Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-05-20
in the speediest possible manner he could

in the spsediest possible manner he could
devise.sgFg can. g.eN @I
The truth was, as we may now explain,
abeut two hours before this, ere yet the
storm had relaxed its fierce violence,
three men ofthe neighborhood-two fish-
ermen and the blacksmith of the place
had suddenly made their appearance at
the servants quarters at the hall, and
communicated to the sffrighted inmates
the startling intelligence that little Mary,
daughter ofihe widow Purcell, had in all
probability been overtaken by the storm
10 attempting to return from Sheppey
Island to the Point in her frail little
boat, and had so surely persisted. N
II was positively known that she had
rowed over to the island, late in the fore
noon-later by far than usual, for some
unknown reason-and had not been seen
to return. The poor mother, in an agony
of grief for the probable fate OF her child,
and utterly regardless of the pitiless
storm, few to the nearest huts of the fish
ermen, who had been driven to land by
the fierce gale, and implored them, with
tears and pray ers, to 60 out to the resc ue
of her darling, m 4ra RAGS
These men Of the sea were all rough,
Ignorant leuts Of fellows, as viewed ex-
ternally, yet possessed, every man of
them, of great warm hearts, tender and
sympsthizing, and ready to respond to
the first appeal for assistance. These
brave men well knew that il there was
any there was all hope for the safety of
the child, and gave the mother that as
surance. ;f fsi.i...i ...f s
If little Mary had rashly ventured forth
from the island in her frail boat, too late
to reach the shore before the tempest
burst upon her, she was surely lost, be.
yond all hope. But if, recognizing the
futility of the attempt, she had tarried on
the island, then there was every reason
to believe that she was still safe, and
would yet be restored to her unhappy
mother. r.
However, there was nothing for it but
TO await the subsistence of the storm before
ANYTHING could be done. No boat could
be forced through the foaming breakers
that rolled in on the beach. nor live
among the wbite-crested pillows beyond.
Nor vet could dozen oars have over
borne the combined force of wind and
wave, in the hight of such fearful tenn
pest.
: The experienced Batarmen knew this
full well, and pointed out to the agonized
parent the certain destruction that woHld
follow any attempt to venture abroad on
that SEQ. But though she could not fail
to see and acknowledge the truth of this
reasoning, her grief and anxiety were
beyond her power of control. .ss.a
She wandered continually, like spirit
Of unrest, up and down the short stretch
of beach between the fsnking cliffs,
wringing her hands in silent, fearless
agony, her long, dark hair ulloosed, and
flying disordered in the wind. The salt
spray drenched her garments, and the
pitiless rain beat upon her, yet she did
not heed them, and persistently refused
to leave the threshold Of the ocean,prison
that held-alas without doubt-within
its cold embrace the idol of her heart.
In the meantime every preparation
had been made By the sympathizing
fishermen for visit to Sheppey Island,
Just as soon as the lulling of the storm
would allow them to do so with promise
of success. 7,9r,f .a..s Il
One of these men, who understood
something of the state of affairs up at
Tandauk Pace, and who imagined be
knew great deal more, suddenly con-
ceived the idea of sending Up to the
manor before attempting the visit to the
Island. What reason he found for so
doing is not easy to understand, unless
il was that he was actuated by the prev
alent desire to circulate unwelcome or
startling intelligence. If he imagined
that Mary might be found detained there
BY the sudden approach of the storm, in
stead of being on the island or at the
bottom of the sea, he had soon to learn
hat be was not as conyerssnt with the
rue state of affairs up at the hall as he
might have imagined.
Be that as it may, however, the idea
was suggested to his companions, aud re-
,eived their approval; each one, NO
ioubt, imagining that the one who ad.
ranced the proposition had some good
'eason for doing 80, yet which he did not
,are TO make known. And all were well
pleased with the possibility Of happy
.soape from the unpleasant duty which
Itared them in the face across those foam
crested billows. rasf
So two active young fishermen, ac-
by the smithy, each eager to
,e first to communicate the sad news at
he hall, set out with all speed for the &C
Of that purpose. For.
nothing had been said to widow
Purcell about this matter, and there
Fere, therefore, no false hopes raised in
Ter heart by the bootless errand on which
hese young men were gone.
The latter, ss before remarked, ar
ived at the hall at about the time the
torn began perceptibly to relax its long
,ontinued violence. They directed their
teps at once to the servants quarters, not
laving an errand to any one else about
he place, and Immediately upon their
.rrivsl the whole domestic portion Of the
was thrown into state Of un-
,sual excitement. ....... -. =
These servants we're all familiar with
he nature Of those recent events in the
amily with which the name Of Mary
ourcell had been connected, and they
rere resdy now 70 attach the greatest i'm
,ortauce to the sad intelligence which
,ad ;net reached their ears a. to its in !