The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1859-02-23

and yet not to care about questioning me
too closely. He made me sit down then
in the dark, and went out and turned the
key ON me. wet my finger with the
paragoric and put It to the baby's lips to
quiet its pains Of hunger. Then ! heard
a whispering III the next ROOM Now my
eyesght never was good, but to make up
for ii / believe | had the sharpest ears
that ever was, and don't think anybody
could have heard that whispering but me.
l saw a little glimmer of light through the
was and so l creeped up to it and put my
ear to the key-hole. Still they whispered
so low that no ears could O. heard them
but my sharp ones. They was talking
about selling some woman and child. L
should 'av been Uneasy if they hadn't cal
led the woman Kate. My villain offered
EN- for fifty dollars, but tother villain
wouldn't give cent. He told my villain
as he called Captain, that he'd take 'em
off his hands and no more. And then
they threatened each other and went out
O. my hearin'. And in the mornin' the
new villain came and took me and the
child of in a shay and drove down long
way 10 the beach, and hailed q vessel on
the river and took US aboard and sold us
to the captain right afore my eyes, and
then went ashore, and we was carried off
out to sea, though 1 cried, and 'splained,
and spostulated all the time.
Nov, sir, come strange providence,
which the very thoughts of it might cou-
vert heather! We had been to sea
about FIVE days when dreadful storm riz.
I tell you, marster, that looked like the
wrath of God Rugged the baby to my
breast-and went to praying as hard as
ever I 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 ! felt the vessel trembling
like live creetur, and the water pour
ing in everywhere. 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
vessel.
"a fash OF ghtning, that made every
thing as bright as day again, showed me
that they were all taking to the boat. l
rushed after, calling to them to save me
and the baby But no one seemed to hear
me; they were all to busy trying to save
themselves and keep others out of the
boat, and cursing and swearing and hol.
lering that there was no more room-th
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 tailor lad aud the black
cook were left behind 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 lightning flashed. And every time
we saw it, it was father off. At last,
marster, fash 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 persisted.
=" Marster, as soon as the sea had swal-
lowed 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 doand was satisfied
The wreck-where we poor forlorn ones
stood the wreck that had shivered and
trembled with every wave that struck il
until we had feared it would break uI
every minute, became still and firm on iti
sandbar, as house on dry land.
daylight came at last. And little
after sunrise we saw a 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 q boat, anC
picked us up and took us on board-mt
and tie baby, and the cook and the sailor
lad.
1t was foreign vessel, and we could
not understand word they said, nor they
us. All we could do was by signs. Blu
they were very good to us, dried oul
clothes and pave us breakfast, and made
us lie down and rest, And then put abou
and continued their course. The saio,
lad-Herbert Greyson-soon found GU
and told me they were bound for New
York. And, in fact, marster, in abou
ten days we made that port.
"Well, marster, amt gwine to both
CT you with telling you of how I toie,
and struggled along in that great city
first living out as servant, and after
wards renting room and taking in wash
ing and ironiDg-aye! how I toiled am
struggled--!or-ten-long years, hop
ing for the time to come when I shout
be able tc return to this neighborhood
where was known, and expose the ev
deeds of them villains, and for this caus
lived on telling and struggling, and lay
ing up money penny by penny.
mo one ever helped mo but the la
Herbert Greyson. Whenever he cam
from sea, he sought me out, and made
little present to me or Cap.
"Cap, marster, was Capitola, the chile
The reason l gave her that name was b.
cause on that ring | had drawn from til
masked mothers hand were the two name
-Eugenc-Capitola.
: "Well, marster, the last time Herbel
Greyson came home, he gave me five do
lars, and that, with what had saved wa
enough to pay my passage to Norfolk.
81 left my little Cap in the care Of tn
people of the house-she was big enoup
to pay for her keep in work-and / too
| ,noceo no Gor NorHoll- W..