The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-11-03
THE "MARGARET ANN"

HE MAhUAhLI
al am sure it is going to be fearful
night" sighed Mrs. Whitnall. "It was
rough at midday but"
"Rough at midday Why, mother,
you called it rough the other evening,
when there was hardly enough wind to
blow out the fishing boats"
1t was Alex who had interrupted, the
eldest; brave, fearless lad of thirteen.
We stood on again, in silence.
ooh, dear, | wish we could have tea,
mamma ~ said impatient Gerty, pres.
emily. Is it of any use to wait
longer 2"
"Well-yes; perhaps we had better
have tea," replied Mrs. Whitnall.
"Please to ring, Dorothy"
1t was surprising how dark the room
had become, and how long we must
have stood watching the sky and sea.
had to grope m way to the bell. The
landlady answered it herself, Mrs.
James, bringing in the candles.
With the curtains drawn, and the
room bright, we sat round the tea-ta BILE,
and forgot the sea. All at once, when
there happened to be minutes still.
ness from tongues, every mouth being
full of bread and butter and shrimps,
sound like rushing, wailing moan
swept past the windows, shaking the
house to its foundation. Mrs. Whitnall
dropped the teapot and looked up with
scared face.
"Was that the wind p
Of course it was the wind. She need
not have asked it.
"What night it is going to be I"
Alex went behind the curtains to
look out Little Ethel was running,
too, but told her to come back, and
the shrimps.
alt is nothing but land wind,
mother" said Alex, in his wisdom.
"The sea is not bit rougher than it
was before"
"Just bark That's the drum of the
circus" bewailed Frederick. And
poor papa not to have come back to
take us!"
The drums could certainly be heard,
and for the first time in our remem-
brance. But we were quieter tonight
than usual, and the wind set this way.
Children feel disappointment keenly,
and the shrimps seemed to lose their
flavor.
Mrs. Whitnall chose the one hundred
and seventh Psalm for reading that
night thought | knew why-and
then the childl en- went to bed. Alex
sadly wanted to sit up, to be Gin at the
landing" but his mother would not let
him. When ! got down stairs after see-
ing to the two little ones, Kate and
Ethel, she was standing in the bay.
window behind the curtain, calculating
the possibility, or'not, of her husband S
coming in. But that we were inexpe-
rienced land-women, we should have
known that there had been no chance
of it for hours past. The Margaret Ann
could not have lived in such sea.
Dorothy, just come and look at it
now"
There could be no mistake that it
had turned out wild night; for that
matter, though, it had been wild after.
noon. Gusts of wind shook the panes !;
the black clouds had given place to
lurid ones; the sea rose higher and
roared aloft. She stood with her hands
tightly clasped.
Dorothy, l am getting faint with
fear
"Nay, try and not do that, Mrs.
Whitnall Gods mercy is over all. Re-
member what you read tonight"
"The singular thing is, why they
should not have returned in the after
noon, as agreed upon," said she. at
was not too rough them
"Not too rough in the cal ly part of
il, Mrs. Whitnall."
1t almost seemed to us watching there
that we could see the air moving-mov-
ing as fast as the clouds. The waves
tossed as if they wanted to meet it.
She looked very pale, poor wife; and /
felt all kinds of terrible doubts myself.
Accidents happen on the sea so con-
stantly. Why, why did Robert Whitnall
consent to go?-he who did not like
the sea Was he safe would he be
safe 7-and come home to us ever again
"Shall get your work, Mrs. Whit
nall p
"Oh, Dorothy, I have no heart to
work tonight ~
IL was the first time we had left Lon
don in three years. Mr.. Whitnall could
not afford the expense of a holiday
every autumn. Two weeks had gone by
since we came, and we were to stay two
weeks more. IL was great enjoyment