Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1878-02-08
THE GREAT FLOOD.

A GRANDMOTHER STORY.
How long ago was it, do you ask, little
Ben Sixty one years, if it was a day.
1t is June now; was seventy-nine the
tenth Of last April; and that worst day
of the great flood Of Pennsylvania was on
one other tenth of April, exactly sixty-one
years before. 1t was my eighteenth birth
day, too. I remember that as well as any
thing else that happened.
The country was new then. 1 mean
that it was pretty much all woods, with
very few settlements, and not many peo-
pie in them. They were chiefly along the
banks of this river, for almost every one
was numbering or rafting; and that was
what brought father here from Vermont.
Mother died far away up among the Green
Mountains; and 1t always seemed to me
as if he couldn't bear the old homestead
after that; SO we moved here from Penn
sylvania.
Look from the north window there, Ben ;
I'd come and look with you, but my rheu-
matism is bad to-day. No matter. Do
you see that long point of land, a mile up
stream, that runs out into the river Yes?
Well-look little closer at it. Farthest
from the shore it spreads out into an acre
of good high land 5; but the narrow neck
that joins that to the shore is commonly
almost as low as the bed of the stream.
There are great high stepping stones across
it now, that father laid there when we
first came; and we used to walk dry-shod
over them when theBspring rains had raised
the river. I remember but one solitary
time when the water covered the stepping
stones as veil as the neck of land: and
that was at the time of the great flood.
/ Our little house was built on that high
land, out in the middle of the rivera two
story frame affair, with two rooms down
stairs and two rooms up; and, after all, it
took all the neighbors to raise the roof. 1t
was an odd notion of fathers, putting it
there; he used to say that the day would
come he could sell off valuable water priv
eliges all around his acre. That day hash t
come yet. Ben; but sometimes, when l
think Of poor. dear father, and all bis
plans and schemes for me, and of what has
happened, really think that something
like Providence put it into his heart to
fancy that queer little corner out there in
the river, and to build our house there. I
am going to tell you what mean.
After the little house was built and fur
nished, stayed at home, and kept 1t, and
father took to the woods with the lOggers.
He led hard enough life from that time
out till be died summer and winter he
was at work with his men-sometimes at
at the loggers' camp, then hauling the logs
to the river, and rafting them down to the
bay, where he sold them to the contractors.
There were weeks when he wouldn't be at
home a day but Sunday; but when he was
rafting, often heard his shout on the riv-
er, and could see him waving his hat from
the raft as it went slowly down the stream
with the current. hope 1 was a good
daughter in those days. tried my best
to keep the house neat and tidy, and men,
ded his clothes; and regularly once day
cooked great mess, which was taken up
hot to the loggers in large tin pail,
was lonesome enough, for there were
whole days that did not see human be-
ing to exchange word with, but a certain
Ben Sample, who nearly always came fol
| the dinner, Heigho It's long ago that
Pm telling you of; and handsome Ben
Sample was then hardly twenty one. He
was not over Sall, nor yet short he was Of
middling height, with broad shoulders and
big hands, and was as strong as any
two of the men-so father said. He
had curly chestnut hair, and red and white
cheeks like girl, though sunburnt; and
his teeth shane SO when he laughed land
that was oftenj that anybody would have
liked him. And then he was 30 honest
and so clever, and so kind and obliging
that before had seen him many times ]
came to like him very we'll and one day
! I happened to say to father that thought
Ben Sample was an excellent lad, and that
l wished [ gould have more of his company
4
l never saw father Look so stern all of a
sudden, as did then; and 7 never heard
him speak SO stern, eth or.
''Better leave him in his place, Bessy,
he said, very quick and sharp like. "He's
naught but poor lumberman, after all
and he's likely to be naught else. DOM
he tender with him, daughter, 1 bid yor
not. If you've felt any too kind to him
you must check it ip tiilms. Have little te
say to him, daughter; it's your fathers
wish.'
Ben did not come to our house after that
another man took his place, and things
went on in the old lonely way all the rest
of the winter, and through the next spring
1t was the first week in March. of that
year, that father brought young Mr.. Car
del to the house. Young Mr.. Cardel was
the only son Of old Jacob Cardel the mil
lionaire, who lived in Philadelphia, and
who was contracting with father for all
| his logs fora year to come. The old man