The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1885-12-03
LOUISA LAWRENCE 60. KY. DE6EMBER 8 1885,


prepared everything for The starting OF
Ia fire In tho cook stove, and little lat
Ter. started it. andput the tca-kettle on.
| Although It was quite dark now, she
did not much expect her husband Just
Iyet. bat wished to have everything
READY to get Him q cup of hot tea the
lmement he did come. She also brought
out suit Of dry clothes and hung them
by the fra ready for him to put on.
She could still see little distance
Through the deepening gloom, and she
observed that the water had cut bits Of
Igulleys between the potato rows, and
that the stubble field below had the APP
Ipearance of having become a lake The
rain, too, instead of decreasing as the
night set IN, was, il possible. falling
faster than ever, and she could hear u
faint roar coming mp from the rayinc,
land knew that soon the water would ba'
rushing through il in great volume, and
with a force that would oyerwhelm any
living thing caught in its path; and
4 half dozen such ravines crossed the
road over which her husband must pass
In coming mAPhippsbufg.
She shuddered as sne listened, and
turning away. went and sat down byI
tJohnny' 3 crib and tried 10 interest him
By reading little story from child 81
paper But the boy was too sick to
care for hearing her read; he wanted
his father. and kept asking when he
would come, to which she could only
reply that they might look for him any
moment now. but that the rain might
make him lste. and they must be pa
tient.
And so the hours wore on and the
rain continued to fall. while every mo-
ment tho weight ut her heart grew
heavier and more oppressive JOHNNY
slept fitfully, waking every nv mo.
ments and always asking IF father had
not come yet or-if his mother
Thought father would come home
pretty soon now, until the sudden clap
.of thunder came. at which he was
seized with m awful fright and scream-
ed again and again with all ne force Of
his weak lungs. Even his mother was
startled into an involuntaIy oxclama-
tion by the suddenness of the concus-
sion, and for an instant she thought the
cottage had been caught in land slide.
She controlled herself NJ the sound of
the child's cry, and bending Down,
lifted him tenderly in her arms cud-
ding his poor wasted form to her breast
Us II he had been but babe. II was
only with difficulty that she checked
his screams, and even then he was so
fearful and nervous. and sobbed and
begged SO piteously for his father that
it was only by calling to her aid all the
fortitudc which she possessed. that
Martha Parsons was herself enabled tol,
keep from breaking down.
II was an hour before Johnny was
sufficiently calm to be again laid in his I
crib As sOon as ehe could leave his X
side for moment she went to the
window and tried ~ peer out into the
darkness. She had placed one OF the !
lamps in the window some hours be-
fore, hoping that it might prove bea-
con TO guide her husband II he was still
living, which she was almost ready to
doubt SO utterly dcsolate all things
seemed.
Pressing her face close to the glass
she endeayored to penetrate the awful
gloom; hut could only see for few
feet into the darkness. The rays of |,
light from the lamps had power to pene- /
trate no farther, II seemed to her, as
she stood there, straining her eyes in q
vain effort 10 see. that the darkness was ,
a living thing, and thatit dcvoured the
rays of light bodily, or contended with
them and slew them rs they strove to !,
make headway against the night !
When the lamp burned low for an in I
stant, and the light sent out through i
the window was less strong, she was !
almost sure she saw the darkness put /
out It's hands and grasp the rays of llghtIt
and strangle them. Il
Mingled with the steady swish of the a
falling rain. the roar of the water rush Is
ing through the ravine now came clear
and distinct and knowing it, was all \
ones life was worth TO attempt to cross (
It, she gave up all hope of seeing herlt
that night, IL ever again, and n
only prayed that he might be in place..
of safety, and out of the reach of thel \
elements that appeared as if about to h
swallow up the mountain. h
1t was little past midnight, and h
leq III an 0u!ou!Ids 9uoq Meu ql!N
pup 'lpusluI psu9lslI u!ql!M loqolyMl
sQL '5uIq5!eu ssloq 10 punos aV4