Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1871-06-28
A MagdaIen'S Death-- Thrilling Scene on
Fall River Steamboat.
From the Capital, Dom Pia,t's paper.

!
/ g Fisk g is the Fall River line, is il
not 90
Eyes. And the way he tries to beat
everybody else and make his the only
line to Boston is astonishing. Why,
I'll tell you something about Fisk.
One day, just as we were starting from
New York, trim little girl stepped
aboard and took a stateroom, saving
she was going through to Boston. She
wasn't dressed loud, but mighty neat
and rich, wearing a Turkish hat, velvet
sack trimmed with lace, dress with a
lot of scallops and trimming around it,
and about the most bewildering foot I
ever saw on a human. She was pretty,
sassy, and called me old father at sup
per, and carried on in a way that soon
showed what she was, though she de-
ceiyed me at first with her baby face
and girlish manners
She was standing on deck about 7
O'Clock, after having Mortified the ladies
and amused the gentlemen by her roll
licking manner, and became quiet for a
few minutes, while she looked far out
at sea, she turned round to the captain,
and, putting up her small white hands
and taking him by his whiskers on each
side of his fece, she looked up to him
and says she, very solemnly, did you
ever want to die, Captain?' Well, no, ;
says he, I don't think I ever did
And if you did, says she, what would
you do2'
" well, in that case, said the Cap
tain, loosing her hands and turning
away, [ think, as [ have plenty of op-
portunity, fshould jump into the sound
and drown myself
"The word was hardly out of his
mouth before she turned round like a
flash, and putting one hand on the rail
ing, leaped overload. She was gone
before person could stir to catch her,
and a terrible scream arose from the
passengers who saw 1t. [ was standing
aft when I heard the shouts, and look
ed out and saw her come to the surface
She had taken off her hat, and her
splendid brown hair, which she wore
loose down her back, foated in mass
on the water. [ fancied she looked
straight at me with her childish face as
she came up, and there was nothing
wild or struggling about her, but she
seemed to smile in the same jarlnty way
that she did when she was plaguing
me half an hour before. In another
moment she was swept rapidly
astern and disappeared. We put about
and lowered the boats, but we never
found her. 1t is strange how the
women, who had been so shocked at
her conduct before, now pitied and
even wept for the little girl when they
found what load there must have been
in the foolish baby's heart while she
was laughing the loudest. She had left
Il small reticule in the cabin, and when
we opened it we found some verses,
written in little cramped hand on a
folded sheet of note paper. They ran
about this way, and were headed:
MAGDALEN'S DEATH.
can no longer endure this polluting,
This fostering breath;
Gladly fly to the refuge that's left me,
Mercjful death.
Not sadly, tearfully,
..t But gladly, cheerfully,
Go to my death.
There unto me.
Father, I thank the a blessing is always held
Over the sea.
Aye, in the widest foam,
Aye, in its thickest gloom,
Blessed is the sea.
Welcome, o sea with thy breaking and dashing
That never shall cease;
Down in thy angriest, storIniest "aters
Oh, hide me in peace,
Say to the weary face,
Come to thy resting place,
I Slumber in peace.