New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-07-06
TRRRIBLY REAL STORY.
No. y;,n;,oo+t,s MAGAZINE for July.l


Nine days after storm IN tne oun ~,
Mexico, . traveller, tlndlns ~? w +ooI q
the salt-pans of Western LOUISIANA tooA a
little fishing craft. There was that Iresn
purity in the air and the sea which 1ollo"s
the bursting of the elements. Inc huiue
GUS "bays' and keys that lndent Tue snoao
looked fresher and brighter, and tnere Mas
that repentant beauty IN nature wnlcn "ilIs
to soothe us into fOrgetfulness OF us Iecen'
angry passions. The white winged seq
birds flew about, and tall water fowl stooo
silently over their shadows like picture
above and below. The water spark!eo Win
salt freshness, ard the rowing winds SAT III
the shoulder Of the sail, resting ana riding
toE For !; -, w., =. .,;nnsa ALONG the shores
and shadows, and in and out by key anu
inlet. seeing its shadow on the pure wnile
sand that seemed SO near its keel. Inc last
vestige of the storm was gone, ana the ~
tie gulf world seemed fresher and giadder
tor il. The tropical green grasses ana
water plants hung their long. linear, mar
like sheaths in graceful curves, and patches
OF willow palm and palmetto, IN many an
intricate curve and involutiOn, made a LADY.
riuth OF verdure. The wild loneliness OF
the numerous slips and channels, where
never a boat seemed to have sailed since
the Indians water-logged canoe was tossed
the vision of distant ships, their sails even
with the water, or broken by the white
buildings of a sleepy plantation III lis
bower Of fig and olive and tall moss-clus'
tered pines.
Suddenly the the traveller fancied ne
heard a cry, but the fishermen SAID nO-it
was the scream Of water fowl or the shrli
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 il. The fishers had their freight for the
market-delay would deteriOrate its value;
but the anxious traveller babe them put
about and he would bear the loss.
It was well they did. There, in the dense
coverts of the sea swamps, and the bracklsh
watergrowths and grasses, they found
man and a. woman, ragged, torn, starved.
For nine days they had had no food but the
soft pith of the palmetto, coarse mussels or
scant poison berries, their bed the damp
morass, and their 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 sOuthernmost
watering place in the Gulf Situated on
fertile, sandy island, enriched by innumer-
able tiocks OF wild fowl, art had
brought it's wealth of fruit and
flowers to perfection. The cOcOanut-palm,
date-palm and orange orchards cOntrasted
their rich foliage in the sunshine with
the pineapple. banana, and the rich, soft
turf of the mesquit-grass. The air was fra
grant 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 an Intoxicating balm over
| it: graceful white cottages festOOned with
vines, with curving chalet or Chinese roofs
| colored red; pinnacled arbors and shadowy
| retreats of espaliers pretty as a coral grove;
and fair shining hotel in the midst, with
arcades and porches and galleries-the very
dream of ease and luxury, as delicate and
| trim as if made of cut paper in many forms
| Of prettiness. Here was the nabOb's re-
treat: 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 its luxurious ease.
Ten nights before, it's fragrant atmos-
phere was broken into beautiful ripples by
the clang and harmony of dancing music.
1t was the night of the chop" The hotel
was crowded. Yachts and pleasure vessels
the water, or as graceful shells banked the
shores: and the steamer at twilight came
breathing short, excited breaths with the
last relay, for it was the height Of the sum-
mer season. In their light airy dresses, as
the music swan and sung, bright-eyed girls
tiOated in graceful waltzes down the vOlup-
tuous waves of sound, and the CLEAN of
light and color was like a butterflies 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 verduous. love-clustered little isle, it
flung the bulk Of waters with all its huge,
brawny force right upon the cut paper pref
tiness and broke them into sand and splin-
tiers. OF all the pretty children with
blue and with Opalescent eyes, arrayed
like flowers OF tho 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 successful
L
CHASTITY nav of the waters covered them
and swallowed them. A few sprang, among
crashing timbers, on floor laden with i'm
petuous 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
g., Il 4
structiOn; once. to see low, broad, shelly.
ing 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. l do not think it possible
| to see q third and survive, and do not
wish my soul to DO whirled away in the
| vortex of such storm.
| At noon or later, after the ruin Of Last
] island, a gentleman of name renowned in
| Southwestern story found himself clinging
! to bush in the wild waters, dashed by the
| long whips of branches, half dead with fa-
| tigue and fear. For time the hurly- burly
| blinded and hid everything and the long
| roll rocked and tore at him in desperate en-
deavor to wrench loose his bleeding fingers.
| The impulse Of the wind and storm at such
| a oiino Is as VI d. soiiu uouy, anu there is q
look OF solidty in the very appear
| ance of the magnificent force. But as it
abated he thought he heard a faint cry, and
| looking around he saw poor girl in the
| ribbons OF her night dress clnging to a
branch. and slipping from her feeble hold.
Tired as he was, and wild and dangerous as
the attempt might be, he did not dare to
leave her to perish. Choosing his time in a
lull, he struck out to the bush, and reached
it just as her ebbing strength gave way.
! He took her IN his sturdy arms, and cling