Show isoba wedding trip wo we hal had grown up lip together sweet molly mid lind 1 I our oni parents being near neighbors arld which does not ill al ways follow firm friends BO as well F from rom the tha garliest curliest cur oar liest days of 0 my bo boyhood I 1 had a fondness lot for the watty water r haunting the palatial steamboats steamboat that tha floated on the tha great mississippi river nver un on whose babka nestled tha city in in which vh I 1 1 h we dwelt anil and at the tha period to wh which 1 ch I 1 am about to rotor refer I 1 had bed just secured d a position all pilot on oa a small emu freight steamer it was waa not much of a position to he be sure nor was th there are much of a salary a tacked attached to it but small email as it was waa mollie mollia tad slid I 1 decided that we could anahu m alio it answer for two people so early one oae bright morning having a daya day d leave of absence mol lie ia and I 1 were married and stepping into a carriage curl lage I 1 lad ha 1 hired for the occa coca BIOU wo we stalled off having decided on it a days dayd excursion to a celebrated cato cavo coar cear by this thia being all the wedding trip we could allow onro ourselves olves we had scarcely dritz driven beyond our nir own street when we wa brought to a hall A moss whom I 1 recognized 1 as beloni ig tt our steamboat company i aia hailed i I 1 e a in cia a heres a a noto note for you horn from the tha superintendent perin 11 thus it tan ran am sorry to have to recall your leave for today to day but blit jou joa must fanned funned immediately lately go on board the mobilia 17 which is 11 toady ready 0 to o atari up tho the river the pilot ta is too ill to attend to duty bul and you are appointed to take his place for tile present there goes our wed wedding ling trip all to smash rail paid 1 I 00 mollie rend rand the tha note not why BO be she asked 11 you see boo I 1 must go BO into the pilot h honeo case of the mobilia very well sha bhe replied we ive shall jastro just go up no the river instead of to tho the cave adri dativo 0 o ou on blob let at us go down to tha a riv river er in fa state but you cannot go in in the pilot bouso with me die little goose 11 of course not bat cant I 1 sit on the deck outside oot sido laughed mollie BI ollie and wo we cau can cast languishing glances at each other and to so it came to pass that I 1 took possession of the Mo bilias aa pilot house honsa my heart glowing with lovo love and pride with love for there last just below mo on the little forward deck sat oat my sweet inde bride with pride because the tha mobilia was waa one oa ot of tile the finest of tho the beautiful floating bloating palaces of the mississippi anil and to 0 pilot such it one had for years been the ho height ol of my ambition the tha steamer was waa fitted up with a double cibin cabin one above the other the upper one CEO opening upon a 0 small m a 11 deck ro aching out towards the bo bow w near the center of winch which oa and a raised platform was placed the pilot hoano the deck was always occupied by passengers and this bis morning it gaspart was particularly fe a r ly crowd ed for the boat was heavily m ily idd cajen with people taking advantage of this want if 1 weather author to make an aa oxen rolon I 1 trip up the river bemo bomo rough fellow jostled against mollies chair after a while awhile and sho she rose bud aull passed down ioto into tho the cabin to got get a a drink of water she whis to me as she passed but I 1 suspect it was to prevent the bursting ol of too the thunder clouds she ehe saw naw gathering on my brow I 1 0 siw aw tho the insolent fellow made no ut sit to tempt ampt to follow my dear one so I 1 gave myself up to my own happy thoughts to and looking out on an the far die dit dittany tant at peaceful shares of the great river over jhc als placid bosom we wore wera moving so BO swiftly there rose from my heart heark a glad silent hymn of but suddenly a cry b broke ro ke from the tha cabin behind me that effectually changed the current of my thoughts I 1 r airel 1431 all fire A horrible cry at ui all times but ant most moot horrible of all when it ang rings forth in the tha millet of gay unsuspicious hundreds floating in in fancied security in the midst of the waters Aniu an instants stantA awe struck silence sue bac ceedee that awful cry al and aa then wo voices of man and women united in in