St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1885-11-28
Copyright Secured An Rights Reserped.l
Driven From Sea to Sea,
Or, JUST al CAMPIN'
Bx .. G. POST.
PUBLIsHED BY PERMISSION OF j. E. DowNEY
g Co., PUBLISHERS, CHICAGO.
CHAPTER Xv.-CoNrINuED.

The work of cutting through the hill
into the neighboring gorge was begun
at once. A large number of workmen
were employed, and everybody who
was directly interested turned out and
worked with a will, rain or shine. A
tunnel was driven into the side of the
hill, and whole kegs OF powder ex-
ploded therein, rending the earth and
aiding greatly in the work of excava-
ton, and at last the work was so far
completed that o portion of the water
and floating debris was turned aside
into the new channel.
The rains, too, had now ceased, and
as the waters subsidized the extent of the
damage done could be positively de-
,termined.
In places, banks of sand and gravel
many feet deep extended across fields
regarded by their owners as the most
valuable in their possession. In other
places the channel of the little stream
had been entirely choked up, and new
! one cut by the waters through pastures
and grain lands, and in yet others,
where little of the coarser debris had
been deposited, the long standing of
the water had greatly injured vine
yards and orchards, the vines and tree
trunks being thickly coated with the
fine clay which the water had held in
solution.
On the whole the damage was less
than many had feared, and with the ex-
pectation of preventing any further in
Jury by the erection of the dam, hope
revived in the breasts Of all, and they
began repairing as fast as possible the
injury already done, and the eultiva-
ton of their vineyards and fields for the
coming crop.
The Parsons ranch had suffered with
the rest, but not more than many
others A hundred grape vines stand
ing upon ground near the creek were
killed or badly injured Several banks
of gravel, mingled with larger stones,
extended across some of the most fer
tile fields, the total injury amounting to
q thousand dollars or more, in pros
pective, but not seriously affecting the
immediate income of the family occE-
pying the white cottage under the bluff,
around whose open porch still clam
bered rose bushes heavy with their
weight of yellow, and red, and crimson
! blooms.
AS soon as possible after Johnny had
been brought home from the shanty in
the hills where he lay so many weeks,
Jennie and Lucy had returned to school
in San Francisco. Mrs. Parsons being now
more than ever determined that they
should not fail TO obtain an education.
IF we leave them nothing else,
John, let ue at least give them an edu-
cation, she had said to her husband,
and he had made no objections, though
the house seemed doubly lonely with
out them.
To help Mrs. Parsons with the lighter
work they secured the assistance of q
young girl whose parents had moved
into the neighborhood but the year be-
tore, and who. having but little to begin
on, were not unwilling that their daugh-
ter should find home where she would
be kindly treated and paid for washing
the dishes and such other chores as her
age and experience fitted her for.
AS they had missed q portion Of one
term the girls did not go home for the
short spring vacation, but remained IN
the city and studied, in order to keep
mp with their classes; and when they
did return in midsummer Lucy was en-
gagged to be married to James Annel-
sey.
The wedding was not TO take place
for at least a year yet she told her
mother ID announcing the engagement
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