Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1850-10-18

THE STRANDED SHIP
BY HARRIET J. RowLEs.


miser, wringing his hands and running
TO and fro in the crowd. But all turned
away. There was scarcely soul who,
at one time or an other had not suffered
in the hands of the hard-hearted money
lender.
"Oh! for the love of God--yon who
are fathers think on me. My daughter
will perish-will you not 60 for her,
Townsand!-l'il give you any thing,
mean in reason"
"Go off for her!-not l." said the
man with mocking laugh, shaking off
the old man, ''all your gold would not
tempt me out on that boiling sea. Be-
sides amt | father, too, and think you
Ill sacrifice my life for another!-No,
no, old hulks. you must take your gold
to another Market
"Oh! she will die--mv child for whom
have saved all. Peter Jones you will
goif ! give thousand dollars
''Not for ten thousand" gruffly said
: the person addressed. "a boat couldn't
live in the breakers minute"
81 will give ten thousand 10 any one,"
eagerly said the miser--aten thousand
dollars. j know You will go for ten
thousand dollars, Simon" and he seized
one of the spectators by the button of
his shaggy jacket, .'oh! 60, and the bles-
sings of broken-hearted father will 90
with YOU
IL can't think of it, for I'd never re-
turn TO enjoy your money. No, old
man." he said, in a more feeling tone
than the others had used, "your daugh-
Ter must die.
"Nust die! Oh! no-she shan't die.
Take all am worth. good sirs," he
said, lifting up his hand imploringly,
.'but restore me my daughter, only
only hope you'll spare little for us 10
live on, If its no more thar beggar en-
joy"
"ll's no use old man," said the last
speaker, '1he whole would not tempt us
10 lie put out at sea in storm like this.
It's hard lot you've got to bear, and
pity your daughter, for she was sweet
angel. But the packet will 90 to pieces
in half an hour, and so you see there is
no lope."
The father heard the speaker in stony
silence. Then he turned and looked out
at sea, where a few minutes before, the
outline OF the stranded packet might
have been seen through the approaching
twilight, almost buried in the whirling
foam that howled over the bar on which
she lay; but the darkness had shut her
in from view; and The only knowledge Of
her position was derived from the sound
of her minute guns booming solennly
across the sea. The old man groaned,
and sinking down on bolder, buried his
face in his hands and rocked his body TO
and fro, occasionally pausing TO listen to
the guns or 10 gaze seaward, and then
resuming his position, moaning contin-
ually. Five minutes might have thus
passed when a young man burst through
the crowd, and shaking the old man by
shoulder, said, "Mr. S,elllng, they say
your daughter is on board the packet is
it so!"
"Yes, good youth, and you have come
to rescue her, he exclaimed, starting up
with eager joy; but when he recognized
the speaker, he said in tone of disap-
pointment "Ii's Harry Martin. Oh!
surely young man, you have not come
here 10 triumph over my distress"
"God forbid,' was the fervent reply,
81 come to aid you, if indeed mortal
man can render aid in such an extremity
like this. Let bygones be bygones.--
Only answer me one question, for no
time is TO be lost--will you give me your
daughter il Isucceed in resccing her!"
There was momentary pause. and
the muscles Of the old mans face work
ed convulsively. All pressed forward to
hear his answer, for the fury which the
old miser had pursued his daughters
lover, and his declaration tha! he would
sooner see her dead than married to the
young man were well known to every
listener. AT length he gasped.
"Ycs, yes. but 60 al once. Only
! save her and she shall be yours"
The youth paused no longer, butdash-
ed through the crowd. In minute his
boat was anoat, and accompanied by a
solitary individual-ior but one fisher
man, and he under great obligations to
TIE yOuliR uIdil, COulu DC pcISuduCu W
risk his life with the lover-he set forth.
The boat rose galIantly on the waves,
shaking like duck the spray from her
sides, and for few minutes was seen
niomentarily cutting the outline Of the
gloomy sky as she attained the summit
Of the billow; then she gradually passed
into the darkness and was seen no more.
For more than an hour the crowd re-
mained on the beach, almost incredulous
of the lovers success, and lingering in
the faint hope tha, he might return with
his precious freight. That he had the
good wishes of al. was very evident
from the eagerness with which they
strained their eyes into the gloom to see
If he was returning, and from the audible
prayers for his success which were
breathed by more than one of the wo-
men. Apart from the general crowd
stood the fisherman whom the miser had
last appealed to, surrounded by few
Kindred snirits who were discussing with