fearful heartrending shrieks tor for help belp tire firel orel firel ayol ayel there was no mistake about it nor balsa falsa alarm noose no one could tell how it libil bad COMm Cod lint there it was creeping along the roo root t of tho the upper lapper cabin with the deadly greedily lapping up every scrap of awning and curtain certain thoy they could and fin dupon upon their wry wily ever aver anil and anon darwinr long tongues of flame down don to tho ilia floor to clasp t tho h 0 light cumira and atil aal Bettea sill in their flery flary em ambrice brice As well seek with a sieve to scoop up the tha waters of the great river on which the mobilia floated as aa tl t try to the roaring loaring devouring elzay that had bad seized upon the tha ill fated steamer the people darted down from tho the blazing bitting upper cabin to the forward deck det lc below onoro as yet the ibl e toe foe hall bad made litt little headway and ana tLora oar bravo brave captain cap t ain who vai that rant rans avis 11 the right fight man in ilia right place phoe rua BUC ceedee in partially quelling the panic I 1 keep 1 ho he ordered orda keep quiet nail stay just gift whore you ou me ara or I 1 will not cot answer for the ilia lives of any of you yon the toward stoward will mil provide provida every one no ol of you ou with life preservers preserve s hut but I 1 here is no reason for any to go overboard not cot yet et awhile itt at uny nay rate i ite anlou suicide is is desired koep keep quiet I 1 say bay pilot bead bar fur for the arid halt a milo mile noraj nye e were wera ut at least twice that distarce dista uce ro ram in the main latia ou on either shore bhore 11 EnRi noor put pill on all steam crowd her hei on I 1 wo will run a raco race with tile lie foul floiad who lina bag boarded bo ardeil tho the mobilia there was wag un in instant stanta a pause buil nd then then with a groah and a surge u with he timbers creaking nnie straining anil and the windola windows rattling anil and ua as though in in mortal terror the bil obilia gathered herself up to ran her last race each passing moment tile the flames klaucs crept on oil und on never iua in their terrible march fortunately they leaped upward rather than downward so that there was but little danger to the tha panic stricken crowd on oil the lower a deck but the pilot house will directly la in the track ot of the flames nud and alrea already dy their advance guard was beginning to sarr surround orand me singeing my hair a and ajo brows suddenly there theia was it murmur among th the e people below and the bo next it light alight form flew up the ladder leading to tho the little deck by tho the pilot house and ad before I 1 could say a word ord my P precious preci ocious ouK mollie h had ad thrown open tho the door and closing it again stood at my side mollie mollie I 1 cried for heavens lie avena sake go backi dont don t you see bee how bow the flames are creeping towards us here go go ray my dearest my ay own truo true wifel dont unman me by making ma fear for yon go down where I 1 uan feel that you have a chance of 0 safety Rob Thornel she exclaimed with her eyes looking straight into mine am I 1 your jour wife 11 surety au roly surely barely thank godt godl I 1 muttered Bat baago gogol gol my post la is hero jast its aig much lauch I 1 ke 8 yours is ia she answered firmly 11 I 1 will stay atay here rob rab and it if you ain die I 1 will vil 1 too we will make our wedding trip together my dear line hns band oven even it if it bo be into the next world keep to your duty anil and never mind me rob there theio is ia hope for us yet and if the ibo corat cornea comes why and a grave bleet smile crept round her lips we ara alre still ta gother lier love I 1 taw saw it was no use to urge her any more aria and besides something swelled in my throat so I 1 just jast gripped the w wheel lael hard slid and looked right ahead though bough everything looked very din aim just jbf therl rall anil my denoted darling stood calmly at my side watching tho the flames that were creeping closer and closer upon us looping leaping around the pilot house like hungry demons impatient P trout for their prey thorne shall shouted a the captain comedown come down lontor lower her and yourself over the rail well catch you you cannot stay there any louger wo we are very near the shore now and tho rest reat w wall 8 11 take our chances on it