The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1872-11-01

ohy' Ahe Wlnu DleW eSpeclalIy lor our
benefit, and we were making an uncOm-
monty swift passage. The crew had hard
ly enough work to occupy them, for the
vessel almost sailed herself Emily sat on
deck most of the time, and did no end of
worsted,work and light treading, and in the
moonlight nights she would keep out till
midnight sometimes, singing and watching
the waves in the shine, and the PhosPho-
rescence on the water
We were prepared through all this easy
time, for the foul weather to come. and
when the wind shifted, and little clo;d
no bigger than mans hand began to rise,
We're awaitin' for the blow" said Jack
salt; and sure enough we had it for forty
eight hours, heavy and strong, and then it
calmed down somewhat, and we took run
of rainy days, not fit for any but men to be
out in.
Emily staid below, except once she put
her head ont of the companionway. all tied
up in hood, and smiling and nodding at
me she said, ''Ugh how wet and nasty
everything looks ! even the sea seems more
watery than it was before. think had
better go down again, George. shall not
do for deck hand.'' So she disappear
ed into our cabin.
On the night of Thursday, tho Goth of
September, five days out from Rio, l staid
on deck rather later than usual talking
with the mate. 1t was quiet night, driz-
zling a little, but the sea smoother than it
had been for some time. Mr.. Myles the
rH, n J,oI
been telling me some stories bordering on
the supernatural, and had tried his best to
make me give into his belief i'll the COM
municatiOn of departed spirits with this
world. turned down the cabin stairs with
an incredulous shake of the head, and left
him on deck with his watch. -.....
had bid Emily goodnight at least two
hours, when l left her to go on deck, and
expected to find her asleep in her berth
1t was eleven o'clock when left Myles at
the ladder head, and descended softly,
not to disturb Emily. As l opened the
door I could see that she was not in her
berth, but it was not till l was fairly in the
cabin that | saw her
My wife was standing in the middle of
GIlc room, IlcT DlstCh IldII SlIGSUilIiS IOlIlu
her.. Her hands were claspcd, and held a
little in front of her bosom. Her face was
as white as snow /; her eyes were staring
and blank, as though they saw nothing
around her. Never have 1 beheld such
awful anguish as herwhole aspect showed.
emily my wife n' cried,
She gave a sort of gasp.
George, have seen my mother my
mother is dead p
Icaught her as she fell forward in swoon.
When my dear wife returned to consci-
BUSINESS l tried to keep her as quiet as pos
sible, but it seemed that she must unburd-
en- her mind of the awful revelation that
had been made to her. / sat by her all
that night and held her trembling hand in
mine, and at last she told me how it had
come.
My wife said: 81 was ready to go to bed,
but the ship rolled so little that thought
l would road awhile before l turned down
tho light. suppose l had read about fif-
teen minutes, when suddenly l began to
think of mother. / often do this; for
somehow, when I am thinking of other
things mother comes into my mind, and
then l always say, She is thinking OF me
now, or talking about me to some one
Gradually took my eyes off the book, and
raised them toward the door of the cabin.
and there my mother stood before me-
She was very pale, as though she had been
through some illness, and her hands were
crossed upon her breast. / spoke to her:
Mother, what is it She smiled, and
waved her hand to me, and disappeared.
I know that she is dead, and that / shall
never see her again.
Emily was strangely moved and excited
throughout this recital. At first was
frightened, for thought her mind must be
affected in some way. But at last she be-
came so calm and sad that saw she really
believed her mother to be dead. And l be-
lieved it too. Why should not two hearts
SO closely bound together as were Emily 8
and her mothers, be able to communicate
to each other such great changes as the
leaving the world? 1 believed Mrs. Has
brouk's spirit had found means to tell her
faithful daughter of its flight
When we reached Rio, Emily caused
mourning to be prepared, and our home
ward voyage was not gladdened by my
wife's songs. She was quite subdued by
her sorrow and loss.
We reached Portland on the goth OF De-
cember, late in the afternoon. Emily
found that train left for Boston at four
o'clock, and finally persuaded me to go with
her to Cambridge.
ssYou can get back to Portland early
enough in the morning, George dear" she
said ''and 1 feel that l cannot rest till l
have been to the dear old home, though it
will be so changed and sad. y
1 tried to dissuade my wife from going
until we had heard some particulars of the
condition of her mothers house for there
might be strangers in it, and l thought it
would be less trying to her to visit it by