Year: 1869

J never knew that | was SO strong when


hands were not thought of till the next
day. Still it was my old nurse whc


thought of everything, aud talked to


me in her queer way, as If l was still


her child. There was some large aud


massive French beG>tcads in the sleep.


ing rooms on the first iloor, aud by our


united strength we turned them edge


wise and pushed them through the


window that opened to the veranda.-
! While the stout old woman arranged


the long boards across them, | was sent


to the store of farm implements in the


building, aud told to bring every rope
and plow line and ball cftwine l could


find. These were abundant, and the


bottom Of a huge basket, aud laced to


the sides and ends of hedstcadS. Thcu


we tied strong cords for cahlcs, and


rolled them in the water. They dipped


down and were wet but that did not


matter, so they iloatcd again. We got


the two side 10y side and securely fa~,cn-
ed together. Then doors ANA window


shutters were laid on or tied up for sides
and finally cotton mattresses were put
on to keep us above the water. Then
came trunks and blankets, and when
we had all that it WAS safe to take, or
that was ut once small and Valuable
we paused to see il our peril grew. The
yard fence, not one handred yards Off
was leaning on the verge of some un
seen gulf, and the oaks for half mile
wide were gone. 1t was their splash
that we heard aS we worked. We had
no oars or skill to use them if we had,
and the best poles we could find for
pushing were the long, slender poles
used for fishing. Then came a supply
of food and candles; and as the lull fol-
lowed the heat and excitement of labor,
the terror of the ineXorable river and Of
our frail raft would come and make the
heart sick.


We had no time to delay. by means
of poles and ropes we managed to push
and warp the clumsy. raft around the
corner of the house, and then tried to
make it float up into the elbow, where
the cut off was not likely to follow us.
We got a little ways, but the suck of the
current was too strong for us. So we
tied up to a Grape myrtle, aud waited
for the crumbling bank to reach U.S.
The moon went down, and there were
only the silent stars above the low mon
otonc of the waters.


Silently we waited and prayed We
were warm and dry, as only the bottom
mattresses became soaked. About the
break of day the house began to lean
The negroes on the levee had retreated
from the widening river, and their fire
had been submerged.
AS the sun rose the house slid slowly
into the stream. We could hear the
crash as the chimneys tore out of the
timbers and sank, and then it loated
away, slanting in the water, leaving
lt:lc to be seen but HE rent roof once
or twice it grounded or caught on snags
in the bottom, and then hurried down
out Of sight. The power of the wa
ter was making fierce tugs at our hemp.
Ell rope, and it was soon broken. Two
or three times we slowly rotated in the
side eddy and then Il, if caught by some
unseeiI hand; We shot out into the mid.
stream. That was we'll for US, as we
avoided the falling timbc Of the widen
itlf ham Il al n,
hurrying drift. Steam would not have
taken us faster, and in less than an
hour, we, two women ona raft, were out
Oh the broad bosom Of the Mississippi.


The night was over but not the peril
AS our raft was houyant we were only
shaken, but not sucked down by the
whirlpools. We had lights to prevent |
the danger of being run over by steam
boats at night and on that great high |
way we were sure of being picked Up
soon. There were barns, fragments Of
fences, and sometimes mills and small
houses floating down: but it was noon
before we saw amy human being. Then
Il fine boat came brea sting the current,
an! while we were half mile away, in !
the dead waters near the swamp, they ,
saw our table cloth on Il cane whi.h |
was our signal. They took us for ne
groes and haling Us as such, bade us .
take care of ourselves, but made 10 ,
pause. Sick enough at heart were we
as the white jets of her steam escapes /
faded from sight up the stream. There I
was fair prospect OF floating all night |
near enough the wamp for snakes and /
W lid cats to swim to Us, or Of hurrying I
down the current to unseen rerils. One /
more boat passed us, and SCENE not to 7
notice our signal against the back /
ground of gray moss. cried like Il ba- ,
by, and Aunt Sarah tried to console me.
1t was nearly night when a great steam
er, passed up on the other side, but the /.
people seemed to see us. Suddenly the !
roar OF her whistle came across the mile 1.
of water, and she slowly rounded to-
ward us like Il huge white swan. She |
had to follow US little down stream, |
but when salvation was sure l must