San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-07-15

1t was near night; at least the grayneSs
grew darker, occasionally broken by vivid
flashes of lightning and loud thunder rolls
The rain still poured, and at Intervals the
cottage rocked as the screaming blast crap
pied with it.
Hark was that thunder, that deafening
oar which rose above all the noises of the
tempestl Was it thunder with that steady,
increasing roll, louder, louderl
With an awful cry of ia merl" the old
grandmother fell on the floor, and laid her
poor old face to the planks, as if she would
hide her eyes from the coming horror. Adele
snatched her babe from the cradle, and Nth
her children clinging to her crouched down,
painting, breathless, waiting.
Louder and louder, and the heavy surges
dashed against the frail cottage The house
shook to its center, tottered and seemed to
melt away, but the part of the flooring on
which Adele stood with her family held
strangely. together like raft, and half I'M
conscious she felt it rise on the flood, and
float away. The old woman, crazed with
terror, raised herself ON her knees
"Dost thou not hear them calling mel" she
cried ''See there" as fash OF lightning
lighted the dreadful scene "Christophe!
Matthew behold run to meet you" With
a sudden movement she threw herself in the
water. and was swept away
Are you all herer' screamed Adele, reused
to consciousness by this tragic incident. "Ah,
poor bonnie maman! but in little time we
shall be with you Etenne, my boy, Lise,
Marie, my darlings, are you all hereF'
AL maman," Etienne's trembling voice
answered Il am holding Lise and Marie,
and you have the baby"
81 feel the planks separating" Adele cried.
"Hold to me, my little ones, and let US die to-
gether."
The frail raft was swept violently against
some obstacle, and Adele raising her arm
caught the overhanging branches of a tree.
Quick quick Etienne," she cried, lit is
the wax tree by the lake Climb up and
will hand you the others. Perhaps, o blessed
Lord, we may be yet saved" AS nimble as
a squirrel even while she spoke, Etienne was
already up, and one by one the children were
handed to him, the mother the last The
planks had been stopped by the tree, and
Adele had hardly lifted herself to one of the
branches, when they broke apart and drifted
away The wind lulled, but the rain came
down in solid sheet. Pressing her baby to
her breast, Adele held on as well as she
could, calling out to the children above her
to encourage them. They were too much
frightened to cry, but drew in their breaths
with shuddering sound.
"Mamanl mamanI" gasped little Marie,
1.-The rain will come in my mouth, and it
chokes me-"
Keep down thy head, darling" she cried
"Etienne, my son, hold your sisters. Stay!
will reach up and hold Lise, and you take
care of Marie"
II have her hand, malnan,> the little fell
low cried; Il have it tight Lise, brother
will not let you fall"
Oh, fearful night to those poor creatwesI
Blown back and forth on the swaying branch
es, which tore and gashed them, the rain
coming down in floods, blackness of night,
and tempest pierced now and again by vivid,
binding flashes of lightning, and the dread
that the roots of the tree would be washed up
by the food which ragged beneath them.
Adele, half sitting among the branches, felt
the hand with which she held Lise growing
stiff and cramped. The child, too, was NOV
ing restlessly and mutter ng to herself.
At last she uttered shrill cry.
Look, maman! look! See papa bringing
a boatl He holds out his hands to me. Let
me jump down; am so cold, so cold!"
"She is delirious with fright" muttered
the mother, holding with her waning strength
the struggling child But, with a scream,
she twisted herself from the weak grasp The
mother heard a rush through the blacEness, a
splash, and though she neitherIlost her hold
nor tainted, all things to her numbed senses
assumed the semblance of dream
What was all that roaring around her, and
was she OH her husbands boat with the waves
tearing and rending it, Was that Etienne
sobbing above her, and crying out that the
rain had drowned little Marie and she was
dead' What was dead3
She could only hear the roar and rush of
the wind and cruel waters She could only
feel that the terrible elements had mastered
her soul and body, and crushed all sense and
feeling out of them. The baby in her bosom
was like lump of ice. Poor infant! it had
died early in the night, but she held it in a
convulsive grasp.
When the gray dawn came poor little Etr
enne, numbed and senseless, loosened his grasp
and was swept down blythe torrent Adele
saw him fall, but only Rugged her dead baby
more tightly and smiled.
At midday boatcontaining a relief party
saw the woman among the trenches and took
her down.
oio ul11S ~ OpPoslIIOli ouO WIFI tIaI
dreadful smile frozen on her hips she sat
dumb, seeing and hearing nothing around
her.
She is still living, if it can be called life
where memory and perception are forever
banished She is quiet, and never Speaks
save to repeat one phrase over and over
again, sometimes in a shrek, sometimes with
sobbing means:
Hold on tight, my brave Etienne! For
Gods sake don't fall my precious bowl"