Land of Goshen, Part Twenty

27 December 1905

PORTIONS OF THE DAMAGED DIARY OF JOANNA WOZNIAK, AS RECOVERED BY THE POLICE DEPARTMENT OF ERIE, PA, ON THE EVENING OF MAY 28, 1974.

On Christmas, I introduced Abe to the traditions my family brought over from the old country. We had a wonderful day and made merry into the afternoon, whereupon Abe collapsed rather suddenly. I was barely able to rouse him, and found he had developed a terrible rash. I summoned a doctor, but he could find no cause. I knew then that the matter was beyond his ken, thanked him for his attempt, and allowed him to leave in certainty he had done all he could.

I tended to him as best I could over the night, and with the help of a carriage driver brought him to the Monongahela in the morning. He was able to muster some strength on reaching the water, but not as much as I had expected. The river spirits came, and informed us that Abe was growing too attached to mortal life, and it was only a matter of time before he was fully severed from the water, and warned that his river must be dying without him. They refused to help, claiming that he was too far gone now, and only his own river would have him. We returned home and I helped him back into bed, and saw that the rash had grown. He insists that he will survive this, given time, and that he wished to stay with me. I was able to convince him to agree to return to the river if this seemed like it would kill him.

I do not know if God still hears me, but I prayed over him all night. It is now just after dawn, and I must rest. He is comfortable, and there is little more I can do for him in my current state.

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