The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1877-09-08

uaihuessJ IFOnl Cne warm sunlight, n
sat down on the bed where Robbery anc
be slept together, and Put my hands owe:
my ears, to shut out the roar of tn
waters.
How long l sat there I don't know, bur
IS | think it must have been hours, for
felt the sunlight slanting on my face, and
the water rushing round me before ]
&c moved again. I was hungry, too; but
when | tried to get down and reach the
cupboard the water took me off nv feet,
and [ crept back to bed, and on to the
" shelves of the dresser, to be out of the
way. | said my prayers two or three
times, and / said some prayers for Bob
= berry, too, for [ knew he would be sorry
when he found me some day, where |
had died all alone, and in the dark. And
+ then | tried to think how things looked
from our window, with the water sweep
ing up to the very sill, and the red sun.
set lying on it-and beyond, the pretty
town and the steeple with the clock; and
| thought it was better for me to die
than Robbery, after all, for he could see.
while II had nc pleasurein life. And
yet wanted to live; | wanted to hear
Bobbery's voice again; I wanted the
waters to go down, and somebody to re-
member me at last-for / was afraid.
Well, sir, God answers our prayers
sometimes in a way that is'terribly lust.
1t takes us a long time to find out that
everything is very good, I think, but we
come to learn it at last-and learn, too.
to leave our prayers as we'll as the answers
to God. Somebody did remember me at
last, and came back; somebody whose
laughing voice across the waters was
nearer every minute; somebody whose
hands were on my shoulder, whose eyes,
L felt, were on my face; somebody who
had never forgotten me-Bobbery
"Bobbery! Robbery" Icried, and l
stretched out my arms to him.
Robbery said: IL came over in a tub:
only think such a lark but as I climbed
in at the window our tub drifted away,
and however we're to get over I can't
tell"
"You must think of something" Isaid.
Robbery, it was a long day"
why, of course it was" Robbery
answered, "without me. Come along, I
the rivers rising like fury" 1
"Is it very wide p
"Oh, not more'n a good stretch from
here to dry land, but deep; over six feet, {
| should say, and rising" '
"But the bed, Robbery" I said, land I
the other thiDgs?"
Well we must just leave them until
it's all right again"
vii it ever be all right l asked. f
why, yes, of course" said Robbery. t
Het6yFas such a splendid chap, sir, was n
Robbery, and SC cleverI He took the two k
chairs that were drifting about the room, e
tied them close together, and then Il
We waded across to the window. and stood Il
Upon the sill. "
II think it's jolly good fun" said tt
3obbery. "It you could only see how y
our beats bobbing up and down in is
ront here! Get in quick, or l can't hold tt
Ter. Herel port her helm, or something! &C
IRE You all right" W
cts splendid 3" I said; "come along" to
But when Robbery put his foot on to "
he unsteady raft she went down On one lie
de with a plunge. "Never mind" he LIZ
aid; you've just got to push yourself -
shore with this pole, as straight as you az
an go, and Pll follow" I'D I'D
I swear to you, sir, l Thought that it ha
'as true, or | never would have left TT
l took the pole he gave me, III
nd went out on the restless waters, that otl
felt were blood1red where the setting il
had touched them. People on the an
pposite side cheered and cried and ~
allied me, and Robbery behind cfried out h.
nee or twice, "ship alloy /" in a shrill If
DICE, that knew and loved better than ~,
on.earth, and once l heard him MA,
e0onf0u 50 lar away BET
In port at last. ho
-, "' the
The people on the shore had ceased Az
teir shouts of excitement and eneour-
'ement, the light had died utterly away.
In an awful silence, and an akful$
Irkness, | jumped to land, and held out ,
y two hands.
"Bobberyl Robbery !" l cried II want nro
thank you" r;ul
Did Robbery hear, sir, do you think +? upc
people hear anything, do people un- TIVE
anything, after they have gone the,
ay? "a IL
only knew that the awful silence was or +
ming me TO stone; that the awful dark to
IS was rising like a wall between me the,
! Bobbery-and I was afraid. When thai
allied no n answered me and I was ing
II his voice was silent, any other rest
ce would have maddened me Just of t
n, and I wanted nothing more to tell hay,
all the truth. I learned through the road
nee on land and sea how God had an. and
red my prayer. bav,
hey told me afterward how the plank 1t ii
launching to help himself to the pres
re- drifted away from his bond ond -