The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-04-29
A CHnD,s STORY.
.And n Little enid shall Lead
Them.n

anu U LlIlle Onllu buIuA Actlll
Them.r
By Nm. Annie A. Preston.
"The water Is rising granny
aWell, well, girl, don't tell me that
again. Its been rilia' ever since yes
terday morning, and there's Allus been
just such miserable spell every spring
down here in Commerce street ever since
l lived in Hartford, but never does no
particular hurt only scare folks. The
old house has stood here for don't know
how many years, and the waters been
up all around Il and filed the sullar and
the rooms below time and agin, but the
old thing has allus stuck, q" twill now.
We've got enough feat an coal enough,
an I'se got washin' an ironin' enough TO
keep me busy week, an aOater's handy,
ha, hap
ats got clear up on State street as far
Is Glarier's store" shouted avoice from
4 passing skifI; "you had better get out
Of this, little one"
ado let us get out our things, granny,
and 90" entreaied the child.
II won't Itell 70. Now come along
an punch down the clothes in the biler
an keep the fire sgoin." @There's no
danger she shouted back to the boaiman,
I" / have lived here in Hartford longer'n
you haye.n I'll stick to this here old
shell Of ImlAy's s'long Their two boards
an nail TO hold 'em together; an ye
needn't come round here again settin'
this young IN crazy with your bugbear
talk.h
right" said the boalmau, Ego your
own gait, but it's just the same IS muir.
der 70 leave that child there"
The boatman roWed away. The old
washerWoman took pull at black bot
lie on the shelf back OF the stove and re-
turned 10 her tub.
Darkness coon gathered over the wa.
tiers. The old washerwoman finished her
task, drained the whisky bottle, and
throwing herself on the bed in the corner
OF the room, was presently fast asleep.
The child, wrapping an old shawl around
her shoulders, knelt by the open window
and gazed far over the mighty current at
the glimmering lights in East Hartford.
Late In the evening four young men be-
longing to the frat society in the city,
gathered in the law Office Of one Of their
number, were discussing religious topics.
"Well," said the tallest and oldest Of
the party, rising, and putting on his light
spring oyercoat, aall the logic and elo.
quence you use in asserting your belief
IN the supernatural, in this efficacy Of
prayer as II Ia termed, fail to convince
me. am an unbeliever, an in6del, II
you choose to call me one, and shall re.
main one till the end Of the chapter. l
must see things with my own eyes, hear
with my own ears, and believe with my
whole heart, before there can be any
change with me. Come on now; let US 70
down the street and see II the river Is
still rising"
Presently the young men were on their
way down the crowded street and were
standing on the waters edge. There were
great numbers OF boats fitting about, the
occupants Of which were picking up float.
ing debris, peices Of furniture, boxes and
barrels, and pigs and chickens, aud res.
cuing people who were clambering out Of
the upper windows Of their flooded ten.
ements as the river rose higher and
higher: ,,,, w.,
ice" said one OF the young men. Let's
hail goudolier and take row down
through Commerce street and about"
So they rowed up to the old bridge, IN.
Ill the boatman urged them to go no far
Their, and they were left alone, with only
aglimmer Of light visible in the vicinity.
Here and there, among the broken and
drifting clouds, star was TO be seen, It's
rays dancing upon the waters for mo.
ment and then disappearing. The two
young men had now reached the upper
portion OF Commerce street, and were
near the old bridge. the red stone piers Of
which were almost lost 10 sight in the an-
cry flood, and whose long, black outlines
were quite lost in the gloom OF the oppo.
site river bank far beyond. The current
here was so strong, and the locality ap-
pea.ed 80 completely deserted by the in.
habitauts thut The young men now found
no boats TO impede their progress. Bot
one light was seen in the vicinity. That,
faint glimmer, seemed TO proceed from
one Of the tenement houses little fur.
Their on. Thither they were proceeding
when boatman from below hallcod to
them: "Sayl don't go up any further,
boys; there's an ugly current that sets In
from Charles street up there at the cor.
ner, besides, there are heavy timbers com.
ing down, apd il one Of them should
strike your cockshell 1t would swamp it
In no ime.n
ave had better go back now, Charles;
i had no idea Of coming - far as We have.
We may be Of some assistance to some.
body. or somebodyIs pig on our way