Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1859-08-05
MI ) G Il LII A n Y. /.
A Ru,,inn Story Of Century AgO


the coas, OF Finland could easily fortell a
coming storm, IRON the clouds which were
gathering on the horizon from the south
east. A. the cloud. grew darker, the wind
blew IN louder gusts. and the waves rose
With whittier and taller crests, and lashed the
shores with Increasing yehcmence. Along
the beach on the north side Of the gulf Of
Finland are some twenty or thirty fisher.
mems huts. which form part of the strae.
Cling town Of L,chia. Hard by !. the spot
where a ferry boat starts-or rather start
ed century ago-for the opposite side OF
the gulf some twice or three times a.week.
As the door OF one OF these cottages opened,
a young sailor came out followed by his
mother who saw ho was bent upsn crossing
the lake, fOr the purpose Of transac'ing
some bu.ire.. a, ihc little village Of Lihrog,
and was yainly trying to stay him by point.
ing out the .ien. Of the growing storm.
"Only ,ce my dear son." 'ho cried,
how rough and angry the lake il now :
see what madness IL j. % venture out in an
open boat upon It's waves on such a day as
this. 1.-THE icrry.boa, mus, ~, let Il start
without you, and DO you sny a, home, my
Steuic. cor your poor mothers sake.
Oh mother" replied the young man,
"you are over anxious, my business with
Carl wald compel, the 20 cros' whether |
ike il or not. and cannot disppolnt him
II the ferry boat start. at all, and start IL
will directly from the quay, ior | scc the
passenger. gathered together at the top of
the steps. Only look now there. Alec aud
Nicholas going across, and I canno, stay be
hind Ticn good bye mother, | am od 10
the Katharine" 50 saying he stepped brisk
y forward.
"Wrll Paul, my man, here's rather y
rough passage across {, suppos, you will
% all the same. though you don't'cem to
like the look. Of tho weather biz better
than do2 but Idon't 500 any other boat.
out this afternoon tor certain"
"oh Paul! on Staruic 1, is just temP,-
ine Proyi,nco to think OF crossing over
with such a sea rising, and with the wind
almost dead against you," cried tho dis
tr,ct,i widow.
"As 70 that there's always danger ah1ai, -
answered Paul. "bc It lair or foul and
Providence takes care OF II, aanat as well a.
ever be doe. on land. Good bye. mother.
Here, Alec, let 60 that roP, Now then 70
your oars. She's oil, boys lIela apori
nov"
Port il is," growlcd the stecrsman who
evidently had NJ fancy for the voyage, aud
had all this time been crying out against
the unpropirons aspcc, Of the weather.
The h,atmcn were on the step. aud along
the bcach. assured the widow that there was
no real danger aud 50 having bid her son
an aIcctionate farewell, aud altering many
a dc,oat prayer Cor hi. speedy return next
week. she went back lnto her cottage. low
and Oppressed in her spirits, and sit watch
ing the boat from ker window as it hattled
with each crested surge and rode proudly
on It's cours,. Need wesay that she watch.
ed it with a mothers eye, uniila projecting
cliff shut It wholly FROM her view. The
-, ..... l,,..... ..n,i,.,.l .. haf,ra ,pI
the mother had hut one resource left, 10
commit her beloved son and the trail bark
ia whicl he crossed the waters Of the lake
to the merclful goodness Of tha, providence
who is " the God Of the iaiherless aud the
widow"
Meanwhile the little vessel was battling
with the angry waves in place whore there
WAS a narrow passage some City yard. broad
between two dangerous shelving sand.banks
we'll known to the master OF the Katharine
and his crew. The sand.banks themselves
Us it happened, lay partly under the leo OF
one OF the little Islands which stud the
coast near Lhchta and the current was
bearing strong upon the hank upon the
leevard. At this moment the Katharine
shipped a large quantity OF water; as III
luck would have IL, the tiller broke, and
before the boats head could bo righ,ed, she
had drillcd upon the edge Of the har OF sand
and there she stuck fast. The little buk
would have been overwhelmed by the break.
ers but for'the shelter afforded by the cor.
ner OF the island aud the shifting OF the
wind point or two round TO the north I;
indeed she was fast filling with water. In
,pise Of the efforts Of the passengers to keep
her uaoat by bailing. To add - the gener-
al confusion on board. ii now turned out
that several OF the passengers who had been
drink * at the village inn before they left
Iachta, were fairly intoxicated. and the
rest were sinking down b,wildercd into tho
apathy Of despair 50 that only stephen
and two Of the bOatmen had thor wits about
them. hut though they stroye with oil
their might they were unable TO move the
boat of from The sand bank. AZ this mo-
men,, when the waves were breaking over
the little Katharine, and had already swept
into the deep water one or two hnPle's pas.
seneers. who had lost oil heart aud courage,
a sail was seen approaching.
IL was rather II large vessel, with gal
liant crew Of some twenty men, who had
been inspecting apor,iOn Of the coast.
They had seen the periloui position OF old
Paul and his boat, and had borne down to
their assistance, for IN spite OF the terrible
raging Of the winds and waves, the captain
could not see the poor fellows swept away
and drowned without making On effort 10