The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-09-21

6llll Il DtliEFc0 Wn0b nC hd0 bOubnO W
~prove-that he had only been free and
foolish, not criminal.
And again time passed on without any
lew events of importance coming into
nay life, and | expected to live and die
in Johnstown a school teaching spinster
-Johnstown, of which the rest of the
world knew nothing to speak of.
You all know how sadly it became
famous one wild day. / shall never for
get that day for many reasons.
l had just given my scholars their
summer holiday and had my time to my.
self, and / had been all through the rain
to see a poor, sick woman who was quite
destitute. The good widow with whom l
lived was away; she had gone to another
state to visit o married daughter, andthe
house was lonely. 1 had heard that DR..
Rue was in the ~place-that he had come
down to see about some lots Of ground,
almost worthless when he bought them,
but lately become valuable-and at every
step I half feared, half hoped to meet
him. The idleness of my holiday left me
time to think Of myself, and / was very
sorrowful.
As passed the church door it stood
open. and an impulse led me to enter.
An old woman was busting the cush-
ions, polishing the pew doors, and set
ting books in order in the racks, and l
went forward to the front of the church
and sat down before a painted window !
loved to look at. Jesus the Shepherd,
with the lamb in his arms, smiled OF me
as though between earth and heaven.
1 began to feel a strange peace steal
over me-a promise of happiness. My
heart went forth t. my old love, and for
all the pain he had given me / forgave
him. I hoped that he was leading a
better life and thinking better thoughts.
remember saying to myself that sc l
should like to feel IN the day of death
loving all men and having no fear what
eyer of the mysteries beyond this life,
whatever they might prove to be.
think that / had fallen asleep listen
ing to tile wind and the beat of the rain
upon the roof, when suddenly I was
aroused by screams and cries. People
came rushing into the church, crying out
in terror. The water was already max
ing a pond of the place, and those who
sought safety had climbed to the pulpit or
rushed up to the gallery.
AS / stood dazed andtrembling an arm
seized me about the waist. "The dam is
DOWN. shouted a voice in my ear. I was
hurried away up beyond the gallery into
the bell tower. The crowd followed us
and now we saw the water coming down
toward us like a great black wall. Such
q sight was never scent
turned to look into the face of the
man who had helped me to the loft.
had no doubt as to who he was even be-
fore I looked, but when I saw Benjamin
Rue / felt happy and had no fear. Death
was before me; but he had sought me,
hoping to save me, and in his arms ]
should die.
"God have mercy on our soulsp said I.
He answered:
"Amen!"
Hehelped me to a little wooden hood
above the belfry, and there we chung
together. It was the highest point VIC
could reach. The waters were at hand.
"Forgive me-" he said in my ear.
"Forgive me, Agnes; l have repented,
heaven knows-and / never was as
wicked as they made me out. l flirted
with Mrs. Norland. ! admired her, but
I did not wrong her husband; he lied
when he swore that he believed it. He
wanted to marry another woman.
have loved you all along; Icame back to
tell you SO and win you again if could.
/ am a better man"
All / could do was to answer him with
a kiss, for at that moment the black wa
ter struck the church.
Then I was floating, floating-beaten
this way and then that; but his arms
were always about me. Some broken
plank gave us support. I never moved,
but / prayed without ceasing; / prayed
to be saved with him or to die with him,
as was Gods will.
All! others pr~ayed--prayed earnestly
as I-better p~eople-and yet were drown
ed. Let no vainglorious fancy that my
prayer was better than theirs seem tc
dwell in my heart, for indeed it is not
there; but I am humbly thankful that
God saw fit to let me live a little longer,
and that at last, cast upon dry land, We
knew that days were given us in which
to live together.
1t was sad and terrible indeed to stand
hand in hand and look upon what seem
ed almost the destruction of the world.
We shall never forget it or be az glad as
if we had not seen it, but we We're the
world to each other after all.
lam Ben's wife today, and I believs
him to be a good man. AS for me, may
I know my own faults too well to be Sc
we're ON any of his | may discover.