Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1882-04-01
APREsExrImENr.
BY JULIA PLEAsANTs.

| cannot avoid shuddering at the
sight of water; but on that occasion
my mind was SO filled with pleas
ant anticipations of reunion with
relatives and friends that / was not
annoyed during my preparations
with usual forebodings aud vague
fears.
| babe adieu to my friends at
Shreveport with light and happy
heart, although my husband, being
Judge of the Eighteenth Judicial
District, of course could not leave
his duties and accompany me. lie
was holding court at the time i re-
paired TO the boat, and one of his
personal friends escorted me
thither; but, as the steamer would
not leave until after dark, he would
come down as soon as he could adj
jOurn conrt to bid me adieu. j had
on my arm handsome travelling
companion or satchel, which had
just purchased, perfectly new and
lightly filed. To my dismay and
horror, | had no sooner put my
foot upon the steamer than the
chain of the satchel snapped i'm two,
and it rolled down at my feet.
If 1 had the intellect of an Alex
ander or a Cesar, could not have
battled with the sudden gloom and
terrible apprehension of approach
ing evil which from that moment
took entire possession of me.
"Chere! !" l exclaimed, "it's an
evil omen. II it were possible, L
would not go on this boat"
My companion, of course, laughed
and endeavored TO quiet my appre-
tensions; and conscious of the silly
weakness L betrayed, l concealed
my further evidence of ii from him.
"Do not tell this to the Judge"
requested. "He is afraid of my
'presentiments,' and / know he
would feel uneasy"
l did not say any more, for 1
knew that boat was the only oppor-
tunity L would have of leaving for
some time, the river being exceed
ingly low and navigation difficult.
My husband came down after
while and introduced me to the
only person on board of his ac-
qIaintance, an elderly gentleman,
Mr.. E., whom he requested to take
charge of his family.
restrained all expressions of un-
easiness until my husbands de-
parture, when | freely confessed to
the old gentleman the singular hall
lucinatiOn which had taken possess
sion of me.
The old mans genial and pleasant
manner, soothed my apprehensions,
and the boat went steaming down
the river.
1t was Saturday night-a sleepless
one to me-and all the next day,
with every knot the beautiful river
palace made down the winding cur
rent, my heart felt shortened of its
throbs, as malefactOr who sees the
gibbets rise in the distance towards
which he veers.
Late in the evening of Sunday
the boat was moored to the shore,
wooding, and we were all leaning
over the guardS-Some talking bus
/ peer out into the somber and mel
ancholy gloom of a sad and solemn
looking twilight.
My presentiment had taken by
this such possession of my mind that
| had been able to speak OF nothing
else but, oh horror! while | was
terror smote upon my soul. Was il
some voice whispering to me from
the land of shadows? Whence,
whence did il come? Ii was dis
tinct as any utterance / ever heard
in my life.
"You, only you are menaced-
only your life trembles in the bal
ance."
I held at that time my little
daughter by the hand. | ha,l Just
folded away two other darlings in
their berth. Happiness and wealth
were mine, / had all which could
render life desirable.
l cannot describe the feeling
which now took possession OF my
soul. Powerless, helpless, T was
conscious that my fate agItated adj
verse powers, and that the dread
moment sped onward on the wings
of the lightning.
We adjourned to the cabin, where
Mr.. Il. and myself sought divan,
the chandeliers now flashing with
radiance, in contrast to the solemn
landscape without.
"Mr. E." | remarked, "our catas-
trOphe will soon arrive-and shall
only rejoice; for any certainty is
better than the horrid state OF sus-
pense l have endured"
Mr.. +. looked hard at me; he
was impressed, in spite of his better
judgment, by my pertinacious be-
lief in some pending calamity.
"Indeed," he remarked, "yCu.
have nearly succeeded in frighten-
ing me, too, at last. Yet ! do not
see why this is not a very safe boat.
1t is finely officered."
"No," l replied, in low tone;
"you need not be alarmed; there il
danger to no one but mysef--and
it comes now"
/ had no sooner spoken than
deafening, crashing noise, like the
tearing of timbers, smote upon the
terrific and continuous.
The floor of the gentleman's cabin
rose in the middle, like sail bel
lying with the wind, and its con-
vexity came travelling up my local
ity. The ladiesshrielIed and rushed
down towards the bow, flying past
the mysterious enemy beneath our
feet. / knew that was generally
the safest direction to
seek in case of accident but i'm the
opposite one, i'm my state-room, lay
my two rosy cherubs, and instinct
turned my steps towards them.
/ caught up my little daughter in
my arms and flew ahead of the
strange monster which was rending
70 fearfully our struggling craft. L
fought my state-room, that might
perish with my children; but, be-
ore reached il, / was felled, stun
ned by succession of blows from
leavy substances. The last thing
was tightening my
yrssp around my daughter, aud
protecting her with my own limbs.
But, although badly bruised, /
from a pile of wrecks, to
he astonishmept Of all beholders,
Who had thought such a catastrophe
'ertain death.
An immense sawyer had pene-
rated our boat just above the lower
,uards and the pilot, imagining il a
og, had steamed on, prizing it
higher up from the water with
very puff. 1t had raked along un-
Ter the lower floor until il reached
he stove in the ladies cabin, where
{ had overtaken me, and where il
lad lifted up the stove, and snap
,inU the nine in several uieces. and