The Hawaiian gazette., 1875-05-19
johanna Sesa..

self worthy Of : great Poe,'s song.
/ Johsnns, or Josnns, as we would call
her, was only seventeen years old, but no
one in the village had the noble spirit and
I quiet courage ct this strong, true hearted
girl
When the waters rose around the
houses, and the wscvs washed up 70 the
very doorS,eps, Johanna know that there
was no longer safety excepting on the high
grounds near the village But how were
they 70 reach those high groandss The
water wss nearly knee deep and rising eY-
cry moment, The roaring and surying Of
the waves snd the wind was heard in ev-
cry direction, and the dixie was giving
way, pieoe by piecc, before the rushing
hO0i. Every moment the danger in.
creased There was no time 70 hesitate.
Jobsnua's mother su aged w0man,
could not force her way through those
raging waves But Johanna was tall and
strong. She took her old mother in her
arms and stepped boldly into the water.
The waves dashed against her, but she
pressed On Her ueighbors, mother and
three children, seeing her leave them, we've
seized with 3 sudden terror. Not until
this moment did they know dow much
they depended on the brave johanna, the
ouly person to whom they could look for
counsel OF help in this hour of peril
After 5 word or two of encouragement
to her mother, who tremblcd as she saw
the waters boiling beneath her-so terri
bly, near to her-Johanna turned to her
neighbors and called to them to tiy to the
hill close by, which was vet dry and would
afford them safety for time, and assured
them that she would return TO them
IS soon as she had placed her mother
on the high ground. "And my poor
goat," she cried, as she heard her favorite
bleating sitter her; take him with you.
Don't leave him to die"
As soon IS she reached place of safe
", johanna set her mother upon the /
ground, and, without moments pause, /
turned around to hurry back through the I
eyer-deepening water. Her old mother .
cried out:
"0h! where are yOu going? The path
IS washed awayl Oh. my daughter! viii
you 90 into that dreadful flood again s.
Mother, they must be ssvedla said JO-
hanna, IS she plunged into the water, by
his time more than knee deep,
The dixie was now on the point of Civ
nc way entirely. A hill of water seemed
-oaring and foaming toward the village.
But JOhanna pressed on over the path
which she knew so well, although it was
low covered with water. The waves
iashed against her, almost knocking her
lOwn, and drenehing her from head to
cot. At last she reached the little hill
where she had left her ueighbOrs. But 81
most st this moment the dixie gave way;
mad deluge rushed in, sweeping over
before 1t, aud around the little
Ill soon boiled & turbulent sea rising above
IS highest point. h
As the great waves roll over the ground
4 which they stand, cIiuging in terror to
aeh other, Johanua's poor neighbor and
er children cannot keep their foothold. /
hey are washed away and disappear be
cath the raging food As they sink, one !
f the children seizes the goat BY one horn +
nd drags him down. Thus all but Jo-
anna are lost. Ia
Johanna stands alone, still firm and a
.rOug, but the waters are rising and rising =
round her.
Who Is there now to save this noble q
rIg She has many friends aud many 4
,vers, but no one comes for her now. t
-othing comes to her but the salt, angry
-aves. Nowhere can she see even a 5
0at- v
She casts one look up to heaven, and a
len the waters surge fercely against her. b
I'd she Is gone. c
Now nothing Is to be seen where the d
Ilage stood but Wild waste of waters, a
ith here and there 4 steeple or a tree ris- a
2 up above the food Il
But as the survivors gaze upon the f
desolation, the thought of the fl
ave aud beautiful girl who gave her life v
? others throws deeper gloom upon the v
oarufuI scene =
Aud even when the waters subside and
e land reappears, no one who knew Jo-
iuna can be glad. They weep for her
d cannot forget her. P
This Is 4 sad story offs noble girl Only G
ose who have read II IS Goethe so ten .
.rly and dramatically tells It IN his poem, :
johanna Sebuz," can appreciate its true . :.
.thos and force. u
n
sScoofed+ n