Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1874-04-02
WHOLE NO. 1868

mas Day J! said Martha Price, who
was standin close to me. Then she
gripped my arm, and says she under
her breath.
"Ma'am Dawson, l dare to say that
it's cruel thing'
81 couldn't answer her. | felt like q
blasphemer, for twas my own thought
she'd voiced.
GAIL of a sudden | heard Il noise be.
hind me, like one runnin', and tn"
crowd parted every way. / turned a.
round, and for an instant, ma'am, I
thought the sea d give up the dead it
swallowed two and twenty years
agone! Wasn't it Cap'n Williston
that stood there, with black eyes flash
in and the salt spray frozen into his
hair? A dozen women screamed, and
old Mis-. Price fell down like dead.
o'clock |! called out then, for l
didn't know what I was sayln'--'O
Jock /! is it come
Gle didn't answer. doubt if he
heard or saw me at all. He stood
starin' out to sea with such face as I
never saw on mortal man. All to
once his voice, that used to be so
weak like a child's, rung out strong
and clear as trumpet:
"'He bowed the heavens, also, and
came down, and darkness was under
his feet. And he rode upon cherub
and did fly upon the wings Of the
wind. His pavilion round about him
were dark waters and thick clouds Of
the skies.
"'Ile sent from above he took me,
he drew me ont of many waters.
"Thou wilt light my candle the
Lord my God will enlighten my dark
ness. For who is God, save the
Lord, and who is rock save our
God q?
"The fog lifted up in the east, and
the clear light touched his head. A
minute more and the wreck was in
full view. Jock turned like a flash
and wrenched the glass out Of Skip
per Gibson's hand. He looked for an
instant, then he dashed it down on
the sand, and ran for the boat-house.
The men looked at each other. No
body seemed to breathe. Skipper
Gibson was the first that spoke.
"Men! he said, God calls us by
ut was like breakin a spell. They
ran, they shouted, they pulled down
the boat. Jock was the first inside
Six times the swell beat her back,
Int tho seventh she passed the break
er. Up and down over the white
caps we could see her spring to the
oars. The men told us after that
Jock never spoke, but pulled with the
strength Of three, and that if in all
those senseless years when he'd been
so much upon the sea, he'd made the
handlin' Of a bot study, he couldn't
a seemed to know better what to do.
Skipper Gibson declared to his dyin'
day that he believed the spirit Of his
father came back into Jocks body
that day; but l think, maam, that it
was another Spirit that lightened that
darkness.
ave watched them as they made
'ast to the wreck, and then we made
out two men climbin' up the side
md into the riggin'. We saw through
he glass one dark thing and then
another handed down; then some.
hin seemed to fall, and nothin was
,lear for a little The boat moved
'ound and round the wreck, and head
ID for shore. AS it came nearer, we
made out Skipper Gibson and 'Bijah
md the others, but no Jock. "A hun
lred hands stretched out to pull 'em
Il. The skipper sprung over the
)ows
"'Quick! quick! he called out.
Lend hand, and we may save them
'et!
"Who was it, ma'am, do you think,
hat lay white and still in that boat
'ottom? A woman, and an old man
nd a young! 1t was Mabelle, and
Ter father, and poor Jock!
Il needn't tell you how we worked.
We that live here know how to
match life out of the very nav Of
he hungry sea. Mabelle and Mr..
)evereux were higher frozen to death
han drowned. The captain of the
hip had 'em lashed to the riggin' and
trapped round and round with sail
10th. Only that had kept them alive,
nd they two alone, of all on board,
aw the sun rise after that awful
light.
"But Jock-my Jock We'd "a
iven our hearts to save him, but it
,asn't to be. He climbed up first,
he men told us, with the skipper af-
er him, and cut the ropes himself.
Ir. Devereux was handed down first,
nd then Jock lifted Mabelle in his
rms, but just as the men in the boat
ook her from him, her cloak fell
way and showed her face, white and
ct like death. Jock gave great cry
rev up his arms, and fell over the
nip's side. They picked him up in
IS n a minute, but he must a struck
is head somehow, for there was
reat bruise on his temple, and he
ever breathed nor stirred.
81 knew when I first set eyes on
i'm that he was dead l must a
1t, after they'd tried for hours to
ring him to, and given up at last,