Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1894-07-06

A few miles from where the Sender
,rops its turbid water into the Missis
ami it passes through a region which
has all the elements of the picturesque.
few hundred yards from the eastern
hank there is range of mighty bluffs,
narselv clothed with oak and cedar, and
left in one place where Il road winds
1 down from the highlands beyond to cross
bridge, rustic enough, but heavy and
frong to withstand the spring freshets
A quarter of a mile above the bridge
dam has been built to turn the water
into the wheels of an old mill which,
| hzily turning, grinds out its dole Of
| -four and yellow meal.
| On this bank of the river are also scat
/ tered a few humble dwellings, each with
1 its garden patch, and in the summer its
1 dooryard filled with hollyhocks, enor-
/ nous sunfowe1s and an underground of
| annals which grow with riotous luxu-
| rance in the rich black soil
On the western bank there is Il stretch
1 dbottom land two miles wide, held by
nature as private park. Here are
4 gently swelling mounds with just enough
/ trees bright little ponds fringed with
| mrple iris, and glades so blue with wild
| yiolets in their season that they look like
/ apiece of the sky.
1 tits in late summer and autumn, how
aver that the scene is at its best, for
then cardinal flowers, lobelia, wild as
ters. goldenrod and many other splen
ala blossoms make a mosaic of color
that would delight the soul of an artist,
n one could ever be found willing toface
mosouitoes and malaria long enough to
transfer hint of its beauty to his can
ys for nature is jealous Of her choicest
vaessions, and places an angel with
Fl hming sword at the gate of all earthly
81 deH
y Every spring at the breaking up of the
| ice there is rise, as the natives call it,
and for two or three weeks this valley is
submerged; then the water subsidies,
leaving an alluvial deposit rich as that
on the banks of the Nile, and on it is held
carnival Of flowers, malaria fever and
death.
On a wild March night when the food
was at its height woman came down
the road and stood upon the bridge. The
moon was full, and although stormy
clouds were scurrying across the sky she
shone out now and then and lighted up
the weird scene and the face of the fig
ure leaning upon the rail of the bridge
and looking down at the rushing food.
This is what the moon saw and heard.
A girl of2O years, perhaps, with noble,
womanly form and u face not pretty
with any mere sensual beauty of color
and dimples and curves, but one which
seemed to have had too early acquaint-
ance with the hard problem of life-and
yeta beautiful face, with its broad, white
forehead, dark, level brows and sensitive
mouth.
large gray shawl was thrown over
her head and wrapped about her form,
and she seemed to be otherwise comfort
ably clad i'll plain dark garments.
Il should not mind being down there"
she was saying to herself, although l
haven't the least notion of jumping in.
There isn't much to live for. Ever since
lean remember it has been just the
Same-the long cold winters going to
mat mean little school through the snow
ana sitting among the rest with my feet
freezing; and they disgust me 50, al
tnough there is no reason why they
should am no different from the rest,
only feel difference. Then comes the
lfeshet, and after that fever and ague
and typhoid and hot, wretched nights
with millions of mosquitoes.
4 wonder how it would feel to be
among the drift; Ishould soon be down
70 the month of the Sender, and there
are always men and boys padding
around there in skiffs and dugouts. |
suppose that they would find me and
nook me out with their graphing irons.
Il shouldn't look pretty at all. When
lara Grantley died how beautiful she
was IN her shroud of white lacel And
Inere were flowers on her breast and in
4er hands and they kept her three days.
! wonder how they would dress me?
1natlslf they got me out of the water soon
enough to dress me at all. | suppose it
would be just cambria, and they couldn't
Keep me; there is no room. When people
are poor and live in two roomed cabins
.ney nave to make haste to bury their
dead.
l have no notion of jumping in, but
"hatlf should happen to fall in, would1t
matter much? Poor mother! | know
sue would be sorry, but life has been
Iard for her. Perhaps she would think
was better off. and father. who always