Year: 1861

sued my fight At length, it was no longer
possible TO retain footing for moment if


laid hold of a tree FOR support the tree fell
if | sought to steady myself by rock, the rock
gIlded away from my grasp, as if it had been
alive. | could only lay the two children on


the ground and myself by their side The
next moment. it was as If the day of judgment


had come~the whole mountain FELL


During the whole Of the remainder of the
day, and part OF the night, remained there


with the suffering children we imagined that


we, of all people, were left alone in the world,


when suddenly we heard some Que shouting ct
few PAGES distant. The voice was that of
young fellow from Busrgea. He had been
TO church with his bride that same morning.


and was returning wfPh the wedding party from


Art. Just as they were all entering Goldau


he fingered behind to pluck a bunch of flow
erS for his bride from one Of the garlands-
When he sought 10 re,j0iu the party, he found


nothing but horror aud deSoiaton the viii
lagc, his friends, his bride, all had been swal.
lowed ap or crushed beueath the wreck aud
he kept wandering hastily among the ruins.
calling Cdlhariue ! Catharne !" | called


to hlU, and he came to US but when he saw
that she whom he was seeking was not with


us, he left Immediately.


The moon was shining, and, on rising and
looking round US, we could see that the large
cross was yet standing. GA approaching it,
l perceived an old man laying at the foot of it
as It dead saw that it wa my father, and,
thinking hm deed, | threw myself on the bo-
dy, aud | found he was unhurt, and had only


been asleep. In extreme old age the mind is
/ little moved by circumstances. | asked him il


he could tell me what had happened at the
| house. which he was about entering when the


calamity occurred but all he knew was, that


our servant, Francis, had caught up little Ma.
rianne, eXcaming, The day Of Judgment has
come, let US save ourselves !" The next mo-


ment the house was overturned, and he him
self was thrown across the street. He could
give no farther account OF anything his head
had been thrown against 4 rock, and he had
been stunned by the force of the blow. When


he had recovered from his Stupor, he had re-
collected The cross, had gropeG towards it, and


having said his prayers there, had then fallen
asleep. gave him the charge of the two
children, aud then wandered about among the


ruins, endeavoring to discover, if possible,
where our house had been At last Gy tie
aid of landmarks, and 10y marking the position
OF the cross relatively TO that of the summit of
-
| had found the spot. got upon the top Of


mound OF soil heaped over the wrecks of a
dwelling, and, STOPPING down with my face to
the ground, called out 10 the utmost strength
of my voice, as though speaking to workmen
in u nine. l heard Instantly the sorrowfuI


tones OF child's voice answering me, and


knew at once it was little Marianne Altho'
| had no tools, began at once TO scrape and
I ra kt- AWAY The earth with INV ha nd and in,


this manner, the soil being loose and shifting,


succeeded in soon making hole to the depth


of several feet, until came to ;he rooI of my
! house. | tore away the tiles ; and as soon as


there was sufficient s,ace to allow of my
getting through, sid down below the


beam and alighted in the room, which was
S.rewed with stones and fragments OF the walls


| now called out again, and was answered by
q voice which seemed To come from the bed
it was that of the child could feel her head
and part of he? body Hnder the little couch,
where she had been thrown. | endeavored to
extract her, hut she was fast wed re- between
the bedstead and the floor The roof had
crushed the bed by its tall, and the poor child's
leg was broken.


EXertng myself to the very utmost | sue
ceeded in lifting thebeodstead when she was
l.
lifted her from the ground aud pressed her
to my bosom, she SAID she was not alone and
that the servant Frances was not far off.
called loudly Traces Frances !" and heard
her groans in answer. She had been torn
from the child, whom she Was holding by the
hand when the ruin came, and was precp-
tated head!ong. and, with her face most
frightfully bruised, had remained suspended
head downwardS, her body being held firmly
by the fallen masses. After olg Struggling
she had got her hands free, SO as to be able
to clear the blood from her face, bnt could do
no more and in this fearful position she lay
listening to the means of the little child
She spoke to her, and the child replied, and
where she was, answered that she was
stretched on her back under the cot that
she could nSe her bands, and that, through
an aperture above her head, she could see
daylight aud the branches OF trees waving
MAriauRe then asked Frances how long they
would have to stay in that dreadful pla-e, and
whether people would not come to look for
them but Frances, still under the impression
that the day OF judgment was come, told her
that they two alone Of all the people on the
earth were left alive, but that they should die
and 90 to Heaven and be happy evermore-I
Then she bade the little girl say her prayers,
aud the two prayed aloud together. While
they were saying their prayers, they were
comforted by the sound o: church bell which
commenced ringing for service and then they
heard clock striking seven aud recognized
the chimes of Steluersburg Church. Frances
began now to hope that help would come to
them, as there were people still alive and not
far off. She therefore Strove to comfort the
child, who by this time feeling very hungry,
was moaning and crYino for sumner BY de-