The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1876-08-11

- ulu nDt reel uattered 4"
"Two weeks latter received letter from
Sariurt, promising me five thousand dollars
| il won.
"The five thousand dollars was n strong
argument but was not law really game of
| chance, in which the strongest hand and
| longest purse must win told myself YES.
Yes-and sat down and wrote reply.
| saying that l would take the case. But
did not mail II at once That night pnt it
under my pillow, and slept over it ; and on
the following morning / threw it into the
fire. would not make up my mind until
had seen other parties s-until had been on
the grounds. And wrote to Laban Sarfurt
to wait.
''rwo weeks latter harnessed my horse
to the wagon, and with my wife and child,
started for Shireton. l had been married
two years, and our little babe, girl, was
year old, our pride, our pet and our darling.
Shireton was distant about thirty miles. We
had been having rainy weather, for week
or so, and it had now cleared off bright and
beautiful. We stopped and took dinner at
a wayside inn, four miles beyond which was
Il stream which must be forded. The inn
keeper told me that the stream was some
what swollen from the late rains, but that if
my horse was trusty there could be no
danger.
"Arrived at the stream-the Wampatuck
river-I found the water indeed risen, and
the current strong. But / saw that others
had recently gone over, and / resolved to
venture. l knew my horse and had faith in
him. My wife was anxious, but she trusted
my judgment. A third of the way across
the water was over the hub of the wheels.
A little more and it would reach the body
of the wagon. | began to be alarmed. |
feared had left the true track. Presently
my horse stumbled and staggered, having
evidently stepped on a moving stone. The
wagon swayed and tipped, and the flood
poured In upon us. My wife slipped, and
in moment more we were in the water, but
with one hand l grasped the harness upon
the horse, and with the other held my wife.
l was thus struggling when wild cry from
her lips startled the air. Our child was
washed away.
cob, my soul can not tell you what l
suffered during those moments. could not
help our darling! If | left my wife she was
lost. clung to the horse and clung to my
shrieking wife-shrieking to God for mercy
for her child. The horse was struggling for
the shore. In the distance, upon the bosom
of the surging food, could see our little
one, her white dress cleaning in the sun,
being born swiftly away.
ga moment more and saw man plunge
from the bank into the river. | saw thus
much, and then an intervening point of
land shut out the scene. The horse was
now rapidly nearing the shore, and ere long
my wife and were upon dry land, with the
horse and wagon. AS soon as l was sure my
wife was cate, ] left her to care for the horse,
while posted off down the river bank in
quest of the swimmer and the child
"Gou may well understand that all this
time | was frantic / was machine being
operated upon by a surging and agonizing
emotion. How long or far wandered do
not know; but at length met man wet
and dripping, with my darling in his arms
my darling safe and sound
"lle told me he had caugh the child with
in n few rods of the fall, and that in landing
he had cleared the fatal abyss by not more
than two yards He was young man-not
more than enty-tive-handsome and stall
. |
wart. He said he had seen my wagon tip,
, and was coming to my assistance when he
saw the child washed away.
81 threw my life into the balance" said
he, with genial smile, "and thank God
both lives were saved"
, 81 asked him how l should ever repay
him. He stopped me with an implorng
gesture. o.
e 'If you talk of more pay than have al
ready received" he said. 'If you can rol
l me of the only solid reward ! can claim
Mercy if saving the life of such cherut
g Is not enough reward of itself, then hard i.
l the heart that can crave more" And with
f moistened eyes he told me that he had q
t child Of his own at home an only child
4 of nearly the same age.
81 asked him if he would tell me his name
| and with a smile he answered that it did not
| matter-he was not sure that he had a name
: then asked him if he knew me- He nod
: died. and said he thought | might be Mr.
Lurlingt0n of Badbrdge, and when told
him he was correct, he said that | must ex.
, cuse him. He was wet and must hurry home
{ And with that he turned away. was too
t deeply moved to stop him, and when he had
disappeared started to rejoin my wife with
. a dawning impression that the man might
t be slightly deranged. But my darling was
safe-her broad, fleecy cloak had iloated out
and kept her head above the water-and |
e went on my way rejoicing. resolved that the
= preserver of my child should not be for
= gotten.
81 will not tell you the emotion of my
wife when she held her child once more in
y her arms. We reached Shireton before nigh
: and found quarters at comfortable Ia,
ern.
"On the following day Laban Sarfur
, called upon me, and was about to spread hi
y evidence for my inspection wheV | interrupt
ed him. l told him I could got accept hi
confidence until had made up my mind t
: take his case in hand. Something seemeC
to whisper that there was danger ahead.
did not feel comfortable in that man.
presence. ] felt AS though he was trying t
: buy me. The court would sit in four days
> | told him would sit in four days. tolC
. him | would give him final answer in tw,
: days from that. ...
!. "That evening made confident of m,
a wife, and asked her what should do. ~
9 | take the case" said, 81 am sure of fiv,
thousand dollars" She bade me do wha
A was right. God has been very kind to us
' she said. Let us look to Him for our guild