The Columbian fountain., 1846-09-12
THE SHIPWRECK.
BY j. II. BOWERS.

shrieked the miser, wringing his hands,
and running to and fro in the crowd. But
all turned away. There was scarcely a
soul present who had not at one time or
another, suffered in the hands of the hard
hearted money lender.
"Oh /! for the love Of God--you who are
fathers, think of re. My daughter will
perish--will you not go off for her, Town
send iii give you any thing mean in
reason.o
"Go off for her mot ~ said the man,
with mocking laugh, shaking off the old
man, sall your gold would not tempt me
out on that boiling sea-besides, amt / a
father, too-and think you III sacrifice my
life for another mo, no, old hulks, you
must take your gold TO some other mar
ket.''
ooh she will die-my child. for whom |
have saved all Peter Jones, will you go
off if will give you a thousand dollars p"
"Not for ten thousand" gruffly said the
person addressed, boat couldn't live in
them breakers minute.n
81 will give ten thousand to any one"
eagerly said the old miser-"ten thousand
dollars. know you will go for ten thou
sand dollars, Smon,' and he seized one of
the spectators by the button of his shaggy
jacket, ooh go, and the blessings Of bro
ken-hearted father will go with YOU"
81 can't think Of it, for I'D never return
to enjoy your money. No, old man,, he
said in more feeling tone than the others
had used, "your daughter must die.''
"Must die! Oh no-she shan't die -
"Take all lam worth, good sirs, he
said, lifting up his hands imploringly, shut
restore me my daughter, only, only hope
you'll spare little for us to live on, if it's
no more than beggar enjoys.o 1
"It's no use, old man. said the last spea-
ker, "the whole world would not tempt us
to put out to sea in storm like this IT'S
a hard lot you've got to bear, and pity
your daughter, for she was sweet angel
But the packet will 60 to pieces in half an
hour, and so you see there is no hope.''
The father heard the speaker in stony ST.
he turned and looked out at
sea, where, few minutes before, the out
line of the stranded packet, might have
been seen through the twilight, almost bu-
ried in the whirling foam that howled over
the bar on which she lay but now the
darkness had shut her in from view; and
the only knowledge from her position was
derived from the sound of her minute guns
booming solemnly across the sea. The
old man groaned, and sinking down on
holder, buried his face in his hands, and
rocked his body to and fro, occasionally
pausing to listen to the guns or to gaze
and then resume his position,
moaning continually. Five minutes might
have thus passed, when young man burst
through the crowd, and shaking the old
man by the shoulder, said,
"Mr. Smelling, they say your daughter is
on board the packets it SO ~
eyes, good youth, and you have come
10 rescue her," he exclaimed, starting up
with eager joy; 'but when he recognised
the speaker, he said in tone of disap-
pointment, ssil's Harry Martin. Oh sure
ly, young man, you have not come here to
triumph over my distress"
aGod forbid" was the fervent RELY, "
come to aid you if indeed mortal can render
aid in an extremity like this Let bygones
be bygones Only answer me one question,
for no time is to be lost-wll you give me
your daughter if succeed in rescuing her ?"
There was momentary pause, and the
of the old mans face worked con-
All pressed forward to hear his
for the fury with which the old
miser had cursed his daughters lover, and
his declaration that he would sooner see her
dead than married to the young man, were
known 10 every listener. At length he
gasped.
Yes, yes, but 60 at once. Only save her,
and she shall be yours"
The youth paused no longer, but dashed
through the crowd. In minute his BOAT
was afloat, and accompanied by solitary
but one fisherman, and he
under great obligations to the young man,
could be persuaded to risk his life with the
lover-he set forth. The boat rose gal
Iantly on the waves, shaking like duck
The spray from its sides, and for a few min
utes was seen, momently cutting the out
line Of the gloomy sky as she attained the
summit OF the billow; then she gradually
passed into the darkness and was seen no
more. EHN
For more than an hour the crowd re-
manned ON the beach almost incredulous Of
the lovers success and vet linuerino in the