The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1877-09-19
Two Dollars a Year.

eVrey respectable brook in our State D and
Patty's heart beat fast as they entered il
! partly at the thought OF danger. partly
with the conviction that the gauntlet had
at length been thrown down, and Was
commenced between herself and GEORGES
mother.
The goods of which Rachel had spoken
were IN the upper loft, aud consisted OF
\ clothing and furpiture-for which
I Rachel had no room in the homestead
hardly worth, Patty thought, all this
1 peril of life and limb but she made no
comment, obeyiug in silence the brief di-
rechons Of her mistress who worked with
furious zeal, apparently careless or insen.
/ sIble of the fact that the whole building
was quivering aud trembling from base to
summit. suddenly came rush and
| gurgle. Patty started:
Gracious what is that? the stream is
rising"
STUFF :" painted Rachel, as. with her
cap oft, her hair down, and her face GOV
cred with dust, she tugged at huge chest
in the corner,
The stream won't rise this half hour
Come here and help me. l want to get
out
She was interrupted by n second ter
rifle roar. Then came gurgling. and
heavy thuds, as if logs striking against
the building, and Il SILVER aud tremble.
and then curious swayipg motion-all
the time the roaring, and grinding, and
and gurgling, growing louder, as though,
in some inexplicable way, they had come
closer to it. Patty left the trunk, and ran
to the window.
"What is it?' asked Rachel, still tug
ging at the brass handle
No answer, only a bowed head and a
| figure standing moticnless as if turned
/ to stone.
Rachel got up and went toward her
"What is it? Has the" then, as
she glanced out of the window-"Oh, my
| God :"
The mill was moving down the stream.
Down sank Rachel Frost. All her cour
age gone, every thought swallowed up in
| fear, walling, moaning, groveling on the
! tioor. Then life came back to the still
| figure by the window, and STOPPING down,
Patty wound her arms about Rache's neck
and all her soft wealth Of cuIs escaping
from the comb, fell down like a vail
around her who had so long made them a
taunt and sin.
Good is herew whispered Patty.
$50 is death !" shuddered Rachel.
Hear it laundering and rushing outside
How shall | meet God? Will He have
mercy? had none. | came here full of
wrath and bitterness against you who had
never injured me"
"Hush hush :" whispered Patty.
"The Lamb of God taketh away all sin, I"
and then came a long silence, unbroken,
save by an occasional sob from Rachel
nesting close to Patty--when the frail
building struck heavily against the drift
ing masses of ice and logs, or swayed
violently from side to side. Suddenly,
Patty raised her head and listened,
eagerly:
"What was that p
81 hear nothing but the dreadful roar,
shuddered Rachel.
"But | do; I'm sure that was a shout"
"Who could shout they are all gone
to the dam. No one knows that we are
here; and, even if they did, how could
they help us?'
clark y exclaimed Patty, again, and
stilling the beating of their hearts, the
two women listened breathlessly. Once
mOre-above the dash, and the gurgle,
and the grinding, and cracking, and thun-
dering-came that faint, shrill sound.
Patty sprang to the window, and threw it
wide
Saved Saved They see us. They
have boats--they are coming. On your
knees ON your knees | say, and thank
God for his mercy !" and there, in tho
outpouring Of that solemn thanksgiving,
old prejudices melted away, old grievan-
| ces were forgotten; and, cllnglng together,
the women watched rs with one heart and
soul-the frail boat struggling to their
rescue, through huge floating masses that
a hundred times would have crushed il
into atoms, had it not been for the skill
and nerve of those who guided it.
From the very depths Of dependency,
the spirit Of Rachel rose to an almost ca
travagant height She had recognized
her husband and son in the boat, and,
confdng in their love and strength,
made sure of her escape. She Jested
about their begrimed and disheveled con
dition, and even something of the old
hardness, though much subdued, was
apparent in her manner toward Patty,
{. who, silent and anxious, watched eagerly
every stroke of the oars, and noted every
sway and dip Of the old mill, now sorely
shaken by rude contact with logs and ice
and evidently in no small danger Of soon
breaking up altogether.
Those in the boat perceived the grow
ing peril, and re-doubled their exeruons;
but when, after an agony OF suspense,
that seemed life time, they were at last
within hearing distance Of the anxious
watchers, a new difficulty arose. How was
it possible to transfer the women to the
boat? To arrest the progress Of the
building drifting with that mad current
was, of couse, not to be thought Otto
fasten the boat and let it drift, even for
a moment. at the mercy Of the floating
ice, equally impracticable Precious mo-
ments were being wasted in discussion
when, with one bold stroke, George
brought the boat close under the window,
at which the women stood. Jump !!
he shouted, sit is your only chance
Jump" echoed Patty, pushing Ra
chel forward "be quick--the boat II
swinging round already"
Rachel glanced fearfully out on the
dark, heaving mass of water, and shrank
back.
mo; do you 90 first. If a life is to be
lost let it be mine. ] have but few
years more. What does it natter"
Patty hesitated. Argument was use
less with Rachel, whose terror was 50 ex-
IRENE that, if left to herself, she would
have periahed in the mill, rather than
make the required exertion; and even
the seconds were precious, fraught, as
they were, with their chances of life.
Jump" shouted George, once
more.
Patty was a little woman, but now she
seized Rachel around the waist, and
nusbed her though the window as if she