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

uHu UIlcN but STcut NlNtT " ONer- !
flowing. The people were talking in
the streets, of the great embanking I;
of tho fearful consequence should the
levee break away.
Tonmys father had come stagger.
ing home ut twelve O'Clock, and, too
much intoxicated to undrcss, he hal
laid down ii his cloth s 1t was rain-
inS foarfuliy, 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
out clearly above the storp above
tho dcafening roar There is II wild
shout in the street--aud voices cry
ing ont A:
"Buck bacl; from tho river, for
your lives back the levee is giving
away l'
White faces. Tommy hears this,
and tugs with all his might ut the
drunken man sleeping 80 near death
door
"Oh. father I" he cries waken
waken
4 muttering curse is tho only ans
wcr.
well bc swept away! Father, the
river is oycrilowiug the town T.
Not II word Of reply came to the
boy S frantic appeal.
"COmc. father. como | hear the
water rushing along =
He clasps his fathers hand aud
tries, in his puny strength, to pull
him. mp from his miserable bed. lie
falls back himself, helpless and dis
courngcd
u "Oh, mothor!' he cries, che isn't
fit to go I've done my best I've
tried to save him--to make him bet
ter; to make him good enough to
come with me 20 you, np there but
ho will not listen Give him little
longer time. Oh, father, waken il is
almost too late !"
Too late, 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 sonecold and creeping thing
is fast coming. II steals i'll slowly. Il
little stream ut first then rusho5 on
faster, crosses the floor and laps n
! bout the little bare feot
} "Oh, father. father, it is here! and
yet the faithful child stands frmly
"Unwn".i, Upward the water rises.
1t covers tho cold feet, oddies about
the bare nnkols IL strikes II chill
through the unclothod limbs-a deep
chill through the child heart. He
knows then that it is death coming I!
For himself he is not afraid but, o
God of mercy must he go, 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 forever he kept away from
mother aud me T.
Tho sleeping man turns heavily.
"He is awakening ut lust = the
child cried, 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
ters wearily,--
Course tho cold II had n drink
Of whiskey might drive the chill
away, but the last dime is gone"
"Oh, father, come quick, como !!
The levee's broken away II is the
water that you feel-it is that which
sends the chill over you. Come, fa'
ther, GOMEZ"
"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 me, 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 I'M
latched tho door and went out into
tho fearful food. In going out he
went down two steps, 1t brought
the water to his shoul icrs Tommy
followed him closely, went down the
steps also, 1t brought the water ov-
or Tommy's head.
The druken man rushed on, max
ing toward the bluff that lay back
from the river, There was faint,
drowning cry of "Oh, father" end
ing in Il hoarse gurgle-a lifting mp
for moment of u white face and
two white, childish hands, aud then
the hands and face were gone-lost
amid tho 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-realizos to it's 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