American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1878-05-04

In OF the Betsy Ann; clean painted up,
and waiting for you, just as her masters
awaiting too"
He went quietly over the side and cast
OIL the rope, and was gone before l
knew it; and l sat there In the calm af-
ternoon and evening, sometimes crying,
sometimes feeling hopeful, and with a
sense of Joy at my heart such as 1 never
had felt before.
And so that evening deepened into
night, with the barge a quarter of a
mile astern of us, and no wind coming,
only the tide to help us on our way.
1t must have been about ten O'Clock
at night, when was forward seeing to
the light hoisted up to keep any thing
from running into us, when / heard IA
Their come stumbling up from the cab
in, and make rs il to come forward to
me.
"Prue, he cried, "Prue!"
eyes, father, coming" said; and
then 1 uttered wild shrek, and rushed
towards where the boat hung astern by
her painter, hauled her up and climbed
in; for no sooner had l answered than
l heard cry and heavy splash, and L
knew father had gone overheard.
1 was into the boat in moment, and
had sculled over the stern, padding
away in the direction the cry had come
from; but, though l fancied in those
horrible minutes that l saw hand
stretched out of the water, asking as it
were for help, padded and sculled
about till was far from our barge, and
then sank down worn out to utter q
moan of horror, and sob, "Oh, father!
father! what shall do?'
sis that you, Prudence?" said a
voice.
eyes, John, yes" 1 cried, looking
out through the darkness, out of which a
boat seemed to steal until it was along
side, when John stretched out his hand
and took mine.
.Quick :" I gasped, save him, John
-father-gone overboard!"
"When you shrieked out, Prue?"
eyes, yes," walled "Oh, save him!
save him!'
"My poor lass" he said "that's a
good quarter of an hour ago, and the
tides running strong. I've been pad
ding about ever since, trying to find
you, for went up to the barge and you
were gone"
"But father" walled, ''father-save
him!" tf-t
"My poor little lass,' he said ten
derby, I'd jump into the water now if
you bid me, but what can 1 do, you
know, Prudence, what can l doP"
Lid not answer, for l did know that
he must have been swept far away be-
fore then; and was beginning to feel
that was alone-quite alone in the
world.
1t was quite six months after that
dreadful night that one evening John
came ashore from his barge to the cot
tage, where 1 was staying with his
mother and had been ever since he had
brought me there, without seeing him
to speak to only to wave my hand to
him as he sailed by. That evening he
came and looked wistfully at me and
said but little, and at last his time was
up and he rose to go.
1 walked down to his boat with him,
and on the way he told me that he had
got leave to alter the name of his barge,
and it was called the Prudence too; and
then, without word about the past, he
was saying goodbye, when 1 put my
hands in his and said quietly
"John, dear, haven't forgot my
PROMISE
"And you are alone now, Prudence,
my LASS" he cried, eagerly.
"No, John, no." said softly, as the
tears ran down my cheeks; 81 never
shall be while you live."
"Never, my lass, never" he cried
"And you'll be my little wifep"
yes, John. yes; 1 promised you"
"When I come back from this voy-
age?"
"Yes, John, when you will," said,
and with one long hand pressure we
parted, and 1 went back to wait for an
other month, and then 1 was his happy
little wife.
And there seemed no change, for l
was once more on the river or out at sea,
leaning upon the. tiller and gazing
straight before me, with the gulls wall
ing as they wheeled and dipped and
SKINNED or settled upon the water;
while the soft wind gently stirred the
print hood that was lightly tied over my
wind-rufiied hair. Only a bargeman's
young wife living on the, tide, but very
happy; for John often points to the
great ships that pass us, with their cap
tains in their gold-laced caps, and as he
does so he whispers
"Not with the best among them,
Prue, not with the best; I wouldn't
even change places with king"
And if he is as happy as I, dear John
is CssseH's Nagaz inc.
Easter Eggs. e.r