The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1863-10-08
Stop Her! Stop Her!
BY VIRGINIA F. TOWNSEND.

1t was terrible gale through which the
good steamer piowed her path away out on
the broad Atlantic The heavy clouds COW
cred ike gray woolens the face Of the sky, the
great waves washed and Numbered at the
vessel, and clutched and struck at her with
their fierce hands, and dashed over her deck
the salt spray of their wrath and rocked her
to and fro-the stately steamer as she strug
gIed onward with the winds and waves leag-
ued together for her death. The dinner was
over, few of the bravest assengers-deter-
mined to face all danger for the sake of wit
Messing that sublime spectacle, storm at
sea-were plunging and tumbling their way
up the stairs to the deck, when one of these
suddenly stood STILL every nerve thrilled with
the awful words which had smote his ear from
the chief oficer-that cry which is most sigoi-
fcant Of danger and death of any words that
can be uttered on board of ship-e'Stop her ?
Stop her." The command rang like a clar-
ion above the hoarse fury of the blast-and
above the awful tunult of the waves. The
captain caught the sound, and the next mo
ment, swift and sudden as lightning, he rush
ed past his appalled, passenger, his white face
only betraying the dread that lay at his
heart.
Was an iceberg sailing down upon them
q vast white mountain ready to crush and
bury the doomed vessel under her cold feet !?
Had the fair steamer that had set her face so
proudly tr the west sprung a sudden leak, and
must the anxious freight of hearts that she
carries, 60 down at last under these hungry
waves; and must the eyes that watched for
the beloved at home, grow dim with weeping
for those who come not?
Stop her /! Stop heri"
The swift thoughts--the terrible fears gave
new courage to the passenger who was CROP
ing his way to the deck, and almost as soon
as the captain mounted it he was at his side
Their eyes swept the wide and heaving ocean.
and on the right they beheld six men strug-
Cling and battling for life with those mad
waves; six men suddenly swept overheard u
In moment a boat was lowered 1t did not
seem possible that she could live in that aw.
full sea but there were plenty Of brave hearts
on board to risk their lives for their brothers,
and in a moment, manned by stalwart hearts,
she pushed off.
Then came the longer hope and fear and
waiting on board the steamer-the straining
ofeyes in the storm for the little boat strug-
Cling her way to the drowning men; at last
she was seen returning. The passengers gath
count the number of those rescued. There
were four i'll the boat-there were six over
board.
One old man, his hair snow white with the
winter of his years. pressed forward-hs son
was among the missing. Tho Old mans face
was white as his sons was, whether it lay I'M
conscious in the boat or had gone down il
the triumphant waves. The old man search
ed the faces in the boat. They were four, but
the one for which he sought was not there.
''8ly boy is lost - cried the old man. in
tone that made the heart of every passenger
stand still, SO full it waS of human loss and
anguish. All a.GGine the old man must make
MS Wy ~ to the new, strange country whittier
he and his son were going together-whither
the brave heart and strong arm had lured the
old and feeble one with the hope of building
up a new fortune and this was all the tidings
he had to send now to the loving mother, who
sat waiting and full of tremulous emotion at
home-this was all to the fair young sister,
who had sent out her last farewell on a Sob
'Our dear boy is lost
Dear children, whose young eyes may be
wet with pity, for the broken hearted old man,
this story is not all of my fancy | had its
principal facts from the lips of passenger
who witnessed that fathers anguish over his
boy that was, and is not and have written
it for you here, with this still June afternoon
leaning toward the night, and with the soft,
furrowed clouds folding away the fair face of
the spring sky.
Stop her I! Stop her!" Never on board of
some steamer blowing her way through the
storm, may you hear that cry. But oh, on
another sea, where have gone down many
and princely freights, there will assail you
terrible storms of wind and wave
Stop her! Stop her !" In the gale of passion
and the storms of life, may your soul learn
the meaning and the majesty of that call.
Stop herl Stop her!" Ifthe breakersIare
ahead-if the rocks lie before you-if the path
on when you are going is in anywise the path
of sin, the way of death
Be vigilant, be prompt on the broad Allan
tic of your life, for there the winds may rise,
and rains beat, and where loss and ruin lie be-
fore the path of your fair stately ship. stop
her ..:'-Arthur'S Magazine.