The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1894-08-02
A LIFE FOR LIQUOR.
Pathetic Story of an Ohio River Inund


The Ohio river was on its annual
rampage. The rain had been falling
steadily for a week or more; in the
mountains where the rivers head
waters had their source the snow was
melting rapidly, and the signal service
men predicted an inundation equal to
that of "a.
Already the water had backed up"
Twelve-mile creek and had overlooked
the lowlands lying between the hills
and the bluff on the edge Of the liver.
The tall white willows that thicl6ly
bordered the banks of the smaller
stream reared their denuded heads
above the muddy brown water like
slender guide-posts outlining its orig
inal channel.
All the houses at Blair's landing a
half mile below the village proper,
were well-nigh submerged; the brick
yard had been closed down for the last
two weeks, and one evening when the
waves Games creeping up to within six
inches of the school-house door, the
teacher announced that the educational
department of New Palestine would
have to do likewise.
You had better not drink any more
tonight, joe the postmaster said to
he little hunchbacll who formed one
f the party that crossed from the bluff
% the foot of the hills in row boats that
night for their indispensable revel.
1.-The rivers a-comin' up like sixty.
Well all have to get out tomorrow, for
ever house in the placell be half filed
in twenty-four hours. Yours'u be the
first to catch it, too. for it's low, down
there on the point. You'll need all your
wits about you. l tell you it amt no
fool of a job to move all your belong
'lgs in sllift. I've tried it often enough
end that out
Joe laughed. Il guess know what
am doin'," he answered. Il amt lived
in these bottoms for twenty years for
nothin'. I'll take little Sis an pull out
for the hilltops the first thing in the
mornln'. Don't ketch me takin' no
chances, you'd better believe"
He meant to do so. He really did not
intend to take another drink that night,
nor any other night; he thought he had
sworn off for good. and even when he
got homSasand brought the black bottle
from thc cupboard. he told himself that
iSwould be but one swallow to take off
the chill that the trip across the low
lands had given him.
'Daddy's got 70 brace himself up for
just this once, amt he. little sis?" he
said, kissing the yellow-haired child of
three that slept in her low bed in the
corner. He'll get out o. here to-mor-
row, an he'll always be a man after
this. Never steal, nor drink, nor moth
in any more"
He took his one swallow that called
for another and then another; at last
the flask was empty.
Got to get out o this tomorrow"
he muttered, as he threw himself on
the bed and waited for the morning to
come.
His drunken stupor lasted for hours.
Many times was it partially broken by
blurred visions of his baby stretching
out her little hands to him, and crying
''Papa. papa" and each time he made
maudliS attempts to answer her, but
the power of the liquor was stronger
than that of his will, and he slept on.
In his dreams he grew cold. very cold,
and it seemed that he could hear the
waves tapping slowly, regularly, up
among the willows. At last, with
mighty effort, he sat upright The
river had indeed, arisen; the bluff was
submerged; the house was rapidly fill
ing, and the bed itself was covered
with water a half-inch deep or more.
He stared around him in bewilder-
ment for time. and then he thought
of his child. Daisy" he called, but
she did not answer him. He leaned
forward and looked for the low bed
where the baby slept. There was moth
ing there but the muddy water, and on
its surface yellow curl.
The dreams of the outstretched hands
and pleading voice still foated before
his mind, and with cry of terror he
bounded out into the cold water and
tried to snatch her to him.
He remembered then. Always before
making his nightly visit to the post
office, he would rock her to sleep and
then, that she might not harm herself
in any way, should she awaken. he
would tie cord round her waist and
secure it to both sides of the bed She
had ever slept so until his return. The
night be- ore he had forgotten to loosen
her bonds and the rising river had
found her fastened there.
He reached down and broke the cord,
and gathering her in his arms, he
waded to the ladder that led to the loft
and mounted it. All day long he sat
there. His brain was benumbed, and
the thought of trying to devise some
means Of escape never came TO him. He
only waited to get beyond the reach
of the water for the time with his
dead child. BY and by the light that
came through the one attic window
began to fade away and he knew that
night was coming on. The last faint
rays revealed some moving object ooz-
ing up through the cracks in the floor
he stopped and felt of it. 1t was the
water.
Early that morning the well-to-do
jewellers on the hilltops had thrown
open their homes to the deluged vii
layers, and by noon the one-story frame
houses of the lower town were de-
serted.
II ,,,as ninbt hafora thev thouuht of