The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1892-10-08
father won't hurt you," ran Off with a
lightened heart.

| father won't hurt You," ran Off with a
lightened heart.
Smiths creek, was, in those DAYS, q
quite considerable stream, and, even
when only at summer height, con-
tanned many deep pools and dangerous
rapids.
Along the way, as he walked rapidly
toward it, the moody deacon quoted pas
sages OF Scripture, all tending to prove
how necessary it is that the righteous
man shall be "a terror to evil doers,"
and when Toby tremblingly ventured
to say: BLESSED are the merciful for
they shall obtain mercy" his father
gravely commanded him to be silent.
Thus, each indulging in his own
thoughts, they went on until within a
hundred yards of the creek, when
sharply out upon the sultry air there
rang the piercing shrek of child, al
most instantly followed by answering
shout from some one else.
"Oh, father" cried Toby, "that
sounded like Annals voice." and the two
ran with all speed toward the stream.
On coming to the edge of the high
bank, whence they could look down up
on the water, they saw strange sight:
Anna was kneeling upon long, slen-
der tree-stem, which spanned swift
chute, known as "The Black Rapids" I"
screaming and wringing her hands in
wild terror, while in the rushing tor
rent, some yards below, Jessie, the pet
lamb, was apparently drowning.
| This, however, was but part of tho
thrilling spectacle.
just entering. and already up to her
waist in the fierce current, was the
aged negress, "Aunt Liza" who, as
she pushed bravely on, called out to
the frightened child: "Doan' be skart
honey, I'll sabe the precious lama
promisesshe could never have fulfilled,
for, even as father and son rushed
down the bank, she herself was swept
off her feet and hurled like straw
along the raging flood.
Twice, before the deacon could reach
her, the poor, chivalrous soul was hid
den beneath the surface, and when
finally, with great difficulty, brought
to shore was almost insensible.
Meantime Jessie, still piteonsly bleat-
ing, had doated to quiet pool below
and was easily rescued. Not until then
did Anna, now radiant with Joy, rise to
her feet, run lightly along the log and
spring into her fathers dripping arms.
For perhaps the first time in his life,
the good deacon forgot his habitual re.
serve and clasped the child to his bosom
as closely rs mere worldling might
have done.
Then Anna explained how Jessie had
attempted to follow her over the tree
bridge, but, being frightened by the
dizzy height, had fallen in; how her
own alarmed cry had been answered by
| Aunt Liza" and how the latter, until
then unseen. had dropped big melon
she was carrying, and plunged in to the
| rescue.
Indeed, the stolen fruit now lay on
the ground beside the slowly reviving
| woman, who glanced from it to the dea-
| cons inscrutable face with eyes full of
| apprehension.
The deeply pondering man uttered a
half smothered ejaculation: "The Lord
hath rebuked me" and, lifting the frail
creature to her feet, simply said.
Come home now with us, Aunt Liza,
and get dry clothing and food"
What Deacon Tompkins' thoughts
were as he walked in advance of the
little party on the homeward way,
none may know, but their tenor may
be guessed from the fact that, after the
good wife had supplied her strange
guest with comfortable garments and
hot meal, he went out to the field,
called his man, John, and directed him
to harness quiet horse to the spring
wagon, lay on it's bottom thick mat
tress and pillows and go with him
through the pine woods.
When the pair arrived at "Uncle
Jake's" cabin, they found the old man
sitting in the blazing sunshine at the
door, shivering with his daily recurring
chill, On seeing the wagon draw up
the poor, frightened fellow cried out:
ooh, Massa Tompkins, is you goin' to
take this pore niggah to jail?"
mo, no, uncle," gravely replied the
deacon, "the Lord hath shown me q
better way" and with unwonted ten
derness the two men placed the attenu-
ated form on the soft mattress, and
taking with them the few articles
worth moving from the shanty, drove
carefully off.
In less than one month from that
time the old uncle" and .'aunt" were
domiciled in the capacious farmhouse,
were restored to health and were able
to do many useful chores; but the
change in them was no, greater than
that in the deacon himself, for he had
at last learned in sohat kind Of religion
true happiness is to be found, and
thenceforth his household was one over
which angels might well have rejoiced.
w. THOMSON.
Mime. D. applied to a registra-