The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1875-04-29

ilNt Ullct bilt STcuJ IlNtT ~ ONcT-
flowing The people were talking in
the streets, of the great embanking q
of tho fearful consequence should the
levee break away.
Tommy father had come stagger
ing home Mt twelve O'Clock, and, too
much intoxicated to undrcss. he hal
laid down ii his cloth s Ii was rain
ing fearfuliy, but above tho noise
could be heard the mad roar of the
river; IA it dashed. onward, past the
alarmed city. 90.
OF a sudden, bell sounds, ringing
ont clearly above the storp above
tho dcafening roar There is II wild
shout in the street-aud voices cry
ing out
"Buck back from the river, for
your lives back the levee is giving
away e.
White faces. Tommy hears this,
aud tugs with all his might mt the
drunken man sleeping SO near death y
door.
"Oh. father !" he crics waken =.
wahen !
a muttering curse is the only ans :
wcr.
well be swept away! Father, the
river is ovcrtlowiug the town =
Not word of reply came to the
boy s frantic appeal
Come. father. come / hear the
water rushing along =
He clasps his fathers hand and
tries, in his puny strength, To pull
him up from his miserable bed. lie
falls back himself, helpless and dis
couraScd.
! "Oh, mothcr,' he cries. "ho isn't
fit to go! I've done my best I've
tried TO savo him--to make him bet
ter: to make him good enough to
como with me to you, mp there but
he will not listen Give him little
longer time. oh, father, waken il il
almost too late T.
Too lntc, too late! The river is
growing more fearful, the clamor OF
voices dying away, the streets. by all
living beings, arc deserted. Under
the door somecold and creeping thing
is fast coming. 1t steals III slowly, Il
little stream ut first then rushe5 OF
faster, crosses the floor and laps n
bout the little bare icot
"Oh, father, father, it is hcre!" and
yet the faithful child stands iirml y.
! "Unvr""i, Upward the water rises
: 1t covers tho cold feet, oddics abou,
the bare nnllols. /. strikes chill
through the unclothod linbs--a deep
chill through the child heart. He
knows then that it is death coming
For himself he is not afraid but. q
God OF mercy must he 20, aud her
wish not fulfilled He thinks then
of that unknown future of the
great gulf between the good aud
bad; of tho fearful wickelnoss of his
unkind father; of the angelic good
ness of his blessed mother; aud
though he is too much of n child To
clothe tho thought in words, yet his
baby heart realizes the terrible
tragedy, and he cries aloud once
mOre,--
Father, oh, father, do not die
and 30 forcYer ho kept away from
mother and me =
Tho sleeping man turns heavily.
"He is awakening ut last = the
child criel, eagerly.
Tho water comes up to his waist
1t creops over the edge OF the bed
and vets tho mouldy straw. II
reaches the sleeping man. lie NUT
tors wearily,-
Curse the cold! III had drinl;
of whiskey might drive the chill
away, but the last dime is gone
"Oh, father, come quick, come
The levee's broken away It is the
water that you feel-it is that which
sends tho chill over you. Come, fa.
ther, come
"What water roaring all about
us 7 The cursed river in the room,
and not n stream of old Bourbon flow
ing by rs dreamed! Why didn't
You waken mo, Tommy You know
| am not fit to die Here, let me
rest my hand on your shoulder"
He staggered heavily to his feet.
Crossed the room unsteadily un-
latched tho door and went out into
the fearful food. In going out he
went down two steps. 1t brought
the water TO his shoulders. Tommy
followed him closely, went down the
steps also, 1t brought the water ov-
or Tommy's head.
The druken man rushed on, maxi
ing toward the bluff that lay back
from the river There was faint,
drowning cry of "Oh, father" end
ing in hoarse gurgle-a lifting up
for u moment of u white face and
two white, childish hands, aud then
the hands and face were gone-lost
amid the rushing. boiling water,
A fearful bulfeting against the mad
stream, terrible struggle for "A
worthless life, aud tho sobered inc
briate reaches the bluff. Then tho
horrible truth rushes upon him,
Then he understands tho faithfulness
of his dead child-realizes to its full
est extent that he had sent that child
to his death.
The morning came. Backed on
the swaying branch OF an uprooted
tree, they found the little martyr, his
white face cleaning in the spring