The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1859-03-03
Be'ee stayun hereabouts, then, sir?"

that one who looked so like clergyman
should be staying for any length of time
in the neighborhood, without being bet
ter known.
4" | am clergyman, said the gentle
man, frankly; but not of your church
and don't feel free until I'm better
known"
Skipper George apparently weighed the
answer. lie did not urge his invitation;
but his open face became clear and kind
ly as ever
"Thcn, sir" said he, "cf 'ee'd pIaso to
be seated here, I'd tell the story. | know
it we'll"
Before beginning it the fisherman east
Il look at his house. and then gazed awhile
upon the restless waves which here g!a1c-
ed with the CLEAN of treacherous eyes,
and then were dark as death.
"Do zee mind about ten years ago, in
Newfoundland, sir?" began Skipper
George, turning his steady eyes to his
hearer, and speaking as if the date or the
years since the date had been painful to
him; "the hard year that was when they
had the rails they called EN- 2"
"Yes; though was in England at the
time, | know pretty well what happened
in Newfoundland. 1t was sad time"
Ay, sir, twas sad time. Many
people suffered; some wanted food, and
more agen got broken in spirit, (and that's
bad for man. and some got lawless like.
" was sad time indeed !" Skipper
George, having fingered thus before his
tale, began it abruptly Dwell, sir, twas
on the sixteenth day of Jauuary-a
Thursday t was-I was acomun down
Backside from the Gosh, hauling a slide
load o timber, an my youngest son wi
me. 1t had abeen a fine day, first goun
off (for winters day. wi just furry
20 snow now and agen, and deal o snow
on the ground, tull about afternoon it be-
gan to blow from about west, and by nothe,
or thereaway, heavy and thick, an grow
un heavier an heavier, an bitter c0d.-
Oh t was bitter cold We didn't say
much together, George an |, but We got
along SO fast as ever we could. Il was
about an hour or two before night, mub-
be; and George says to me, Lets lave
the slide, father IT WASH but we could
ha' KEEP on wi it, though twas tarrible
cold hard work; but t was somethun else.
" So we turned the slide out O the way
and laved her, and coined on. u was
blowun gales up over Backside; we could
sea ce keep our feet an | hard somethun
like a voice i suppose | was thinkun o
voices-an' I brought right up into the
wind. II was just like beun at sen, in
manner, and a craft drivin' right across
our wake, an would ha' been out o sight
an hearun in a minute Then knowed
by the sound t was the Minister-(we
did'n have e'er a reverend gentleman of
our own IN the days but e lived over in
Sandy Harbor and ed oose to 90 all rounu
the Bay.) We could scace bide togeth
er, but | was proper glad to meet un, (for
a minister's comfort. e know sir } an e
said, is anyJody out?' There's two o
brother Izik' S orphans, sir, I'm afcard, and
others along wi'em,' | said So 'e said,
God help them. Where are your two
other boys. James and Maunsell 2 Along
wi brother Izik's two [ said. Twas
blowun tarrible hard, and cold, and thick
and the minister turned WI US, and we
coined up, ploddun through the driftun
snow. and over the rudge. When we
opened the door first, the mother thought
there were four of us; and so she said,
James ! for we were all showed over
but she said there was only three, and
It was the minister wi us two. So she
begged his pardon, and told un our poor
boys were out agunnun, an she was an
old punt they had. We were all stand
un (for we didn't think o. nawthin but
the boys when two coined into the door,
all white WI snow. Il WASH they two,
sir, but It was my nevy Jessee and anoth-
er. Have MT they coined? &c said
Dear, what's kecpun they
Jessee had abin out, too, Wi lzik
Maffeen and Zippity MarchaIt; and they
were over to back-side O Sandy Harbor
together; on'y our poor young men were
about three parts OF mile further down,
mubbe. SO, when it coined on to blow,
Jessee and his crew made straight for
Back Cove and got in, though they were
weak banded, for one had hurried his
hand wrist-and so, in about three hours,
they got round by land, and thought the
tother poor fellows would do so WE'LL.
what can us do Uncle George p 'e said ;
for he's a proper true-hearted man, sir,
and 'e was amos cryun. First, we can
pray said the minister; and so he said
a prayer. l make no doubt | was think
un too much over the poor young fellows;
and the wind made tarrible great bel
lowing down the chimley and all round
the house, and so l was ruther aw'y from
:. -, .,,,'1 I Ouoht Then the Minis