The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1874-04-01

place beside her, saying, as if in answer to a
spoken question.
"The words do seem odd for grave-stone,
ma'am, but indeed the Lords dealin's with
poor Jock were past our fndin' out You
never heard tell of him, judge?"
A"No,-but have never been here before"
"Likely enough, and yet every child on
the coast could tell you the story. 1t was in
the Portland papers, too-but-bess me that
must IA been nigh twenty years ago. No
wonder you wouldn't remember"
The old DANES eyes frightened, aud she
paused, as If to please herself with the antici-
patton Of an interested listener.
"fou knew him, then, this Jock, as you
call him.? y limited gently.
"Knew hima" she answered with mu-
sing smile. g I dressed him the night he
was BORN ng-limbed, hearty babe, with
bright, black eyes, and hair as dark and curly
as Jamie's here. That was Christmas Eve,
and just one week aftcrwaul, on New Years
Day, the brig Sea Gull foundered off the
coast of Newfoundland, with Cap'n Williston
and all his men, and so the poor baby never
saw his fathers face.
Poor little Mis-. Williston can see just
how she looked, lynn there day after day, as
white and helpless as broken day-lily, with
that little brown head tucked against her
cheek; twas only the baby that kept her
alive. She'd make me hold him to the light a
dozen times day. "You're sure his eyes
won't turn any lighter, Mis-. Dawson?" she'd
say. You see the cap'n had a coal-black eye.
And then again, 3. !" He grows, Mis-. Dawson
You think he's aerg well don't you p" in a
voice that wistful, that had a master fight
with myself to keep the water out of my eyes,
instead of answering her up right cheerful
'Well?I should think he did, the little cap'n!
And CROWN? Look at that arm Why
he'll be liftin' his mother off the bed before
she knows it = Then she'd smile n little pale
smile, and put her two arms round my neck.
poor thing for she was scarce more n i. baby
herself
!" Well, the time passed on, and little Jock
grew up, as brave and handsome a lad as Won
could wish to see. 1t was real sunshine to
my eyes to see him walkin' alongside of his
mother drawn himself up and keepin' step
with her like grown man. So tender of her,
too, he was, leavin' all his mates for her She
was alone, and forever layin' out what he
meant to do for her when he was man. And
what with bein' SO fond and proud of him. she
got to look, barrin' her black dress, almost
the same as when the cap'n was alive. All,
me I've thought many times since how
mcrciful it is in the Lord to let us see so little
ways ahead In the best of times, we're only
ships in the fog, and have to steer by COM
pass.
" The summer Jock was twelve year DID,
was amazin' siclsly all along the coast. was
nigh beat out nursin' 'Bijah Porter's wife
through the typhoid, and had come home one
Wednesday afternoon, to get a little rest. AS
l was lynn on the lounge, in halfdoze the
door opened, and Mis-. Williston come in. She
never stopped nor spoke, but come straight
across the floor, with a face white as a ghost.
Then she put her hands on my shoulders, and
says she, Mis-. Dawson, my Jocks got the
fever / rose up like fash, and put my
shawl over my head, and went home with her.
And never came home, ma'am, for seven
weeks. Awsome weeks they were, ma am. =
The nights were worst. / used to feel as if VIC
two were fghtin' Death hand to hand for that
boy, and he a tossin' on the pillow, his red
cheeks sank away, all his curly hair shaven
close to his head, and in all that time never
givin' us one reasonable word or look. 1t was
the fourth week, when minded, one mornin',
as Mis-. Williston sat by the bed, that her hair
was turnin', but by the seventh, ma am, when
the fever left him, it was as white as mine is
now.
IAN but the last breath of life was burnt
out of him, and when he did once begin to
mend, II was SO slow that it took us great
while to find out that any thing was wrong
1t come to me, first, when went into the bed
room, one afternoon, Of sudden He didn't
see me for minute, and laid there playin'
with his fingers, then, all at once, he looked
up and laughed, That laugh o ma'am
all the rest was as nothin' to that just sunk
down into chair, and groaned, 8 o Lord
have mercy ON his mother!' Not Matl
80 The Lord did have mercy on her, but not
in my way. He took her home that next win
ter, and I've thought many time that I'd
like to "a been by when he explained to her
las I'm certain he would--some things that
we'd here waited years and years for, and
many more, belikes, that we've never found
out at ALL. z sarsss = "a
/" Poor little Jock got we'll again--in his
body-that was all His mind was clean gone
He used to 60 about gentle and harmless as a
lamb. Whilst bis mother lived, he'd follow
her every step she took, bnt more like dog
than human child. If she sat down, he'd
just drop down at her feet, and rub his head
on her knee, like a dumb thing. Not but that
he talked yet--a good deal sometimes-but
all in weak, senseless fashion, that'd half
break your heart. He didn't seem to know
the reason of anything--he might be half
starved and yet never think Of eatin' unless
you put the victuals before him.
There was while after Mis-. Williston
died that had little hopes of him. He
used to wander around as If he was searcl,in'
for something, and sometimes, all at once, an
odd look d come into his face for half a secfsnl