The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-07-23

IeSDOnQeHCes1--JNe merged for three days. The bungalow looks as if it might be a house boat from which flutters a much bedraggled flag that no one had presence of mind to lower, having all that we could possibly do in dragging inside the furniture and rugs and cushions from the bungalow piazza that were not batter proof. The rains which set in on Monday continued several days, and the French Broad, such a calm, drowsy little river In the summer sun, has become a wild, uncomfortable sea, overflowing its banks and forcing the water over the lowlands like a mon- strous tide. The fields with their ripen- ing grain, waist high, are entirely inun- dated and the course of the water in the further meadows appears to push onward to meet a roaring waterway that has spread over the upper cornlands.
 On Monday the winds blew stealthily all the forenoon and light clouds shifted over a hot sky At noon rain cloud came from the eastern mountains and stopped on the far side of the river The SKY and mountain became ashen in color. There was no dividing line between the ranges encircllng the valleys and the clouds that hung above them only the continuous gray mist on the upper slde of the river, but you could hear without listening the rain beating down the mountainside Those who were judges or mountain clouds said the rain would not cross the river that day and the people who lived on this side hoped With the calmness that we contemplate the trou- bles of others that our neighbors across the river had finished binding their wheat. The binder drawn by three great horses, had only that morning rolled triumphant ly through the Orr wheat field, the pa geant being followed by numerous little harvesters.
 The rain did the unexpected thing by crossing the river, plotting out our corn fields and moved onward to the western mountains The afternoon passed and at night the wind gathering strength, swept the rain like a sea mist. On Tues day the sky line was invisible and the fogs impenetrable Through the grey mists a flock of cranes rose far above the open fields, skirted the river and flew easterly. The rain fell In torrents and by night, the river already swollen by recent rains, showed q tiny stream into the lowlands
 On Wednesday the fogs were denser, tile rain still falling, the win1s were calmer. The river now well out of it's hanks. flowed unchecked into all the tow lands, the water licking up the field grasses and reaching the cornanas, made a level sea, with the curran. pushing eastward In the far fields not q spsg of green only a immense and lBmeasur- able tide engulting things that 3e. GU " were warm and luxuriant with life, a giant wave that had not yet begir' 10 re- cede, exhaustless in strength and piti- less m it's course Higher up the waters from smaller streams overflowei the f1,.t1 1na.. f,,tA 1aa md 1n n nowhere else to go. poured themselves upon the pasture lands. And still the river emptied itself upon the lowlands, climbed hisner made little baycns that swelled to lakes, and reaching high tiGe swept victoriously over the bridge that for years has been the high water reg ister The pasture lands overfowed more pasture lands. the waters backing up inta the wheat fields, obliterating every divld- ing line and whipping about the great trees. The sea, sullen, muddy, full oi drift wood and flotsam, worked it's way on, gathering force, pushing the cattle farther inward and with the calm thai is more terrifying than fury rose highe' as a swell of the ocean might spend 1t; strength upon some beaten shore. Witt the rapid rise of the water in the pas ture lands, the cows gave their sad lowing and those barometers of the weathe.. the hundreds of which had been wasnec up by the swollen streams, croaked ai with one voice.
 Just as I had returned from one Ci my numerous trips of inspection, tho dear old gentleman whose optimistic ten deEoies had risen despite the condition o the river hopefully remarked that n, thought l would be able to meet the af teru uoon train by going through the Orr place, as there was d high and dry roaC way, now unused, but which must D protected from the high water.
 The sun was going to shine. he assert ed, the train from the south would b. late enough to give me iire to reaci the station over this roundabout rcei and l would be able to meet Madelein after all and drive back tl the bungalow in the moonlight l have such explicl faith in all that the dear old gentleman says that l was not in the least surprised to see the sun shining out with such ra Il alec as to flood the whole place witt sudden warmth and beauty, and the trees drenched, shook themselves loose iron the grip Of the sea and e'tef that on sparkling shower from the flutteriAl leavca we were able to walk beneath th spreading boughs as if the whole wor about us was not a surging river tha still moN ed toward us as if we were on sand Lar ar a reef.
 Made,eine was to arrive by the after noon train, and here we were waterboun and nearly two miles between the sta ton and the bungalow.
 I love those two miles in dry weather Onco cut of my little white gate yo go down a road bordcred with flowerin wild rose trees, while back of them Is tall hedge of blackberry bushes am masses of blooming elder. On one sid of tho road a limpid brook fairly dance over the white pebbles and it Is such rcetful little lane ou these summer day thai I often wish that every one wh was treG could have even one refreshin look down my green. Towering. peacfn roGd. But thls road now both tributnr- and an outlet for the French Broa river, presents problems greater than a any time in it's varied and ancient history Ordinary rain falls never makes It i'm passcNle and il Is adorable when tn snows rest upon it for weeks
 Eefc:c we came to any definite decis ion, my neshbor decided to pay neigh borly call and rowed ove. in the mos approved fashion. while an admiring au dience of three looked on from the bunga low driveway. A landing was made 6 the foot of n tree where 1 sometime serve tea on a dry day. In the overly gracious solicitations for the welfare 0 each other, the dear old gentleman am