The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1871-07-13


got mad, like a great fool; for my ex-
perience tells me it is never any good
arguing with woman. When two peo-
pie are mad and quarreling, you know,
they don't say exactly what they think. |
suppose said many things 1 ought |
not to have done, when, oil of sudden, |
Esther clenched her fist, and brought it |
down violently upon the gate-post-f
though she favored her father, she
still had spice of her mother in her
and said:
"'I tell you, Dave Pearson, you shall
never call me wifeP
with this she turned round, and
walked up the garden path toward the
house. My heart relented; L opened
the gate, and followed, calling upon
her to hear me explain. She paid not
the least attention, entered the door,
gave me q look, that 1 don't like to
think of even now, and she slammed
it in my face"
Dave refreshed himself with glass
of apple-jack, and continued:
"Well, that got my dander up, so L
Jest turned round and walked away,
vowing vengeance against all woman
kind, and Esther in particular. lswore
in my rage, that I would never go near
her house again, and that l would kill
Abner Sanford the first opportunity, for
somehow or other, laid all the blame
on him, and hugged in the belief to my
heart that he had been poisoning Esther's
mind against me-"
(which was a very sensible thing to
do" said I, knocking the ashes out OF
my pipe, and reflling it. .| .
al neglected my work, and 1 didn't
care a darn whether school kept or not,
and kept on drinking more than was good
for me. The Sparkling Foam lay idle
at her moorings, and both me and my
belongings were going to rust and de-
cay. 1 tried to pick fuss with Abner !;
but he told me plainly that he was sorry
for me, and would not quarrel with q
man in misfortune"
GA magnanimous felloww Iexclamed.
"There came Sunday, remember
one of those cold, leaden kind of days,
you often see at the commencement OF
winter, when everything looks dull and
grey, and objects, both on ocean and
shore, oppress you with sense of great
desolation. Such day, l need not tell
you, did not make me feel particularly
cheerful, so, to pluck up my spirits and
! drown care, 1 flew to that which, like
fire, is very good servant, but d bad
master"
Dave gave the bottle little flip
with his thumb and forehnger, and re-
sumed:
GAS I was wandering about the vii
lage, nursing my wrath and hatred
against all mankind, who should l see
but Esther returning from church, with
Abner walkingby her side That was
enough, A feeling that had long been
slumbering in my breast awoke with re-
, newed energy, and my whole nature
was filled with hate, revenge and muir
der. resolved to waylay Abner on his
| return, and kill him."
"Why, Dave" 1 said, 81 had nc idea
) you were such desperate fellow"
{ "I watched them enter the house, and
then went to the back, where l knew
/ old Obadiah kept his nets, and, picking
up the handle of broken oar, went
= down the road and waited. 1T was get
1 ting night now, and the snow that had
' been threatening for some time began
/, falling very fast. The wind had also
| risen, and it was blowing a perfect hur'
ricane. The drifting and binding SNOW
prevented my seeing the sea, but knew
J, how angry it was, for / heard it break
1 ing and roaring on the beach with fury
= that threatened to swallow up the land
0 Though I had murder in my heart,
pitied the poor fellows off the coast, ant
v wished they had plenty of sea-room, a
e the wind was blowing dead on shore"
Q Dave paused moment, gave sigl
@ of contrition, and then went on with hi
}, story.
g "How long l had waited for Abner,
don't know-I had sense of being bit
= ter cold, but if 1t had been ten time
: colder, my hate would have kept M
3 there till morning-when, all of sud
den, 1 heard, nigh on shore, the boom o
t cannon. l knew what that meant
b some vessel in distress-and it was fol
:, lowed by another and another in rapi'
), succession. In a moment, Abner wa
). forgotten, and my only idea was to hur
= ry to the beach, and give what aid
= could to the vessel which, if not alread,
y on shore, would soon be driven there b,
q the wild, tempestuous wind.
o "When / arrived ON the beach, l foun
y many there before me, all intent upol
the same errand as myself-for you mus
It tening to ships cry of distress. W
70 had no life-boat down on this part c
a the coast then, and even if we had,
q wouldn't have been of much use. l hav
10 seen many a rough sea, but that beat a
l have ever seen. AS the waves role
% on the shore, they scooped deep hollow
IL in the sand, and went tearing and tuH
bling back with maddened fury this
~ was terrible.
sold tishermen-men who had nevc
3, been q day away from the sea in a
te their lives-shook their heads, and sal
s. that nothing could be done, the shi
le must be left to the mercy of Providenc
N All this time, none had seen the vesse
r. for the falling snow prevented objec
or fifty yards distance being seen, yet tt
Ve steady and incessant firing of the Cal
at non-heard above the roaring of IL
ne tempest-told us of her deep and di
10 distress.
L "Women were wringinP their ham
lg and begging, against their own judi
ment (for they knew as we'll as any, no
he foolhardy would be such an underta
ing) the men, for the sake of the mot
ne ers, sisters and wives of those on boar
We to try and save them.
"At last they sent up a rocket, al
ny another, and finally they lit signs
lg light, and by its glare we saw her.
"There she lay, not biscuits thro
ny from the shore, beam-ends on, and t