The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1864-10-14
The Shippers Wife.

was rOwed ont to the Belfry. The
waters were still and clear os crystal,
and gazing over the sides of the crab
boat, I could distinctly make out in
places where the foundations must
have stood. .f ..
Cant see much Of the ruin, young
gentlemen" said the old fisherman
who had rowed me out, and who had
been watching with evident satisfac-
ton, the interest l took in surveying
the site of the church, which he, in
common with the other villagers, took
great delight in pointing out.
"When do you last remember any
goods being smuggled on shore -
i said, seeing from grim sort Of a
smile, that he had good story if he
would but tell it.
1.-Two years ago, come January,
was the last time as ever it was tried
on; mayhap, sir, you would like to
hear about itp Though part of il is
ruther sad like, here goes.
1.-TWO years ago, January next, n
ship looking like collier coming from
Newcastle, anchored in the offlng it
was q clear, frosty morning, with u
sharp breeze from the east, which
prevented many from going out fish
ing. About twenty Of us were gath
cred round the benches in front of
tho coast guard station, yonder, when
we seed this ship letting down her
anchor.
"What ship he that" said !, 'taint
the 'Tilda,' what brings Goals to the
Elruin wharf, Jack says to my
son, out home and get the glass, we II
sec what we can make of ii"
"Just az Jack comes with the tel
liscope, mp comes Lieutenant Barns,
who commands the station"
What do you make of it, my man "
says he.
MAKE of it, Captain ?" says 1, 1--WE
alters calls him Captain, } make Of it 7
why nothing at all taint the 'Tilda,
though she seems to be collier"
A salvage case, perhaps, says he ;
but we shall hear all about it direct
ly, as they are letting down the boat,
see." ........ ...... .
In few minutes the boat was at
the shore. and a man with thick
surge coat and very large buttons,
jumped out and walked towards the
place where we were standing. .
Does your parson live near here,
mates !? says he, as he came up the
gangway.
/ 'Parson.' says old John Plcr, who
loves his joke, ito be sure he does.
and he'll marry you as well as any
one along the coast, rs no doubt you
have heard and come about
This sally was received with shouts
of laughter by all, except the man
with the big buttons, who put on 6
most uncommon sad face, and pulled
out large handkerchief, with which
he began to mop his eyes.
"Taint my getting married." says
lie, i be come about. Yonder ehif
be the collier, Mary Ann barley, o
Newcastle and it be along of Mary
Ann barley that be here to day
"She then wants to get married
only its not to YOU said old John
and that's why you put on such ar
uncommon long face. Well, i be sor
ry for you mate, that be-"
"Mary Ann Darley, who was til,
beloved wife Of our skipper, Georg'
Hslfred barley, and after whom tn
! ship is named, is dead, dead as RET
herring" said the man, with a voic
full of anguish, which made old JOIN
look ashamed of all his former jokes
b "No, mates without any more triilin,
!. with my feelings which are sucI
! as I cannot express, tell us wher
! your dear parson lives, becaus
n our sldpper's mind be in such stat
;. that he says nothing but the consola
ton your vicar can give, Of whom h
has often heard, can do him an.
good" ....
This is compliment to our minis
ter the Rev. Mr.. Coles, whom we al
loved, and of whom we were not
little proud, and the expression Q
deep sorrow on the mans face, turn
ed all our sympathies towards him
and we all volunteered to show hir
the way to the vicarage.
In less than ten minutes we sa,
our minister's tall thin figure coming
down the village with the man witt
the big buttons, and in another tel
minutes he was on board the vessel
!, In an hours time the boat LANDED
d Mr. Coles again, who, as he passc'
us, stopped 10 shake hands with tn
Lieutenant, who had again joined us
> bringing his own glass with him.
o. "Most interesting case" said tn
vicar ~ never saw a man more com
plctely prostrated by grief poor fel
low! his wife dcad--just three days
only been married two years! nev
> er witnessed more sympathy exlibte'
for any one than the whole crew eS
presses toward him; to see it wa
quite charming. The man with thos
o buttons is u good, honest, sailer.lik
fellow, with the tenderest of hearts
J, ] was deeply interested In all the par
o ticulars Of the young woman's death
! which he told me. He ended by be
9 seeching me to persuade the skippe
to bury his wife, as the crew can
bear a dead body on board ship, ant
the skipper, he says, is always sittinI
and crying by it, / could not hel
0 aoroainp with him that il was no us