Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1874-06-13

the stairs, not as usual, Out ~ II
her shoes had water In them. l9' E.
As she came into the room ] de
tected the drip, drip, on the carpet
l sprang up and exclaimed, "Wha,
does this meant" Her voics wsi
soothing as when I was afretfal
child, as she replied, "Fore Ora
cious, rs sorry to come on de nice
carpet wild my wet close! but scuse
me dis time" As she lighted the
burners I saw that she was wet and
dripping to the waist. I was out Of
bed in a moment and asked anxious.
ly, "Why, my dear old nurse, where
have you been I Did you go to the
levee and slip in the water i""' CIV
She proceeded to stir up the Ore,
and arrange my clothes for me to
dress, as she said, "Jest look out of
the window, mistress"
As I threw up the sash, and step.
ped out into the wide upper veran.
'la, I thought I saw what had hap.
pened in a moment. It was evident
that the swollen stream had receiv-
ed some new accession Of volume
from some of its great upper feed.
ers-perhaps from the Missouri, with
its springs under the arches Of the
sunset. Then, coming down like q
vast tidal wave, 1t had overleaped
all artificial barriers. It was the
crushing and splintsring Of the
massive timber breast.work that I
had heard at first. Everywhere
around me the moonbeams glitter.
ed on the ripple Of tho yellow wa
ter, while trees, buildings and fences
stood out of the shiny surface, and
cast delicate shadows upon it. Ev-
cry cloud had passed from heaven,
and tho serene blue, with it's calm
stars, was quiet and holy. The il.
lumined water was beautiful, and
seemed SO gentle and harmless that
l only felt mortified because my
husband would know that the Mis-
had defeated his wife. The
negroes who were near at hand
we're crowding on the unbroken part
Of the levee, some mile above, and
could see their dark forms reliev.
ed against the glare of the fire they
we're building. As I saw the wo'
men and children and cattle, slowly
up the broad embankment
TO safer ground, I felt that no great
oss was likely to occur, and so said
% Aunt Sarah, who had silently
Oined me with a shawl. She looked
1t me q moment, and said, "You
wont be scared 7"
"No," said 1, "for I should rather
ike it were it not for the loss
% my husband, and the wetting to
,ou. How did you get wet :"
She answered, 81 went out wild y
ZOE when I see the ribber Citing
Up, but it come too strong, an like
o washed me away. 1 couldn't
ind de horn to blow for de quarter
.,.t.. ...-
"You foolish old woman," said /.
Never try to mend break By |
Yourself, But as you are safe l
ont mind the crevasse."
She was silent for a little while, |
md then said, "My lamb, dis mol
dis is a owt-of." oa
"Are you dreaming I" said l, with |
laugh that was mixed with terror.
She pointed to the timbered land
'ack of the garden, where l could
60 that the ripping water, Of only
wo or three feet in depth, that lay
round the house changed to deep
r and more rapid current. "Look
t dem trees leanin' ober," said she.
"Dare, two of 'em goes down."
l felt my heart stand still, and my
mbs trembled as looked, and I
the worst. On each
ide Of the swift path Of the water
he giants oaks, with their hoary
cards of gray moss, were leaning
1gether over the mid-current, and
8 she spoke two went down with
splash. Perhaps a thousand years
efore that had been the channel of
he river. Some raft or drift Of a
lilliOn interlOcked trees had check.
d the rush of some past food, and
ne retarded waters had whirled
way to cut new channel around
be elbow of some twenty miles.
had passed-mould had
)vered the sand and mud on the
aft. Oaks and tall magnolias had
aken root down as they grew up
nd for half . century man had
'cked out the annual flood with