The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1888-10-13
ssBY THE WORLD FORGOTTEN" :"
Catharine Cole Pays = Handsome Tri-
butte to the Hero of Last island.

) Two or three miles out of town ia .
tiny oddly constructed Swiss VIII .: :
house set far back in the fields away
from the world, uufrequenied, up,
visited, al! but forgotten by the wnris!
in which he has played the part Of one
OF its truest heroes, there lives alone
with sweet little wife and devoted
young adopted son, that srnnd cid
fellow Captain Ale Smith, ihe man
who saved hundreds of lives during
the Last island storm ui 1856 In those
days he was sturdy, manly, hant-
some young fellow, whole same,
hearty, big hearted kind Of n fellow, /
should say, with whom no w,,n.u ur
child could be afraid and who rose t.
superb heights in his Owu spi an!id
courage aud idea OF duty. When ina:
terrible storm broke over the souts,
and all voices were mourning the fate
of the hundreds of summer visitors at
Last island, Captain Abe Snith unG err
! took to go to their relief. He oWH"d
his little boat, but he was willing to
risk all he had on earth in the eHJrt t.
save helpless human lives. How he
reached the island, how he forced t.is
boat into Village bayou, how he bat
tied Ike demon fighting demons,
snatch:ng women aud children sud
| men, too, from the sharp teeth OF the
waves aud laShinE them to his boat
all this Is known Or was known until
it aud he were forgotten. He lost his
boat. Her OLD, rolted hulk lies stuck
in the sands of That dismal place. He
lost his fortune, Tor II was all in his
! boat. He lost his health, and tiOaily
became from the horrors of that terri
BILE time helpless, hupeless invalid :;
but he saved many human lives.
When the storm was over the sur
vivors presented hitn With a gold
watch.
The grass and the weeds lowered as
high as the carriage top and buried thc
horses bodies in their foliage when we
drove over the abandoned fields away
from the main road, searching for the
home of this hero. A miserable little
cabin suddenly peered out Of small
clearing. A dog, a woman, man and
several children crowded to the door 10
cape at us. They looked lost, abuu-
doned, desolate, hiding down there be-
hind THAI dense Jungle of weeds
"Does Captain Smith live out here
anywhere ?' said "R. o." the hand
soonest, blithest, incest young fellow
that ever helped me to an "ou,ing."
ale does" was the answer. "Nherc:"
said CIR. F.'' "Just keep on, you can't
get lost, reckon - and so we did keep
on through the mournful stiffness of a
ad-colored autumnat noon, where no
sound of human life Or nature visited
the ear, and all the world seemed
hVls sl,~ fIrn
grasses Of abandoned fields. It was a
queer picturesque little house we
finally came upon, with odd gables,
and such an extraordinary roof that
it goes beyond me to describe it. 1t
made me think of u wrecked schooner,
and at any rate it looked as ii the bull
der had composed it as he went along,
setting it up right out of his Eeau, as
some country editors do their best
editorials. A grapevine and some
fruitless fruit trees filed the yard.
lean hound whined at the house coraer.
We entered the cottage aud were
greeted by the gentle little wife, who
was one of those the hero rescued from
Last island and who alone of at the
number has repaid him for her life.
What gentle, CHEEKY, patient minis
trant is she how tireleas!y her slender
slip Of a figure goes here aud there
doing a mau's work with woman's $
heart bread-Winner and fire tender,
sweet nurse and comforter. On, I tell
you, there is nothing so faithful, so
loving, so true, as true woman. Her
arms are shelters from q world Of woes.
1t is her mission TO save hearts, Just as
the hero OF Lust island saved lives.
He sat in his big chair, helpless,
voiceteSs helpless as little child. ]
turned my eyes away that he might
not see the sorrow there nor read ihe
thought in my heart. "By the world
forgotten" Are there no Survivors Of
that dread storm save the SWEET faced
wife? Il gratitude dead out OF the
hearts OF those whom the gallant
fellow saved, that he sits there day
| after day, week in and week out, help
tess, alone, poverty-strcken, sad, lone
soma, uncheered, with only the little
Wife's slender hand aud the unskiiled
but loving strength Of the lad 5taii be-
tween him and the want of the world .
This mau was heco. He seems TO be
| meeting the fate OF heroes. Let him
! live sadly and die uurcgreted let his
dull days drag by as they may. When
he is dead his pictaCe viii be published
his deeds will be tauded aud the pp0-
pie he saved may give him stone.
CATuARISE COLE.
Hands of New ICrS.
| Gn,I