Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1867-10-18
DELAWARE, OHIO, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 49, 1867.

lust elevated above the great salt
marshes, stretching far away to sea.
The night set IN dark and stormy. The
fierce uOtheasterly wind swept over the
level waste, driving thick snoW-clOuds
before it, shaking the doors and win
doWs Of the old house, and roaring in
its vast chimney. The woman was dy-
ing when we arrived, and her drunken
husband was sitting in stupid uncon-
cern, in the corner of the lire place. A
little after midnight she breathed her
last.
In the meantime the storm had grown
more violent there wrs a binding
snow falling in the air, and we could
feel the Jar of the great waves as they
broke upon the beach.
SIT is 9 terrible night for sailors on
the coast, - said, breaking our long
silence with the dead. "GOd grant them
sea rOOnl''
Julia shuddered as I spoke, and by
the dim flashing freight, I saw her
weeping.-I knew her thoughts We're
with her old friend and playmate on
the wide waters.
'Julia, - said I, 'do you know that
Robert Barnet loves you with all the
strength Of an honest and true heart p
She trembled, and her voice faltered
as she confessed that, that when Robert
was at home. he had asked her TO be-
come my wife.
tAAANA 44AAG q 4NJAB v JtA A~-+AEsey--
suppose, the brave, generous fellow"
"Oh, Doctor" she exclaimed, "hOW
can you talk so ? 1t is just because
Robert is so good and noble and gener-
GUS that dare not take him at his word.
You, doctor, would have desPlsed me
if had taken advantage Of his pity
or his kind remembrance OF the otd
days when we We're children together.
have already brought too much dis
grace upon those dear to me-" / was
endeavoring 20 convince her, in reply,
that she was doing injustice to herself,
and wrOnging her best friend, whose
happiness depended, in a great meas
ure, upon her, when, borne upon the
strong blast, we both heard faint cry,
as Of a human being in distress. 1
threw up the window, which opened
seaward, and we leaned out into the
wild night, and listened breathlessly
for the sound.
Once more, and once only we heard it,
a low, smothered, despairing cry.
''SoLne one is lost and perish1ng IN
the snoW.0 said Julia. tFTne sound
comes in the direction Of the beach
plum bushes on the side of the marsh.
Let US go at once"
She snatched up her hood and shawl,
and was already at the door. Z found
and lighted a lantern and soon over
took her. The snow was already deep
and badly drITU9Q, ana II WAS WITH eA-
treme difficulty that we could force our
way against the storm. We stopped
often to breathe and listen; bnt tha
roaring Of the wind and the waves was
alone audible. At last we reached a
slightly elevated spot, overgroWn with
dwarf plum trees, whose branches were
dimly visible above the snow.
''Here, bring the lantern here !" cried
Julia, who had strayed few yards
from me, I hastened to her, and found
her lifting up the body of a man who
was apparently inSensible. The rays
of the lantern fell upon his face and
we both at the same Instant recognized
Robert Barnet. Julia neither shrek
ed nor tainted, but kueeling IN the
snow, and still supporting the body,
she turned toward me look OF earnest
and fearful inquiry.
'sCourage," said I, "he still lives. lie
I is only overcome with fatigue and cold y
With much difficulty, partly carry
ing and partly dragging him through
I the snow. we succeeded in getting him
/ to the house, where in short time he
/ had so far recovered as to be able to
/ speak. Julia, who had been my prompt
/ and efficient assistant in his restoration
/ retired into the shadow of the room as
| soon as he began to rouse himself and
| look about him. He asked where he
| was and who was with me, saying that
/ his head was so confused that he
u
/ bedside. "You were not mistaken, 2
/ said I "Julia is here, and you owe
+ your life to her" he started up and
i eazed around the room Z beckoned
/ Julia to the bedside, and I never shall
/ forget the grateful earnestness with
/ which he grasped her by the hands and
I called upon God to bless her. Some
/ folks think me tough-hearted OLD
/ fellow, and so am but that scene was
more than I could bear without she'd
/ ding tears. Robert told US that his
/ vessel had been thrown upon the beach
| q mile or two below, and he feared thai
/ all the crew had perIshed save himself
/ Assured of his safety, I went out once
more in the faint hope of hearing the
voice of some survivor of the disaster
but I listened only to the heavy thun.
der of the surf, rolling along the horl
zon of the east. The storm had in &
/ great measure ceased, the gray Light o.
dawn was just visible, and I was graft
fed to see two Of the nearest neighbori
/ approaching the house. On being in
formed of the wreck, they immediately
started for the beach, where severa
dead bodies, half buried in the snow
confirmed the fears of the solitary sur
vivor.
The result of this you can easily con
lecture. Robert Barnet abandoned th'
sea and, with the aid Of his friends
purchased the farm where he nov
lives, and the anniversary of the ship
wreck found him the husband Of Julia
L I can assure you I have had every .rea
son to congratulate myself on my shar
in the matchmaking. Nobody ven
tured to find fault with it, except tw'
| or three sour old busy-bodies, Who a
Elder Staples we'll says, would nav
/ cursed her whom Christ had forgiven
and spurned the weeping Magdalel
from the feet of the Lord"