Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1874-08-27
Helena, Montana, Thursday, August II, 1874:
would be The most available method, should
iunp OYcrhOard and drown myself

Jump overheard and drown myself.
Scarcely had he finished speaking when slat
whirled. put one hand on the railing, ant
leaped into the Sound The whole movemen,
was so instantaneous that il was impossible
for any one to anticipate or prevent it.
A cry OF horror went mp from those who
saw the movement Some stood transfixed
and unable to mOvr. while others hurried
about in confused excitement The captain
and his crew worked like the noble men they
were, and had the boats lowered and manned
almost instantly.
\ moment after her disappearance she
came to the surface. There was nothing
scared IN her expression. and she made no
struggle to save herself. saw her face dis
timely as she came up and fancied l could
detect in ii the same sOrrowful look i: had
,, worn few moments before: though even
that expression could not wholly deprive it of
IA certain jaunty grace which became it WELL
1t was only Il mOElcntary glimpse which
VIC had Of her, for she disappeared just as
the first boat touched the water, and we never
saw her afterward, though every possible cf-
fort was made to find ilcr
think never saw sadder men than those
rough sailors, when ;hey pulled tho heavy
yawl alongside and replied. to hundred
simultaneous intelrogatOrics: I'VE found no
trace of her at ALL.
And later, when, ON looking through her
staterOom, they found 4 little satchel, and in
it, among other tritles, a crumbled bit of note
paper with verses written on it in small,
crampcd hand, the pure, sweet tears of llu-
man sympathy, rs they read. fell on the paper
like \ benisOn.
preserved copy Of the verses, and will
reproduce them here. am unable to say
A0~rr AI,N~~ 80.
tion, have never been so fortunate as to read
them in any published book:
MAGDALEN'S DEATH.
can no longer endure thi. pollnting
., This fostering breath
Mcrciful DEATH
Not sadly. tearfnlly.
But gladly. cheelfuly.
Go to my death.
Priests may refuse to grant sanctifc,l burial
Here unto me:
rather, thank Thee! blessing is ALWAYS held
Over the sea.
Ave. in its widest foam,
Aye. in it's this sAest gloom.
Blcst il the
Welcome, -, sea: with thy brcakiny> and clash
That never shall cease
Down in thy angricst, stOrmiest waters.
Oh ! hide me in peace.
Say to the weary face.
'Comc to thy resting place.
Slumbcr in peace
This was all. No clue to tell if there were
any on earth to whom she had been dear. No
last word for those who might, perhaps, wait
patiently to learn her fate, but wait in vain,
until painful apprehension subsided into calm
despair. No explanation of the motives of
that rashness which thus had set its daring
foot upon the laws of nature, which are the
laws of God.
We know the deep sea holds many secrets
such as these, which never will he fathomed
till the end of time and, knowing this, is it
the..part of manhood or wOmanhOOd to sit in
judgment on that which the Creator has fold
ed in mystery? For what power, save the
far-reaching prcscience of the Almighty God,
can lay bare the complex motives of the hu-
man heart? Is it more than justice to demand
that judgment he suspended until the sea
gives no its dead, and the dead give up their
secrets?
have no sympathy with that apotheosis of
vice which would, in any case, exalt the wan
ton into heroine; but, in all sincerity, is it
not time that shc received more of charity
and less of censure, more of pity and less of
scorn, from those who can afford to be mag
unanimous? For what, among earth's mean
est creatures, receives less of charity and
more of censure than she? And, surely,
nothing in heaven or earth stands more in
need of pity, or receives less Of it.
THO. CARPENTER.