Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-06-20


with The fury u the blast To her ears the
vo,rqs a ths SEA and Siri nowling, Shrek
ipr. thand-rin-. we're clsIncrius for victims
Her husband. where Wa he, Could his ileht
crxfs ride N safety throash this storinf There
wss M A. - hArbor on that lo~ lying coast
ro1-rs~ ~ Elevation 10 break the fury Of the
xa,s All, they had been 50 happy in the lit
tie eott.--a' iIer Pierre was % industrious
And -,t-r and though they lived far from
ne4Shiors. her life was too busy a one to need
snv c,re outside her own domestic circle.
A. the dsv wore on the fury of the tempest
SEEMED To- gather fresh strength Looking
GU, of her window Adele saw that one I'M
hrukeil exrans- If tossing waves lay between
the cottage and the gull, only checked by the
ridge upon which the house was situated
The lake At thc hack was over its banks The
gray, greeuisn SKY, the gray waters churned
teae ard .hare into foam 10y some obstacle,
the r--y marsh erasses, the waving tops Of
which were visible above the dark waters,
made ~ such a scene Of desolation and de
sIai. hat TIC poor woman, checking the cry
which r. a. nDr lips, turned from Its survey
10 t.. faces vi her children
Il t,-s frar night, at least the grayneSs
crew darA.. "a. casionaily broken by vivid
fash :, r lightning and loud thunder rolls
lDe rain still noured. and at Intervals the
Gotta re rocked as the screaming blast crap
pied with II.
Hark was that thunder, that deafening
-rar which rose above all the noises of the
TEMPS, Was it thunder with that steady,
increasing roll, louder. louderi
With an avf,l cry OF La merl" the old
grandfather fell en- the hoor and laid Der
poor old face TO the planks, as If she would
hide her eyes from the coming horror. Adele
sna,ahed her babe from the cradle, and Nth
her children ciinging to her crouehed down.
painting. breathless. waiting,
Louder and louder. and the heavy surges
dashed against the frail cottage, The house
shook to its center tuttered 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 un-
conscious she felt it rise on the flood, and
float away. The old woman, craHed with
terror, raised herself on her knees
.'Dost thou not hear them calling men she
cried See there" as flash OF lightning
lighted the dreadful scene. "Christophe!
Matthew behold run to meet you" With
sudden movement she threw herself in the
water, and was swept away
Are you all heref' screamed Adele, reused
to consciousness by this tragic incident. "Ah,
Poor Doniie 'ii'iinn' 800. ~ ~ /"
Shall be with you htehhe' my boy Hise'
marie, my earnings, are Sou an ueie'
AL mailah' Etieiiiies ,reiioiils roloe
answered am holiiie Lise anu 'uai IT,
and you have the baby"
~ feel the panks separating Adele cried.
Hold 10 me my httie ones anu ie' Us uie 'o-
gether"
The frail raft was swept violently against
some obstacle and Adele raising her arm
caught the overhanglng branches OF tree.
Quick quick! Etlenne' she CRIED III Is
the wax tree by the lake. Chmo up, and l
will hand you the others Perhaps blessed
Lord, we may be yet saved!' As nimble as
squirrel even while she spoke Etienne was
already up, and one by one the chiidren were
handed to him, the mother the last The
pianks 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 iulled, but tine ram 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.
"MaInani mamanW 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 Stayl
will reach up and hold Lise, and you take
care of Marie
II have her hand, maman," the little fell
low cried, Il have it tight Lise, brother
will not let you fall y
Oh, fearful night to those poor creatures!
| Blown back and forth on the swaying branch
~. had tlA..t
coming down in foods, 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 flood 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 70 herself
At last she uttered a shrll cry
Look, mamanl look See papa bringing
boati He holds out his hands to me. Let
me jump down, am 50 cold, so coldr'
"She is delirlous with fright" muttered
the mother, holding with her waning strength
the struggling child. But, with scream,
she twisted herself from the weak grasp. The
mother heard rush through the blackness, a
splash. and though she neither lost her hold
nor tainted, all things to her numbed senses
assumed the semblance of dream
What was oil that roaring around her and
was she on 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
deadf What was deadi
She could only hear the roar and rush Of
the wind and cruel waters, She could only
feel that the terrible clements 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.
ammo r,,,taj ord sarsaIase Iosa,,ad l;s ,,,as,,
80 40, s,,,,,t ~, h.. H., .orro,. 49,
COW hin, folI b,,, only buo,o,od bar load hahv
,noro tigbtIv and smiled
-.