Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-12-05

These are all We have for you to wear.
IL gave my other clothes to some
women who came here before you were
brought in. haven't q skirt left, even.
There isn't blessed bit of voman's
clothing round, either.
Must wear them?"
Il don't see what else you can do. You
SSS't want to lie in bed, and you might
as well-better wear these than try to go
with blanket or quilt around YOU"
"Oh, ought to be thankful" Rose re-
piled, as the woman disappeared.
She got up and dressed herself In
mans attire, wonderingly. What next2
She might as we'll be in another world.
All traces Of the world she knew had dis
appeared.
breakfast will be ready in q minute"
said the woman, looking in at the door.
The shake-down in the corner was
vacant. Where was the woman who slept
there? Rose entered the next room. This
was where the fat was frying.
A small table was placed near the sol
itary small window in this room, which
served the purpose of kitchen, dining,
| and living-room. There were but two
rooms in the log house.
Sitting beside the table was curious
| figure. The figure was bowed down. The
hands were crossed over the figures
| breast. The head was Enthusiastically
woman's, but the garb-what was it the
| woman wore2
This figure was swaying from side to
side, with the head bowed, the chin al
most touching the breast.
This poor woman has lost her child,
| said the woman of the house.
A sad face was turned to Rose. 1t was
beautiful face, but just now it looked
to Rose as if all the joy had left the poor
woman forever.
@You two never knew each other, ex-
pect. told John like as not you'd never
seen each other"
| sorrow makes us one," said Rose,
simply, as she held out hand, which
| the other woman clasped fervently, say
ing:
@I don't care what becomes of me. I
wish was dead. want TO die"
1t was pitiful to hear her. 1t was more
trying to look at her bowed head Rose
felt how impossible it was for her to say
anything that could comfort this poor
woman. For the first time in her life she
felt how weak words are-how puerile IN
hours of great affection.
IF could only see my babe-if 1 did
| not touch it, even, but never to see it
| pgain-what have done that / am pun
| ished this way?"
THE breakfast is ready now," said the
woman of the house. "You two must
eat. 1t isn't much we've got to offer-such
as it is I'm glad to give you. You're both
welcome to all we have, said the woman,
simply. "Sit up now, my dear, and eat a
bite. John!"
A man entered. Rose recognized the
face she saw in the night. John was
middle-aged. A man with burned
face and horny, wrinkled hands. A man
who earned his bread in the sweat" of
his face. very simple hammered,
straightforward man.
He sat down at one side of the table.
Rose and the other women sat opposite
him. Then the woman of the house
seated herself, and the man, bowling his
head, asked blessing.
Now, help yourselves, do, said the
woman as the man placed upon their
plates plentiful amount of crisp break
fast bacon. There were fresh biscuits
and good butter, and plenty of cream.
The man and woman talked for the pur-
4 pose of turning the mind of the woman
who lost her child from her dead. Rose,
realizing this, aided them, and in doing
it, somehow experienced wonderful re-
lief.
In this way she learned how she be-
came an inmate of the log cabin, and the
particulars, or all that was known, con-
cerning the young mother, who, after
trying to eat, sat nibbling at a small
piece of biscuit listening to the others.
You see, it rained awful-it rained
Wednesday and Thursday. I never did
hear such rain," said the woman. Il told
John-I mean on Friday morning just
before break of day when got up-I
couldn't sleep for the rain-says I, I'll
hold you, there isn't a sheep alive If
they're in the fold That's erik by
this time"
1T was, most" said John. II had
hard work sayin' EN-.
But we never dreamed of trouble yes
terday, except we knew the meadow was
ruined with all the sand flowing over it.,
the erik came up SO, runnin' all over it.
John, he had his hands full, hardly
stopped to eat bite, working around
generally. was looking out Of the
just here, when seen something un-
usual. I went to the door, and there was
house floating down, an people crying
for help. Their screams was awful. I'll
never forget them to my dying day. John
ran into the barn to get rope. He
flung it out an girl caught it, but she
couldn't hold it minute, the river run
SO fast. The house just then turned
over-something must have happened
and we never saw another live soul near it.
There was whole lot of things all over
the river everything you could
name-and there were people holding to
logs and everything they could put hands
on. John threw the rope to two men,
and they got ashore somehow, I couldn't
tell how. There were some near the
shore. Then the erik backed up, and
the drift got up in it-that was where he
found you.
Rose started.
You was lying on lot Of boards. The
boards were crosswise. Our neighbors
just over the hill, they came to see the
flood; by an by others came-the Sands
and the Didberts were there, all trying to
help people who foated past. An they
saved good many. But they said you
was dead. There wasn't sign Of life
about you. John, he stood on q long
board and leaned out in the eddy where
you were turning round, and then he fell
in. But he held on to the board like
DEATH"
so would you, said John, calmly.
He got on the board again and reached
out for the board nearest him, and pulled
all the boards you were on. Jim Sands,
he's got his wits always-he waded right
in the erik, an got hold, too, just in time
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