The daily gazette., 1882-03-17
A PRESENTlMENT.
BY JULIA PlEAsANTs.

. - =" 1888 Si6Hs VI WhtcI, DuI on Llab Of
tAslon my mind was 50 filled with pleas
ant antlclpations Of . reunion with rel
atives and friends, that was not an
noyed during my preparations wit
usual torebodiDgs and vague fears.
oade adleu TO my friends at Shreve
port with light aud happy heart, al
though my husband, being Judge Of th
Eighteenth Judicial District, Of cours,
could not leave his duties and accom-
pany nae. He was holding court at th,
Time repaired to the boat, and one oI
MS personal friends escorted me thither
Dut, 90 the s.eamer would not leave un.
I'll afser dark, he would come down a,
soon as he could adjourn court to bid
me adleu. l had on my arm q hand.
some travelling companion or satchel
which had Jus, purchased, perfectly
new and lightly filled. To my dismay
and horror, had no sooner put nv foot
upon the steamer than the chain OF the
satchel snapped In two, and 1t rolled
down at my feet.
IL bad had the intellet of an Alex
ander or a Caesar, could not have bat
Sed with the sudden gloom and terrible
apprehension Of approaching evil which
ifom that moment took entire possess
4 ion of me.n
"Therei' exclaimed; "h's an evil
omen. II It were possible, would not
go on this boat"
MY companion, of course, laughed
and endeavored TO quiet my appreben-
Sions; and conscious of the silly weak
ness betrayed, concealed nv fJrt her
evidence of II ffom him,
"Do not tell this to the judge" re-
| quested. "He Is afraid of my spresenti-
ments,' and know he would feel un-
easy"
j did not say any more, fJr 1 knew
that boat wss the only opportunity l
would have Of leaving for some time,
The river belhg exceedingly low and
navigation difficult. -....
My husband came down afterwhile
and introduced me to the only person on
board Of his acqauln.ance, an elderly
gentleman, Mr.. E., whom he requested
to take charge Of his family.
restrained all expression of uneasi.
ness ultil my hu bands departure,
when freely. confessed to the old gem
tleman the singular Naturalization which
had taken possession ofme.
The old mans genial and pleasant
manner, soothed my apprehe lsions, and
the. boat went steaming down the H.
yer. ..-
IL was Saturday nigbt-A sleepless one
to me--and all the next day, With every
knot the beautiful river palace made
down the winding curernt my heart felt
shortened OF It's throhs, as q mhlefSctof
who s ses the gibbets rise 10 the distance
toward which he veers. lI : =
Late in the evening of Sunday the
boat was mUored TO the shore, wooiinp.
and we were all leaning over the GU ards
some talking; but peered out into
the somber and melancholy gloom Of n
I'd and solemn looking twilinght.
My presentiment had taken by this
such possession of my mind that 1 had
been able to speak OF nothing else !; but
oh! horror while l was andlng there a
new revelation Of terror smote upon nv
s)ul. Was 1t some voice whispering TO
me ON the land Of sbadowsp Whence.
whence did 1t come? 1t was distinct as
any uttorance ever heard In nv life.
"Yon, you only are menaced-only
your lifs trembles 10 the balance.n
l held at that time my little daughter
by the hand. had just folded away
two other darliDgs In their berth. Hap
piness and wealth were mine, / had all
which could render life desirable,
cannot describe the feelings which
now took pos 20 ision Of my soul. Power
less, helpless, l vas consclou, that nv
tAts agitated adverse powers and that the
dread moment sped onward on the
wings of the lightning.
We adjourned to the cabin, where Mr..
E. aud myself sought divan, the chan
deliers now FISHING with rsdiance, In
contrast TO the sDlemn landscape with.
out.
"Mr. En- | remarked, aour catas-
tTophe will soon arrive-and l shall only
rtj 1ice; for any certainty Is better than
the horrid state Of suspense 1 have en-
dured."
Mr.. K. looked hard at me; he was
impressed, in spite of his better iudg-
ment, by my pertinacious belief In some
impending calamity.
"lndeed," he remarked, "you have
nearly slccee led in frightening me, too.
at last. Yet do not see why this is
not very safe boatp 1t is finely off,
cered.
"No," replied, in low tone s'you
need not be alarmed there is danger
TO no one but myself-and 1t comes
now.
had no sooner spoken than deafen-
Ing, crashing noise, like the tearing If
timbers, smote uoon the ear--loud, ter
ritc aud continuous. The floor of the
gentlemen's cabin rase In the middle,
Ike sail bellying with the wind, and
its conVeyity came travelling up to my To-
cality. The ladies shrieked and rushed
down toward the bow, flying past the
mysterious enemy beneath our feet. /
know that that was generally considered
The safest direction TO seek IN case Of ac-
cident; but in the opposite one, 10 my
slale-room, lay my two rosy cherubs,
and instinct turned my s1eps toward
them. #Hf Is
caught up ny little daughter In
my arms and few ahead of the strange
monster, which was rending SO fear
fully our struggling craft. sought
my state~room, that / might perish
with my children; but, before reached
it, was fel ed, stunned by a success
sion of blows from heavy substances.
7 heO last thing remembered was
Tightening my grasp around my daugh-
ter, and protecting her with my own
limbs.
But, although badly bruised. l
emerged from pile of wrecks, to the
astonishment of all beholders, who
had Thought such q catastrophe cer-
tain death.
An immense sawyer had penetrated