Beadle's Dime Novels No. 35: East and West — page 61: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

‘ A TERRIBLE NIGHT. 61 his fellow-watchers. They, sadly peering in each others’ faces, sat talking softly, and often looking out to see if the lights of the boats were still visible. Thus passed several weary hours, without further events. Silence, if not sleep, was beginning to reign in the little mel- ancholy party, disturbed only by the sound of the wind, which had increased in violence, when, suddenly, Minnie raised her head from her cousin’s lap, where it was drooping, with a start. “ What is it, Minnie ?’ whispered Constance. “ The water—don’t you hear it?” . Distinctly now came the plash, plash, of waves against the house. ; “Oh! what shall we do’ cried Constance, pale with | alarm. “Ob, Minnie! auntie! we shall all be drowned !” “T hope not, Constance; but this is a terrible night, Certainly.” Hannah, the cook, who had been dozing in a chair tilted back in a corner, awakened by hearing the exclamation of Constance, and, seizing upon the promise of being drowned, how began to lament loudly : “Oh, Lord! oh, Lord! to be sure we shall all be drowned —and not a boat to save ourselves in. Oh, Lord! oh, Lord !” 2 Constance, who had some bitter thoughts of her own on account of the truant boats, ventured to express her thoughts to her uncle. “Girls, be still !’ he answered, sternly, addressing no one in particular ; “we have done our duty to our neighbors, and must leave the issue with some higher Power. But there is no danger to us at present, nor do I think there will come any ; if there should, we have more chance to save ourselves than the poor wretches at the landing.” Mrs. Willard, too, though she looked pale and care-worn, rebuked any expression of discontent at their position, and tried to animate the others with courage. The cattle had crossed the creek, and were huddling together in the shelter of the house, to escape the wind. The gtay morning soon broke, showing one wide waste for miles, Of stormy-looking water. The advance of daylight only comiclbooks.com