The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1889-05-09


Z herself helpless IN bed, With both love
/ llimbs 80 swollen With lnnsmmatory rhen'
!. malisn ihs, she could no, move them Si,l
out great paia,
iii II lal been raining very lard all day
. and as night 80, IL terrible storm Of ~ind
faad rain came on. The water dashed ID
great sheets against the Windows OF the
. little house which rocked aad swsyed ia
/ the wiad
The storm continued for nearly three
. hours; then II became little less furious,
bat the rsia siill fell heavily. Miss Ricc'
/ Il bad never felt 50 lonely and afraid he.
lore. She had allowed Johanna 10 stay up
late for company. II Was about ten o'clock
! when she said TO the little girl, Johauns.
, dear. conld yon 20 down cellar and ect
me glass oi milk before you so TO bedf !
feel faint aud few rish.
j or course can. replied johanna. quick.
ly. She took the little hand lamp from
sithe table and vent iu.o the kitchen, where
there was trap door leading into the eel
lar Lifting this door she put one foot
on ths cellar steps, and quickly drew it
bAck sesin with her shoe full Of vstsr,
Holding the lamp down and shading ber
eyes With her hand, che cried out:
II Oh, ,aunty, ,sunty. the cellars full Of water
to the very hoorl
4 What? screamed Miss Peak. and tried
TO rise but fell back with groan OF pain,
The cellar full OF water2 she said. Wby,l
never knew more'n an inch or two Of water
10 that cellar before.
It's full now, said Jobanns; and ts com.
ing through the cracks in the floor.
Look out and see il the outside door is
open, said Miss Elects.
Johanna opened the kitchen door, aud
again screamed, Why, auuty, auniy, the
whole yards full OF water. It's almost to
the very door. She ran TO the front door.
My goodness me, there is water every
where
It's the riverl gasped Miss Elects, turn-
log pale. 1t riz just so once, nine year
ago. This house stood in six feet of water
II it does so again III be drowned for
can't move peg to save me, aud il il only
comes bigh as the bed, and ! get all wet
with this rheumatic on me, it'll kill mel
o dear, dear, wish was safe n the Old
home with Gideon. and that colt was in
Halifax
At the name OF Gideon, Johanna took
her little straw hat and shawl from peg
in the wall.
I'm going for uncle, she said.
| You can't said Miss Electa. You're the
skeerdest child in the dark that ever lived
you know you air
| But I'm going now, auuty.
You'll be drowned In this rain, or get
lost, or ketch your death OF cold in the
wet.
don't take cold from being in the rain.
I've beard you say so lots OF times, and
know can find the way with the lantern.
uoou W, aun's'
She had lighted the old tin lantern, kiss.
ed her aunt, and hurried out before Miss
Electa could object further
The water was over her shoe tops in the
door yard. and rising fast 1t was raining
very hard still, and the wind was moan
ing dismalIy among the wet tree tops over.
head johanna was skeered OF the dark,
but tried not to feel SO now as she hurried
along, her head bowed to the storm, and
the lantern held before her. The river
ragged and rosred outside its narrow banks.
She lost shoe in the mud, and once she
fell headlong in the wet and tangled mead
ow grass. Her courage left her dozsn
times, and she felt like shriekipg with
terror.
But If | don't get Uncle Gideon, sunty.
you'll be drowned. | must got hml she
said again and again
Uncle Gideon was lying in sheetless
aud otherwise uncomfortable bed, but he
w.s not asleep. although he had been in
bed two hours
I'm feared Lecsy's house'lI leak tonight
he WAS saying. II needs q new roof, and
I'D go and put it on for her il il want fer
-fer-fer that blamed old colt, drat it
II Lecty comes down with the rheuma'iz
I'll be bound if don't 20 and fetch er
home, and tell her she can have the cot
I'd done it before, only old Satan won
let me be the first to give in. But il she =
what's that?
He jerked himself TO a sitting position
in the bed and listened eagerly. Was it a
branch OF the leafsss old cherry tree beat
ing against the house or had he heard the
thump, thump Of the old brass kuocker
down stairs? There was lnll in the
storm.
Uncle Gideon, 0 Uncle Gideon!
He heard it distinctly, and his head was
ont Of the window over the front door in
au instant.
II amt you. Johanna Peak, is in
Yes, yes. uncie-do come quick? Aoo
ty's droundini cried Johanna, between
her broken sobs
Tue next moment Uncle Gideon, array
ed 10 a red aud green double ninepatci
Quilt. was holding lamp above Jobanna's
limp and dripping form.
o uncle, do hurry. she said. Aunt Lee
iy's dronndia'. The rivers riz s~iuly
and -
What 40 old donkey ! am. shouted Uu-
Gle Gideon. flying up stsifs for his clothes.
and 10 ten minutes be aud Johanna were
driving furiously down the road 10 Uncle
Gideon's light wagon behind old Betty. .