Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-04-22

/ boat Jock WAS the first inside Six times
the swell beat her back, but the seventh
she passed the breaker. Up and down
over the white caps we could see her
spring to the oars. The men told lis after
that Jock never spoke, but pulled with the
strength of three, and that if in all those
senseless years, w EN- he'd been so mucl,
upon the sea. he'd made the handlin' of a
boat Il study, he couldn't II seem to know
better what to do. Skipper Gibson de-
clared to his dying day that he believe
the spirit of his father came back into
Jocks body that ttv but think, ma am
thtt it was another Spirit that lightened
that darkness.
"We watched them as they made fast
| TO the wreck. and then we made out two
men climbin' up the side and into the rig
gin. We saw through the glass one dark
thing and then another handed down; then
somethin seemed to fall, and nothin' ,waS
clear for little The boat moved round
and round the wreck, and headed for shore.
As it came nearer, we made out Skipper
Gibson and 'Bijah and the others. but no
Jock. A hundred hands stretched out to
pull 'em in. The skipper sprung over the
bows.
"A hand. and we may save them YETI
"Who was it, m;ranl, do you think
that lay white and still in that boat
bottom? A woman and an old man and a
young. 1t was Mabelle and her father
and poor Jock,
- | needn't tell You how we worked.
We that live here know how tS snatch life
out of the very maw of the hungry sea
Nahalla a Mr. nnr.rn,N- iub.
frozen to death than drowned The cap
tain of the ship had 'em la>hed to the rig
gin' and wrapped round and round with
,ail-cloth, Only that had KEPT them alive,
and they two alone, of all ON board, saw
the sun rise after that awful night.
" But Jock-my jock, We'd "a given
our hearts to save him, but it wasn't to be
He climbed up first, the men told us, with
himself. Mr.. Devereux WAS handed down
arms, but just :tS the men took her from
him, her cloak fell away and showed her
face. white and set like death. Jock gave
over the ships side. They picked him up
his head somehow, for there was u great
III Oil
nor stirred.
Il knew when | first set eyes on him
that he was dead lie looked the image
of his father when he WAS in his coffin
Mr.. DevereuX couldn't leave his bed then.
nor for weeks and weeks after, but he
made Deacon Price 90 to Portland and
get the best that money could buy-all
rosewood and silver and satin and velvet.
Il, Il,
island. | reckon that Il thousand people
stood in the graveyard and around the
church, and scarce Il dry eye among them
all.
There was no end of fine spun talk
among the doctors. Three of them came
to talk with me one dav, seein that jock
had been with me SO much. to find out all
We could about him-the nature of his
disease. and 50 on. But | Just made an
>Wer:
"'I Its 10 use, gentlemen. Begin youl
pardon, you've no cause TO meddle witt
this thing. It's the Lords doin'>, and it,
marvellous in our eyes.
And so they went away.
Mr. Devcreux had the stone set up
but twas Mabelle that told them what tc
put on it. The old gentleman is dead. now
but Mabelle is married and1ives in Boston
and every summon >hS .'o4ai,- down 10 the
island and brings her little boy, and wher
the afternoons are pleasant you can SET
them sittin here in the graveyard on this
very seat. She tells him over and ovel
what I've been tellin' you. and he never
gets tired of liStenin'
" Always, when she's done. he SAYS:
.'' So, that's why you named me Jock
m1mma?'
But bless me. there's the bell, ma am
How I've been ~unnin' on, But You'll cx
cuse IN old woman whose life is mostly il
the past