanced by the vision Of distant
ships, with their sails even with the water,
or broken by the white buildings of a
sleepy plantation in its bower of fig and
olive and tall moss-clustered pines.
Suddenly the traveller fancied he heard
a cry, but the fisherman said no, It was the
scream of waterfowl or the shri.l call of
an eagle far above dropping down from
the blue zenith; and they sailed on.
Again he heard the distant cry, ard was
told of the panther in the bush and wild
birds that drummed and called with
almost human information; and they sailed
on again. But again the mysterious,
troubled cry arose from the labyrinth of
green, and the traveller cntreated them to
60 in quest of it. The fishers had their
freight for the market-delay would de-
teriorate its value; but the anxious traveller
babe them but about and he would bear
the loss.
1t was well they did. There, in the
dense coverts of the sea-swamps, amid the
brackish water growths and grasses, they
found man and woman, ragged, torn,
starved. For nine days they had had nc
food but the soft pith of the palmetto
coarse muscles, or scant poisonous berries
their bed the damp morass, and theil
drink the brackish water; and they told
the wild and terrible story of Last island
Last Island was the Saratoga and Long
Branch of the South, the southermos1
watering-plac in the Gulf. Situated on q
fertile coral island, enriched by innumer
able flocks of wild-fowl, art had brought
it's wealth of fruit and flowers to perfec
ton. The cocoanut- palm, date palm, and
orange orchards contrasted their rich foil
age in the sunshine with the pineapple
banana, and the rich soft turf of the mes
quit-grass. The air was fragrant with
magnolia and orange bloom, the gardens
glittering with the burning beauty o.
tropical flowers, jessamine thickets, and
voluptuous grape arbOrs, the golden wine
like sun pouring intoxicating balm ovel
it; graceful white cottages festooned with
vines, with curving chalet or Chinese roof:
colored red; pinnacled arbors and shad
grove; and a fair, shining hotel in thu
midst, with arcades and porches, and gal
leries-the very dream of ease and luxury
as delicate and trim as if made out of Gu
paper in many forms of prettiness. Here
was the nabOb's retreat; in this balmy
garden of delight all that luxury, art, anC
vOluptuous desire could hint or hope fol-
was collected, and nothing harsh, or poor
or rugged, Jared the fullness of its luxu
riOus ease.
Ten nights before, its fragrant atmos
phere was broken into beautiful ripple:
by the clang and harmony of dancing
music. 1t was the night of the chop
The hotel was crowded. Yachts anG
pleasure vessels, pretty as the petals of 8
flower tossed on the water, or as graceful
shells, banked the shores; and the steam
er at twilight came breathing short, ex
cited breaths, with the last relay, for il
was the last of the summer season. Ii
their light, airy dresses, as the music
swan and sung, brighteyed girls floated
in graceful waltzes down the voluptuous
waves of sound, and the CLEAN of ligh,
and color was like butterfiy's ball. The
queenly, luscious night sank deeper, and
lovers strolled in lamp-lighted arcades
and dreamed and hoped of life like that
the fairy existence Of love and peace; and
so till, tired Of play, sleep and rest came
in the small hours
Hush! All at once came the storm, not
as in northern ATTITUDES, with premonitory
murmur and fretting, lashing itself by
slow degrees into white heat and rain
but the storm of the tropics, carrying the
sea on its broad, angry shoulders, till
reaching the verdurous, love-clustered lit
tie isle, it flung the bulk of waters with
all its huge, brawny force right upon the
cutpaper prettiness, and broke them into
sand and splinters. OF all those pretty
children with blue and opalescent eyes
arrayed like flowers of the field; of all
those lovers dreaming of love in summer
dalliance, and of cottages among figs and
olives; of all the vigorous manhood and
ripe womanhood, with all the skill and
courage of success in them, not a 1.-THE was
saved. The CHASTITY NAV of the waters
covered them and swallowed them. A
few sprang, among crashing timbers, on a
floor laden with impetuous water-the
many, perhaps, never walked at all, OF
woke to but one short prayer. The few
who were saved hardly knew how they
were saved-the many who died never
knew how they were slain or drowned.
1t has twice been my fortune in life to
see such storm, and to know its sudden
destructiveness: once, to see low, broad
shelving farmhouse disappear to the
ground timbers before my eyes, as if its
substance had vanished into air, while
great globes of electric fire burst down and
sunk into the ground; once, to see pine
forest of centuries growth cut down as
grass by the mowers scythe. I do not
think it possible to see third and sur
vive, and I do not wish my soul to be
whirled away in the vortex of such q
storm.
At noon or later, after the ruin of Last
Island, gentleman of q name renowned
in Southwestern story found himself cling
ing to bush in the wild waters, dashed
by the long whips of branches, half dead
with fatigue and fear. For time the
hurly-burly blinded and hid everything,
and the long roll rocked and tore at him
in desperate endeavor to wrench loose his
bleeding fingers. The impulse of the
wind and storm at such time is as of q
solid body, and there is look of solidity
in the very appearance Of the magnificent
force. But as it abated he thought he