Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-11-28

mamma sent us back to bed and when
we woke up there was gray sky and the
wind had gone down, though the sea was
still swelling and roaring apd running
white. But presently the sun rose in
golden glow upon an icy world, glittering
back in splendor, and there was a blue
sky and the perfect glory of clear autumn
al day and the girls came running into
our rooms to tell us there was vessel
ashore on the reef below the bluff, an aw-
full sight-broken, half dismasted, the sea
running over her bows, her cordago PEN
dent with huge icicles, and men, like icicles
themselves, clinging in the rigging.
Before we could reach the bluff the fish
ormen from the village were up there with
ropes and cables and oat-hooks, taking
measures that resulted in nothing, for
there was nothing they could do. 1t, was
impossible to launch boat. In such sea
no one could swim stroke and though
the little broken brig was almost within
hailng distance, nobody could have heard
word in all that crying of the sea; and
before ockets could DO brought from the
town, on which to send line flying over
the deck, the brig would go TO pieces. One
by one the poor wrotches in the rigging
were dropping of, and Il battered body was
washed up, and was caught with boat
hook by old Ben Morse-a warning 10 any
who would have ventured out.
One of the fishermen had his spy-glass
with him. "Dont we know one of them
chaps?" said he and he gave the glass to
Il G1
plaid Scotch cap that we had seen before,
the lair hair, the insolent, handsome face,
now white and awful in the supreme hour
that confronted it. "By King!' said old
Ben, cts young Maynardier! And this
is the brig Frolic, from Antigua. And un-
less we can get rope TO them they're all
gone together, for the wreck will break up
with the food-tide. I'd give year Of my
life for rocket!'
Anslice stood still q moment and as /
glanced at her, she looked like one of the
frozen corpses tossing in the angry water
at our feet. Then she turned and ran to
the house as if she feared something would
make her halt; and when she came out
she had her great bow and bunch of ar
rows, ard Aunt Maria was bringing the
box OF bowstrings.
She strung the bow as she came running
along, and though old Ben laughed scorn-
fully, she told him imperiousy she could,
at any rate, do no harm. And taking coil
of cord, she stationed all of us in one long
line, with open hands, across which she
stretched the slender cord that she un-
wound SO that it lay unhindered, and could
slip through our hands untangled; and
old Ben began TO sec some wisdom and
TO give her some directions. Then Anstce
fastened one end of the little light cord TO
her arrow, her best and firmest arrow and
she threw off her hood and shawl, and stood
bending her bow moment, and then she
lifted it and pulled the string.
never can recall that sight without a
shiver and a shudder, it was so beautiful
and sublime, as she stood there, her lovely
head thrown back, and all her bright hair
streaming, and sent off that arrow to save
the life of the man who had destroyed her
lover and all her peace. She looked like
great avenglng angei, ana the twan2lnS
of that bowstring rung in my ears above
the sound of the surf, even while that cord
was slipping across my hands, as across all
the others, so fast it scorched The skin. And
the arrow flew up into the blue sky-iar,
far up, and over, and turned and fell and
plunged into the sea beyond the brig and
| they hal caught the little cord there, and
held ii fast, aud drew on board with it pres
emily The somewhat stouter cord that old
| Ben had lashed TO the other end. And
when that stoutcr cord was in their hands,
| they drew in by that hempen rope the
size of your finger, and that was spliced at
the other end to Il great cable. And as
swiftly as they could, with their frost-b;t-
ten fingers, and in the sea that broke over
them still in such shooting splendor, they
made the cable fast and with loops about
their waist slipped over the cable to pre-
vent their being washed away, hand ovel
hand they clambcred TO the land.
Two had already passed along before il
was the turn of him who wore the Scotcl
cap; and watching him, we saw him sud
denly push before hlm another, whost
muffed face we had not seen, and himsel
help 10 lash round tie cable the rope tha
held him. And when old Ben and his lel
lows caught this last-comer, and passed
him up the bluff, TO be sent along with th
other rescued ones TO our house, amos
dead, but, thank God, not quite-Austice
STOPPING over, and crying ont with grea
voice of love, had her arms about Ralpl
ofthat crew, what Thanksgiving we had