Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1877-05-03
Storms ON the English Coast.

Such great storms, my companion told
me, come periodically. Every five years
or so the ocean gives a yawn, as it were,
kicks over its barriers, shakes its name at
the little village, and throws stones at the
outlying houses. The latter, therefore,
intrench themselves behind sturdy wall
of compact masonry, built round three
sides of a square. But nothing entirely
avails against the burly besieger; yonder
stands blighted mansion, whose lower
story was entered last year by several hun
dred tons of rude sea-pebbles, which
knocked, indeed, at door and windows,
but came in without staying for an an
swer, carrying windows and door with
them. No writ of ejectment or prosecu-
ton has been served on the trespassers,
and they still remain in possession. Prob
ably the astounding effrontery of the out
rage at once and forever quelled all spirit
of opposition. Certainly it would be
hard to devise more terrific way of
awakening a peaceful household in the
dead of night; and what if he possessed a
wine cellari
Three centuries ago, according to my
porter, a sea-change happened here which
| really deserves to be called strange. AT
that time small river (bv no means an
insignificant one, however, as English riv-
ers go) flowed peacefully through ths low
land, and found its exit to the ocean be-
side this same small fishing village, upon
Which it conferred some little maritime
importance. Ever since Julius Caesars
eye for the picturesque brought him over
to Britain, and for how long before that
we know not, this quiet stream had pur-
sued its accustomed course, with no more
idea of altering it than the Conservative
in Tn mIa hoe of alt itC
cy on the Eastern question. One winter
night, however, during the latter half of
the sixteenth century, hurricane began
to blow, the like of which had never been
known before. The sea, so TO speak,
reared straight up on end, and stalked
over the land like an army of giants. The
surf broke miles inland, amid sequestered
farms and over green country-lanes. 1t
was the conviction of those who retained
their senses sufficiently to be conscious of
any conviction at all that the traditional
subjects of Britannia had organized sue
| cessful rebellion, and that the "right lit
| tie, tight little island'' was not water
| tight, but, on the contrary, was lncontl-
| nently become part of the sea- bottom. The
storm ragged for three day, after which
there was an improvement, SO far as wealth
er was concerned.
But when, at last, the appalled, fisher
men ventured to thrust their heads in
| quiringlv outside their windows, 10! they
had lost their river. Amazed, they stag
gered forth, and sought distracted up and
down the river was gone, and there was
not so much as a pint of ditch water left
to show where it had been. 1t was not
case of annihilation, however: far worse
it was an elopement; the most heartless
instance of geographical unfaithfulneSs
that / ever heard of. One of the villagers,
wandering forlorn some miles to the
northward, all at once stumbled upon
stream which he had never seen in that
part of the country before. Oppressed
with dark suspicion, he followed it up
toward its source, and ere long was COM
PEELED to recognize in it the traltorous
current which he and his fellows had
mourned as dead. 1t occupied its unlaw-
full bed with so much demure self-posses-
sion. and smiled in its betrayed ones face
so placidly, that had it been possible still
| to doubt he would have done so. 1t was
an impressive story, and might, | thought,
be worked up into aromantic and pathetic
novel in three volumes, in which the
heroine, if not the plot, should be entire
ly unhackncyed and original. 1t would
be difficult, however, to inflict poetical
| Justice in the last chapter. The real
sequel is, that a new village grew up
| around the new river mouth, and to-day
fiaunts its stolen prosperity in the former
possessor's face. To set matters right by
another great storm would denote poverty
of imagination; and there are various
difficulties in the way of creating geo.
logical convulsion Julian HdaothcTne, in
Appgetons' Journal for Mag.