The Elk advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Elk Co., Pa.) 186?-1868, 1866-11-22

wherever she went, sure enough, Paul
wasn't Ear behind, and Fittings went Oft in
this way for about six months, when
one night, when the wind blowing great
guns and the sea running high, we saw
signals Of distress from some vessel on
the point there. There was no life
boat in the place, and our small craft
couldn't have lived minute in such
water. In the morning we saw no signs
Of the vessel, and We supposed she had
gone down, and all on board lost; how
ever, we heard in the day that one Of
the poor fellows had escaped, and tho
cut and bruised, had contriyed to crawl
up the point there, where be was found
| by Captain Meredith, who brought him
homc 50 his own lodging and nursed him,
" lie was fine young fellow, an or
pban, as he said, BY name William Ran
dali, and bad been working his way to
Liverpool in hopes Of obtaining employ
mcnt. The clergyman Of The placo-
you may see the church on the right as
you go toward Edgercumbe Ferry
- heard of this, and becoming a
coo1 deal interested in the young man,
offered him place as gardener, or gen
erai servant, or something or other. Bill
was handy chap, aud soon made friends
with the people, and they persuaded
him to stop here, instead Of going to
Liverpool as he had intended to. He
didn't want much pressing for any one
could see there was girl in the case,
and that girl was Ellen Meredith, and
it didn't want more than two eyes to see
that she liked him. The folks used to
ieer Paul about his nose being ont Of
joint, and Tom Treveliian, the black
smith, as owed him a gru!ge for the
dog. used to say, We'll, doctor, how s
your nose by this timeY But they said
the doctor only used to rurn white and
rub his hands it was way he he'd and
he did the same when he gave the dog
the bread.
Well, things prospercd SO well with
young Randall that he at last made up
his mind to ask the captain for his con.
sent that he and Ellen should be mar
ried, and as tho OLD fellow was q follow,
easy going customer, and liked Bill We
~ mach beside, it wasn't long before
he gave it. Just about this time, the
folks in the village was frightened at
the report that the press gang were out 4;
that they had oeen ss far as Plymouth,
four or five miles from the town there,
and pressed one or two men. The Cap
tain and Ellen wanted to put the we'd
ding off, but Bill wouldn't hear to it,
and, strange to say, Paul sided with
him. Well, on the very day afore the
wedding strange man as hadn't been
seen in the village afore, called at the
the house to speak to Paul, and neigh.
bor's daughter happened to be present
at the time said aiterwarG she had seen
them talking together on the road to
Plymouth Now, mind me, in the even
ing, and Just as they were sitting down
to supper and drinking healths, Paul,
who was late, ran into the room, leaving
the door open behind him, and entreat
William to look to himself, as the press
gang we're already in the village; aud
before poor Bill could get away the
press gang were inside and had seized
him, and in spite Of his struggles and
Ellen's cries and Paups entrerties, car
ried him to the beach, where boat lay
ready, and took him away in 1t.
" Is that all ?" | asked.
" Not exactly, lnata," said my friend,
finishing the rum, ''the strange part has
to come"
So, replenishins his glass and refill
ing his pipe, he continued:
Wei, every one, OF course, was very
much cast down at this, but poor Ellen
particularly; howover, for many months
She kept a brave heart, always telling
the Captsiu that she kuew William
would return, and they would be happy
yet. and d'yl see no one liked to tell the
poor thing different, although but very
few thought they'd ever see him again.
At any rate it was clear Dr. Paul didn't,
for after a while he began to pay his
addresses to her, and this time more 10
earnest than before; but it was no use
Ellen would have nothing to say to him
at all
"Now, about two years after they
had pressed poor viii, when it was get
ting on towards the winter time-there
} had been a coed deal of dirty weather
about and several vessels had been lost
) on the coast-there was a report that
} several crews had been paid of, and
: when Ellen made up her mind moro
than ever that William would return;
when one day neighbor comes in and
says he has heard that a vessel like the
, spittire-that wrs the one William went
out in-had gone down off the Sicillys,
and it was feared all hands had perish
ed ; he had it, ne said, from a party who
) was told 50 by Paul, who had learned it
when he went over to Davenport the
day before on some matter of business.
"This was bad news for the poor
ass, but l believe she still hoped and