To-day's mail brought me a most agitating letter from dear C. She wrote from the hospital, where she was to be operated upon for appendicitis that day. She begged me if possible to go at once and take charge of her household and three little boys until her return. It seems almost impossible to leave just now—but I have determined to drop everything and go. I feel very anxious, for her letter took a long time to reach me.
Unita, September 30.
Left Peaceville yesterday at 3 p.m. and reached this flourishing town at 12 to-day. The boys are splendid fellows, aged eight, seven, and four years, full of life and fun and chatter; it is a great contrast to the silent home I left.
On the journey up I had two hours in Columbia, which I spent with B. I was very pleased to find that W., her ten-year-old son, had recovered from the effects of the great shock he had when I was there in June.
All the children were at a large picnic on the outskirts of the city in a very pretty spot with a stream running through which opened out into a small lake in one spot. There W. was playing with a comrade of his own age, to whom he was devoted. They were wading in what seemed a sheet of shallow water and were throwing up a lemon as a ball, each trying to catch it.
Suddenly as the friend leaped to catch the ball he sank from sight in unsuspected deep water. W. saw him rise and sprang after in an involuntary impulse to save him. He too disappeared. Both rose, then sank again, W.'s second sinking being the friend's third, his arms being clasped around W.'s waist.
About 300 yards away a young matron who had brought her four children to the picnic, one being quite a baby still, heard the cry and started toward the pool at a run. She reached the water as W. rose for the third time. Though panting from the run she sprang in where she saw him sink, and after what seemed to the onlookers an age she appeared holding W. by the collar, and slowly and painfully dragged him to the shallow water. A lady seeing she was nearly spent, waded in waist deep and helped her bring him to the shore, and said:—
"Come out, you are exhausted."
"No, no!" Mrs. M. answered. "There is another, I must go back for him," and she turned again to the deep water.
But every one saw that she could not possibly go down again, and she was pulled gently to the shore and placed in an automobile and taken home.