Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-04-25

deepening water to the door. AS the ire:
swung again, broadside On, making the little
cabin cIeak and tremble she leaped on to its
trunk. By GODS mercy she succeeded In OBJ
tanning footing On It's slippery surface. aud
twinfng an arm about its roots, she held In the
other her moaning child. Then something
front OF the house she had Just Quilted fell for
Ward--juSt as cattle fall on their knees before
tney lie doWn-and at the same moment the
great redwood tree swung round and drifted
away with its living cargo into the black night,
For all the excitement and danger. for all her
Scothlng Of her crying baby, for all the whist
ing OF the wind, for all the uncertainty OF her
situation. she still turned 70 and looked at the
deserted and water-swept cabin. she remem-
Defed even then, and she wonders how foolish
she was to think OF It at that time. that she
wished she had put on another dress and the
babys best Clothes; and she kept praying that
the house would be spared so thar he, when he
returned, would have something to come to-
and 1t wouldn't be quite so desola5e-and-hoH
could he ever know what had become of her
and baby? And at the thought she grew sick
and faint But she had something else to do
beside worrying, for whenever the long roots
OF her ark struck an obstacle the whole trunk
made half revolution and twice dipped her
into the black water. The hound, who kept
dtstractiDg her by Running up and down the
tree and bowling, at last fell off at one OF these
collisions He swan for some time beside her.
and she tried to get the poor beast upon the
tree, but he acted silly and Wild AMI at last she
lost sight OF him forever. Then she and her
baby were left alone.
lhe light which had burned for 6, few minutes
In the deserted cabin was Quenched suddenly.
She CT uld not tell then whittier she was drift
Ing. The outline OF the white dunes on the
peninsula showed dimly ahead, aud she fujgeI
the tree was moving In line with the river.
1t must be about slack water and she had
probably reached the eddy formed by the con
huence of The Tide and the overfiowing waters
or the river. Unless the tide fell soon there was
present danger OF her drifting to its channel,
and being carried out 60 SEA or crushed In the
Heating drift. That peril ayerted Ii she were
Carried out in the cob toward the bay, she
might hope to strike one OF the wooded prom
ontories of the peninsula and rest till daylight.
Sometimes she thought she heard voices and
cattle ard bleating OF sheep. Then ag ain it
was only the ringing In her ears and throDblng
Of her heart. She found az ABOUT this time that
she was so chilled and stffene1 In her cramped
position that she could scarcely move, and the
baby cried so when she put iJ to her breast
that she noticed the milk refused to flow, and
and she was so frightened at that that she put
her head under her shawl and for the first
time cried bitterly.
When she raised her head again the boom OF
the surf was behind her, and she knew that her
the water TO cool her parched throat, and
found that 1t was salt as her tears. There was
a relief though, for by this sign she was drift
ing With the tide.
II was then the wind went down, and the
great and awful silence oppressed her. There
was scarcely ripple against the furroWed
SIDES OF the great trunk on which she rested,
aud around her all was black gloom and duIet
She spoke to the baby just to hear herself
speak, and to know that she had not lost her
voice. She thought then-it was queer. but
she could not help thinking it-how awful
must have been the night when the great ship
swung over the Aslatlc peak. aud the sounds OF
Creation were plotted out from the world. She
thought too, OF mariners clingIng to the RATS
and beaten to death by the cruel sea. she
taed 10 thank God that she vas thus spared;
and lifted her eyes from the baby, who had
Ialen into fitrul sleep. Suddenly away
to the southwark. a great light lifted
ard flckered, ana dIekerei ana flashed again.
Her heart futteTed quickly against the baby's
cold cheek. It was the lighthouse at the en-
trance OF the bay. As she Vas yet wondering,
the teee suddenly rolled little, dragged lit.
tie, and then seemed to lie quiet and Still. She
put out her hand and the current gurgled
against it. The tree was aground, and by the
position OF the light and the noise OF the surf
aground upon the DedloR Marsh
Had IL not been for her baby. who was all
Ing and croupy, had 1t not been for the sudden
drying up OF that sensitive fountain, she would
have felt sale and relieved Perhaps II was
this which rendered to make all her impress
sioDs mourniui and gloomy. AS the tide
rapidly fell, great fock OF black brent fl1t.
plo7er flew up and piped mournfuly, as they
wheeled around the trunk and at last fearlessly
III upon 1t like grey cloud. Then the heron
flew over and around her, shreking and pro-
tSStALS, anu az last utppDSu ll3 RaulJ ltS5
only Few yards from her. But straugest OF
all, pretty white bird. larger than a dove
like pelican, but not g pelican -circle1
around and around her. At last IL lit upon a
rootlet Of the tree, quite over her shoulder.
She put out her hand and stroked Its beautiful
white neck, and 1t never appeared TO move.
1t stayed there 50 long that she thought she
would lift UP the baby 60 see 1t, and try to at
Child was so Chilled ana cold, aud had such a
blue look under the little lasnes which iC dida't
raise at all. that she screamed aloud, and the
pird flew away, and she tainted.
Wei, that was thu worst OF Il, and perhaps 1t
was not so much after ali co any o4e but herself.
For when she recovered her senses 16 Was
bright sunlight and dead low water. There
was confused noise OF gutteral voices about
her, and an Old squaw singing. an Indian thus
pa1y."- and rocking n5cS-lf nom side to Side
before fire built on thu marsh, before
Which she. the recovered wife and mother,
lay weak and weary. Her first thought was
for her baby, and she was about to speak
Hhen young sqlaW, WAC must have been a
mother herself, fathomed her thought aud
brought her the nlOlciCh. pale but living. liz
such queer little willow cradle all bound ul
Just like the squaTS own young one, that she
laughed and cried together, and the young
sqnaW and the old squaw showed their big
White teeth and glilted their b ack eyes anC
said, plenty get well, skeena mowitsh, waget
may come plenty soon." that she could have
kissed the brown face In her Joy. And ther
she found that they had been gathering berrie:
on the marsh In the queer contcal baskets, ant
saw the skirt OF her gown futtering on the
tree from afar, and the old squaw couldn't re.
sist the temptation OF procuring a new gar,
ment and came down and discovered tht
''wagee' woman and child. And OF course Shs
gave that garment to the old SquaW, as you
may imagine, and when he came at last ant
rushed up to her. looking ten years older II
his anXlety-she felt SO faint again that they
had to carry her TO the canoe. For you see hi
Knew nothing ABOUT the flood until he met the
Indian at Utopia. and knew by the signs thai
the poor woman was his wife. And at the mex
nigh tide he toTed the tree away back home
although 1t was not worth the trouble. ant
quilt the house, using the Old tree for To,
foundation and called 1t after her, "Maryt
Ark" But you may guess the next house was
Quilt above high water mark. Ana that's all
This Is the prominent incident or the Dedloy
Marsh. But you must tramp over 1t at lop
water, or paddle over 1t at high tide. or ge
lost upon 1t once or twice In the falls as
have-uo properly understand the full force O
Mary'5 adventure, or duly appreciate the bless
ings OF living beyond high water mark
Golden Era.
WEATHER WAVES.