Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1859-02-18


child. | should have been Uneasy if the
hadn't called the woman Kate. Ny wiliai
offered 'em for fifty dollars, but tother vii
lain wouldn't give cent. He told my vii
lain, as he called Captain, that he'd tax
EN- off his hands and no more. And thel
they threatened each other, and went GU
of my hearing. And in the mornin' tn,
new william came and took me and thu
child off in shay and drove down Ions
way to the beach, and hailed a vessel OF
l the river and took us aboard and sold us Il
the captain right atore my eyes, and Their
went ashore, and we was carried off out tc
sea, though cried, and 'splained, and spos-
tulated all the time.
| Now, sir, come strange providence
which the very thoughts of it might convert
heather! We had been to sea about five
days when dreadful storm riz. Itell you,
marster, that looked like the wrath of God
Rugged the baby to my breast-and went
to praying as hard as ever could pray.
Presently | felt an awful shock, as if
| Heaven and earth had come together, and
then everybody screaming, She's struck
! She's struck 7 / felt the vessel trembling
like live creetur, and the water pouring
in everywhere. l Rugged the babe and
scrambled up the companion way to the
deck. 1t was pitch dark, and | heard every
man rushing toward one side of the wes-
sci.
"A flash of lightning, that made every
thing as bright as day again, showed me
that they were all taking to the boat /
rushed after, calling to them to save me and
the baby. But no one seemed tohear me +;
they were all too busy trying to save them
selves and keep others out OF the boat, and
cursing and swearing and hollering that
there was no more room-that the boat
would be swamped, and so on. The end
was, that all who could crowd into the boat
did so. And me and the baby and poor
sailor lad and the black cook were left be-
hind to perish.
But marster, as it turned out, we as was
left to die, were the only ones saved. We
watched after that boat with longing eyes,
though we could only see it when the light
ming flashed. And every time we saw it it
was farther off. AT last, marster, flash
of lightning showed us the boat as far off
as ever we could see her, capsized and
beaten hither and thither by the wild waves
its crew had perished-
'Marster, as soon as the sea had swal-
loved up that wicked captain and crew, the
wind died away, the waves fell, and the
storm lulled-just as if it had done what it
was sent TO do and was satisfied. The
wreck-where we poor forlorn ones stood
the wreck that had shivered and trembed
with every wave that struck it--until we
had feared it would break up every min
ute, became still and firm on Its sandbar, as
a house on dry land.
Daylight came at last. And little after
sunrise we saw sail bearing down upon
us. We could not signal the sail, but by
the mercy of Providence she saw US and
lay to, and sent off boat, and picked us
up and took US on board--me and the baby, |
and the cook and the sailor lad.
1T was foreign vessel, and we could not
word they said, nor they us. I
All we could do was by signs. But they
were very good to US, dried our clothes and
gave us breakfast, and made US lie down I
and rest. And then put about and contin-
ued their course. The sailor lad-Herbertt
ptCy SJti-scOu lOutid Oul anu toiu uC buCy !
were bound for New York. And, in fact,
marster, in about ter days we made that
port.
well, marster, amt gwine to bother
you with telling you of how l toiled and
struggled along in that great city-frst liv-
ing out as a servant, and afterwards rent
ing room and taking in washing and IRON
how | toiled and struggled
hoping for the time to
come when should be able to return to
his neighborhood, where was known, and
expose the evil deeds of them villains, and
or this cause lived on toiling and strug-
Cling, and laying up money penny by pen
ny.
No one ever helped me but the lad Her.
bert Greyson. Whenever he came from
sea, he sought me out, and made little
present TO me or Cap.
Cap, marster, was Capitola, the child.
The reason i gave her that name was be-
cause on that ring / had drawn from the
masked mothers hand were the two names
-Eugene-Capitola.
We'll, marster, the last time Herbert
Jreyson came home, he gave me five dol
ars, aud that, with what had saved, was
enough to pay my passage TO Norfolk
4 left my little Cap in the care Of the
'eople of the house-she was big enough
o pay for her keep in work-and took
passage for Norfolk. When got there
ell i'll, spent all my money. and was at last
AIKEN to the poor-house Six months pass
d away before | was discharged, and then
TX more before / had earned and saved |
'nough to pay my way on here.
Il reached here three days ago, and found
wheat field growing where my cottage fire {
ised to burn, and all my old cronies dead {
ii except old Hat, who has received and
,iven me shelter. Sir, my story is done
make what you can of it" said the invalid,
linking down in her bed as if utterly ex-
lausted.
Old hurricane, whose eountenance had
emotions as powerful as they
we're various while listening to this tale.
ow arose. stepped cautiously to the door,
rev the bolt, and coming back, bent his
ead and asked
M 4