was an awful temptation I 1 know knew that did I 1 follow the captains advice both mollie and I 1 would be safe for I 1 was kaaa j rood swimmer and should the boat not reach the shore I 1 could ronld save avo her and myself manelf but then it I 1 did thin thia would I 1 not deliberately expose overy every ono one of the three hundred souls on be abard a ra to destruction true the boat might to her courso during the short space remaining to be passed merely from the impetus of her ap bat again she bile might not nol and then hon I 1 looked at my dear wife inquiry angly stick to your post rob ill I 1 she aha said no eirl sirl I 1 shouted Ishou teil back 1 11 I shall stick to my post past I 1 shall stay hero bere till I 1 run rua her clear on oil the shore or die M my bravo bobay itoe my noble rob bob P I 1 in murmured uraj ared mollis mollie bat else alan tor for my devoted colliot cw alas tor for mol mcl not the pilot house houba only but bat the entire deck around it t was waa now surrounded by games it was waa too late to lower arro ourselves olyes to the deck below I 1 the railing was all ablaze sly my arme released relea aed from their guardianship over the wheel clasped moicie adollie close to my heart but antny my eyes and brain were wera bus busy y seeking tor for some mode of escape from dom death that seemed each moment more certain all at once my eye eya rested on the paddle box it had not yet taken fire the ha flying spray pray had bad saved it I 1 had only to dash across the flame swept deck and flin g open a little door in in its side which afforded really access to the wheel to lower my precious charge 1 to the tha water beneath in safety nos no sooner 0 oner thought ahda done 1 take my hand 31 bolha ollie I 1 said j and rn ann with me we shall be saved after all wrap your shawl across your mouth now now raul looping leaping down on the deck we sped band in in hand band to the paddle box I 1 dabbed open the little door a and ad pushing mollie mollia inside passed pase oil in myself and drew the its door close cloae again abutting sh otting out the sugar eagar flamos whose angry roar pursued u rotted ua its us as we wa dropped gently down do urn fla into t athe tha shallow water voter and crept from beneath the wheel out oar appearance was hailed with a about of delight and relief for all had bad g given n ns u up as a lost dot and we wa must have bly baen bla but tp for the tha heaven heave ri inspired red thought of the aba wheel lionie now that the danger was over poor little mollie fainted jainta and no wonder I 1 bat sho soon came out oat all right and as the people began to find out that the 11 bravo little girl as they called her was really a bride brida of 0 only a few how hours and that wa wore were on OIL our car wedding trip there was a regular ovation fol followed loved up by title cine deafening iloa deaf fening eting chodors th the island upon which the lad had been beached was low sandy itna uninhabited altogether not im aa inviting 1 lor for without a particle of shelter to pass pasa halt half a day upon yet ovon even I 1 in this thia plight there were few gr amblers IQ in car ar midst theto there was no room in in car hearts for ally feeling but tint that of for 0 o I 1 our from at deatti ana after the peril of the hat ill 1 t lie hour r or two it clemed a u small mai matter te r to wait wait patiently pali outly for or the iba coming of the relief i liouta boats tint thit wu we know knew wore were sure auro to arrive before many houis wont past though home BODIO miles from nay idge city cila we know that the burning steamer must havo lipen been seen from froin tile turn form houses scattered along the ivor blink anti that froia roid these ikeno uti ticeR ol of tho the di saRtor would bo be sent bout nearest town anil ana so BO it was wai detail before nightfall several small tit rived anil and after that lint but a few hours elapsed cil beform ve found ourselves safe safa ly at homo home and our adventurous well wed ding trip at iru an end 1 A when I 1 was able abla to report for or duty anty again two weeks later I 1 learned that a noble gift from tho the Mo Mobil bilias iia grateful tio loss lose a saw aada than ahau 2000 layia lay in the tha bank awaiting my luy not only this but the steamboat cow pany voted me BIO a eold cold modal anil and the appointment 0 jf pilot of 0 tho the nonet steamer on their line |