Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1899-08-29
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. :
Johanna.



In the tluchy of Cleves. where the
Rhine slowly lows through wide
spreading Hat country. its shores are
grit by lofty entertainments. for the
river is not always quiet and peaceful.
There are times when heavy rains
have swollen its waters. or when the
thick covering Of ice. which Ii has
borne through the winter, breaks at
last with n sudden thaw.
Such times are bad for these fat
shores, for If the rush of waters is
too powerful the river breaks down
the entertainments and lays under
water the whole country for miles
around. and even sweeps away before
il houses and cattle.
1t is terrible sight when the river
has thus become a broad lake, and
one can only see the tops Of the trees,
the chlmneys of the houses and the
towers and roofs of the churches
standing out above this wilderness OF
waters. One may well ask at such a
time: What has become of the poor
people who dUelt there? Were they
them in its fioodsy'
The winter OF 1909 was severe
one. The Rhine was coated with Ice
so thick that even heavily laden
wagons could pass over it. In the mid
die of January there came a thaw. aud
the Rhine rolled down the mighty
masses of ice over each other and
against the embank ments.
Above the town OF Cleves the en-
bankment gave way. and the flood
overfiowed the whole country.
In many villages the people sat on
their roofs. The women and children,
benumbed with cold. cried for help.
Their cattle were drowned, their store
of provisions destroyed and the waters
Were undermining the foundations OF
the houses. so that every moment they
expected them to fall in and bury
them in the floods.
Some who had seized a branch or
floating piece of furniture swan round
and round till, benumbed with cold
they slipped off and sank In the waters
and were drowned.
Boats. manned by brave Waterman
indeed, rowed about and strove to save
some, but they could not cope with the
floods, and not a few of these, too
persisted through the upsetting Of the
boats.
Not far from Cloves stood the house
of widow named Sebus. She. her
brave daughter Johanna and the Wild
ow Van Beck. with her three little
children. dwelt there.
Johanna was girl Of II years of
age, strong in body. of n handsome
countenance. but, what is worth more
than all, of pure he ert and conduct.
full of true love and unfeigned faith
in Christ her Redeemer.
Though the water had risen high.
yet the women did not know their
danger. They could have sa.yed them
selves had they foreseen that which SO
soon and suddenly came upon them.
a rush of water, which had been In
closed by barrier Of ice higher up.
burst into the house Of the Widow
Sebus. and dread seized the women.
Johanna alone retained her presence
of mind and her trust in God. Without
n r,,es--.@--.s- ssel.s- --a----z 49,.
mother, who was helpless through
terror, and. wading through the water.
she bore her on her back to a hill about
200 PAGES distant from the house.
which stood out above the floods like
a tower of refuge.
When the courageous maiden had
saved her mother she said to her:
Now | will hasten back to the rescue
of Widow Van Beck and her children.
Then | will bring our goat, SO that
you may not want for milk, dear
MOTHER
stop. child. stop, 1t is too late!"
implorcd her mother, but Johanna was
deaf to her entreaties.
Il must save them." cried the noble
girl as she dashed boldly through the
foaming waters toward a hfllock some
distance off There Widow Van Beck
and her children had taken refuge. but
over which the flood was rapidly ris-
ing. Johanna struggled with the
waters-at last she reached the hill
But, alas! now her sorrowing mother
sees that a return from thence is no
longer possible. for the flood is increas-
ing SO fearfully that now, were she
to leave the hili the waters would be
over her head.
Widow Van Beck sank into despair
when she beheld death gradually and
swiftly drawing nigh. Covering her
HeIO ana the DeaQS or her children In
their clothes, she cast herself with
them headlong into the wild, raging
waters.
Johanna stood there alone, calm and
still, with clasped hands. One glance
she cast over to where her beloved
mother was wringing her hands. An
other glance she raised I'D to that
heaven to which she SO soon hoped to
go. Her lips moved in prayer as a
mighty wave dashed over the earth
hillock on which she stood and buried
her in the waters.
When the foods had subsidized, they
found the corpse OF the noble maiden
near the church of the village Of Rim
dern. and there she was inferred. Her
mother was saved. but she was sor-
rowful ever after. A new house was
built for her. but her heart broke be
fore ii was finished Many mourned /
long and truly for the noble minded |
maiden. while on the spot where she
died a monument serves to keep her
deed of love ever in remembrance.--l