The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1878-03-07
FHE HIGH WATER.
sBy MISS MARX T. REILEY.

N sesttered in and out among EN-,
Not a gum tree in de State.
Night scanty 'coons and 'possums,
n Sab. Ireckon, ut dat rate.
81 Uncle Jawge tole me de story
I Oh de big high watah yeah
n When lie rivahS cawse got turned so.
n Tell you2 Ef you wants to heah.
n II was aftah cotton piekin',
II Almost sugah plantin' time.
a .ItItcle Jawge lived neah de rivah,
An he says, about dat time,
4 Tdii could see de watah risin',
M Risin', risin', high an strong
NJ An, de hans was kept a-workin'
Il At de levee all night long.
u Night an day dey worked an worked dah,
Y Day an might de watah spread;
In de darkness dey could heah it
Laptin' roun' de levee- head.
BAYOU Rouge was overtfowin'
0veh on de othah side;
y An de Chafalayah River
WasaF sEasepdin' fasan wide.
o es,r,ss, M Of De rivsn
WAS de Malf fstah's big white house,
\ Wid de, ,niggath quahteh neah it;
1But between was Bayou Bouse.
\ lWas nothin' in de sunmah,
Ah' dried UP one half de year;
gat just den you couldn't cross it
sDh6ftt you had a dug out neah.
N Sode Mahstah stayed across it
In de ovehseah's place,
Af tiey s;iy he got so changed dah
n You'd hardly knowed his face.
But he stayed out on de levee,
Anlde niggahs worked deh bes',
But de iwatah KEEP a-risin',
NJ An deh want no time fo' res;
II AM de pivah jeS' filled wild
shags, dat come a -rushin' down,
m An got drllv into de levee
An went whirlin' roun' am Ioun'.
q Ia, de watah got so swif' dah
r Seemed as if, mos any day,
AwolId sweep de whole embankmen'
OF ieyee clean away.
\ Butde boys KEEP wohkin', wohkin',
= Day an night an all night long,
III An de 'watah KEEP a-risin',
Gf0win' high an CROWN strong.
NJ An de wes' was full of watah,
/, Every little branch was high;
All de cas- was overfowin'
frofn de Rouge an Chafalay.
On6dasj &lien de Mahstah come dah
hey seed de Yee,couldn' las; .5
I But he tole dem up the riveh
A 1Dah had broke a. big crevasse,
An heap o. men was drownded.
sSo," he said, "dah's dis ting shore,
i Dat willtake de weight o. watah,
= An you needn't wohk no mohr
\ Ike you have been" De boys watched
u LII him ~
d As he walked off to de branch.
pey had all guy up deb wohkin
Waitin' TO- de boat to launch.
Hewas sittin' in de dug out Fs
n On de watah oh de Bouse,
an he called to Uncle Jawge to
y tone an row him to de house;
NJ Al, dey say, he sot dah smilin'
D0kin' crOst, like he could see
Y hEle Eustace at de window
m young Mistes Eulalie.
Alat once dah came a sudden
qSun', like thundeh in de aih,
an de watah swep' de levee
n Like twas straw dat had been dehr.
Il ~ We bayou rushed de riveh,
n IA q minute bofe was gone;
fOl de bayou was de riveh
an dey' bofe was mixed in one.
y ron de watah from the riveh
Il ,mght de watah from de Bouse,
INIT seemed ike great ocean r
kMhn' down upon the house.
Il de time dey heahd dat thundeh
All de house was Swep away;
4 ixan't no time to give no ohdehs,
not minute faw to pray.
Il Mhdey two web driftin', driftin'
\, oa de riyeh big an wide. anna.
'sIhfn neah but foatin' pieces,
Mags aroun' on every side.
enele Jawge says Mahstah sot dah
anlte am still, like he was dead,
n 'ssih a.Hhl, via his eyes wide open
N un ue watah straight ahead.
sweppose dat ne was stunned like
~ ~ de swifness of de whole,
N aa u u seemed as If de watahs So
Nasa-rollin' och his soul.
Y Grew dahk aroun', an still he
nj pldn't seem to draw no breff.
Ply leit Like fioatin' down de
Nailey OF de Shade of Def.
J RI. n. ne soti gain, gain
Z TS TSSTalght ahead wild starin' eyes,
'I ne seed somethin' near 'em
VI de watah fall an rise.
n Asas Mahstah Eustaee's cradle,
y II ~ nag got out from de house,
II ,s.tshec matshec up, and now was f1oatin'
4 rs,ttoln up'ards down de Bouse
sEle JaWge says when he seed it
~ ~ s.le ne leS throwed back his head
u snpped down'ards-in de dug-out,
he guF him up 70 dead.
III kep' a-growin' dahkeh,
III A4sseii - while he seed stah.
s.it Al, looked so white an awful ~
2 NJ. u seemed so still an fab sss g
glaa de clouds come driftin'
sSs ssst s,aste ae sky and hid de light;
{ fFssne Fse says, dab was an awfu'
n a4slEJ AouH talIl ali Qdt night. fss
s Inv ~ ae watah seemed to wbispeh
Il tns NJ =, ~ SOB like children's cries.
sHlN In nen gotlight little
+ Ii ma A. conid see big, shinin' ewes
L u A.s " lWAtah all aroun' him,
N ks aa ae ~atah flash an smile.
I, Sse asa y ,s.1 ,Ws.n1ispeh, whispeh, whispeh,
AAe little laughin' chile.
q Fsaesee ne seed deday a-dawnin'.
. IA as,nn come an lef' him dah
q Essune upon de haunted ~zss
asah; den he knowed no NAV.
batas sas picked up by steamboat
q skatt ;,eA ss week but no one knows
nsetse, was DAT killed de Maf,stab.
- ~v0'oh said de shock, he s'pose.
j ,1swge says when de watahg s i
n atssssa ~ soac back into its place
. ranissi isi de time channel
III Saue We new one flihdel wes,.
gat called de ole False Riyeh:
he lei ole Pointe Coupee: