National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1872-01-26

the original volunteers, but who obtained
place at the last moment through az
arrangement by which the widows onl '
son who gave way to him certainly suffered
no pecuniary loss.
/ Short rs was the time since Edward
/ Tremayne had appeared upon tie scene, II
had yet grown percep,ibly darker. The
hull Of the wrecked vessel as she lay upon
the reef-bowsprit gone, masts gone, the
mere toy Of tue waves, which broke over
her every lnstant-was now barely dis
cerniblc even to the practlsed eyes which
were watching her from the shore; aud
the blue lights which she burned at inter
yals. whilst serving 10 render her position
more distinct. seemed 10 INTENSITY the
gloom around by the contrast with then
; 'ghastIy radiance. Tie beat despatched "a
her from the shore was lost 10 sight in the
black surging waste Of water before she
had gone two hundred yards, and although
shouts were occasionally raise that she
| hui been dlscetneG on tue summit of 9
wave, the positions which were assigned
to her were rather arri tic sketches Of the
wishes Of the spectators than photographs
Gf what they bad actually seen. All that
remained was to wait pasiently ard hope
and Maud, who had stood eazine after the
boat as long as 1t was possible 20 distin.
gush it in the surrounding gloom, sank
down in sitting posture upon the beach,
and covering her face with her bands gave
herself up to her mingled emotions OF
shame, happiness, and anxiety. At inter
walls one or other OF the women spoke
kindly to her and offered her the shelter
OF her cottage; hut Maud only lifted her
head, and looked at them, apparently un-
conscious of what they were saying, and,
motioning them away with her hand, re-
mained there alone with her dread. Little
by little the surrounding circumstances
passed from her mind she lost count of
time gradually her fear gained the pre-
dominence over her other feelings, until
her whole soul seemed to be absorbed in
an ever increasing agony Of expectation .
and then, just as it appeared As if her
throbbing brain could bear no more, as if
her consciousness We're fading away into
the mere blanknes- OF misery, her anxious
ear caught a sound, dlmly heard above the
roaring of the storm, which caused her,
numb as she was from exposure to the
cold, and cramped from sitting so long in
one position, to spring hastily to her feet,
and with eyeballs which were aim ,st ready
to start from their sockets IN the intensity
OF their gaze, to peer into the lmpcnetrable
gloom which now shrouded the stern fury
OF the waves. In the scene upon the beach
great change mad taken place. Darkness
had fallen, and the fishermen and women
were gathered around n large fire, which
they had lighted with the double object o!
keeping themselves warm, and of holding
out beacon to the absent boat. 1t was
a large blazing fire, and as the smoke
hrifted away to leeward, and the red torked
tongues OF flame shot sIanting upward, it
cast strange lights and shadows upon the
weather beaten forms around it, and im-
parted to the scene weird aud like
effect. But Maud was too preuccuped to
observe 1t. Her interest was absorbed in
one object-the safety of the boat What
was the noise she had heard was it
merely the wall Of the wind, or was it the
sound Of voices from the sea A minutes
anxious pause, and then again that sound
issued from the darkness; and in another
moment the boat, bearing a heavier freight
than that with which she started, shot |
into the circle of light cast by the fire. A
loud shout of JOY went up from little
crowd npon the beach, and Maud her head |
winning in delirimn of joy, staggered |
ollndly forward pace or two, supporting |
herself by the boat under the shelter OF |
which she had been sitting. And then
md then--Great Heaven had they got |
,areess from being so nearly home, and
ct the boat broach to? Were all that
oil and courage to be in vain, and re'cuers
nd rescued alike to perish almost within
each of their comrades on the shore
even as Maud watched, huge hungry
wave, with vast overhanging crest, came
{ aiming up astern, and hurting the boat or
ligh as il it had been tiny morsel of
ork dashed it onwards, keel uppermost.
o the shore, leaving those who were late
IS occupants to do sturdy battle for their
ives
Hours afterwards. Maud, in her bedroom,
t Hinchcliit, scarcely yet thoroughly re-
tored TO consciousness after ber long
ainting fit, could get only one answer
rom those around her, to her eager qucs-
ions that her cousin had not yet re-
urned.
Up and down, borne now hither, now
hither, tossed on every wave that sparkles I
4 mockery in the cold morning sun, even ;
-hlst it still sulenly RACES with the fury
f the pas. night, draped with seaweed
'hch cllngs to the liteless limbs. and
oats in a long festoon from around the
alid neck, as the burden OF the sea.
carer it comes, and nearer. H-nay,
len; for there are two. Nearer it comes,
er nearer; until at length the advancing ,
de yields up its sacred freight, and casts
pom the unmatched sand the corpses OF
dward TIemaync and Herbert Morton. -,