Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-08-21
The Story Of Last Island.
Lippincotts Magazine tells this realisti,
80 4, SA11fh

Mexico, traveller, finding his way from
the salt-pans of Western Louisiana, TOOK
little fishing-craft. There was that fresh
purity i'm the air and the sea which fol
lows the bursting of the elements. The
numerous "bays' and 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-birds flew about, and tail
,, waterfowl sttG0ti Silently over their shad
ows, .iLA p5;;ccture above and below. The
water sparkled with sal: freshness, and the
rowing winds sat 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 anG
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 water-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 verdure. The wild
loneliness of the numerous Slips and chan
ICfoy "l1C1C HCSCi q bod0 SCCllCd W udN e
sailed since the Indians water-logged
was enhanced by the vision of distant
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
atcry, but the fisherman said no, it was the
scream Of waterfowl or the shrill call of
an eagle far above dropping down from
the blue zenith and they sailed on.
Again he heard the distant cry, and was
told OF the panther in the bush and wild
birds that drummed and called with
almost human intonation; and they sailed
on again. But again the mysterious,
troubled cry arose from the labyrinth of
green, and the traveller entreated them to
go 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 no
food but the soft pith of the palmetto,
coarse muscles, or scant poisonous berries,
their bed the damp mOrass, and their
drink the bracklsh water; and they told
the wild and terrible story of Last Island
Last Island was the Saratoga and Long
Branch Of the South, the sOuthermost
watering place in the Gulf Situated on a
fertile coral island, enriched by innumer-
able t1ocks Of wild fowl, art had brought
its 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
qultgrass. The air was fragrant with
magnolia and orange bloom, the gardens
glittering with the burning beauty of
tropical flowers, jessamine thickets, and
voluptuous grape arbors, the golden wine
like sun pouring intoxicating balm over
it; graceful white cottages festooned with
vines, with curving chalet or Chinese roofs
colored red; pinnacled arbors and shad-
owy retreats of espaliers, pretty as coral
grove; and fair, shining hotel in the
midst with arcades and pOrches, and gal
leries-the very dream of ease and luxury,
as delicate and trim as if made out of cut
paper in many forms of prettiness. Here
was the nabObs retreat; in this balmy
garden of delight all that luxury, art, and
vOluptuous desire could hint or hope for
was collected, and nothing harsh, or poor
or rugged, Jared the fullness of it's luXu-
riOus ease.
Ten nights before, its fragrant atmos-
phere was broken into beautiful ripples
by the clang and harmony of dancing
music. 1t was the night of the "hop."
The hotel was crowded. Yachts and
pleasure vessels, pretty as the petals Of
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 it
was the last of the summer season. In
their light, airy dresses, as the music
swan and sung, bright-eyed girls floated
in graceful waltzes down the voluptuous
waves of sound and the CLEAN of light
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, flashing 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
cut-paper 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, or
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 farm house 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. [ do not
think it possible to see third and sur
vive, and | do not wish my soul to be
whirled away in the vortex of such a
storm.
Co. +lo &c T -