The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-10-22

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"Not Bit" l says, though my voice
was quite a whisper. I've had thi.
over all night, and I've come to think
must be up and doing my duty"
g But, my good man" he began.
Listen to me, DOCTOR" I says. IA
score of times / might have given up and
been drowned, but I made fight for it
and was saved. Now / mean to make d
fight for it right here, for the sake of the
wife and BARNS / don't mean to die,
doctor, without a struggle. I believe
this here, that life is given to us all as a
treasure to keep. We might throw it
away by our own folly at any time, but
there's hundreds of times when we may
preserve it, and We never know whether
we can save it till we try. Gives drink
of that water" " ..
He held the glass to my lips, and |
took big draught, and went on, he
seeming all the time to be stopping to
humor me for my madness"
"That's better, DOCTOR" | says CHOW
look here, sir, speaking as one who has
sailed the seas, it's terrible stormy time
with me. There's a lee shore close at
hand, the fires are drowned out, and I'M
less we can get up bit of sail, there's no
chance for me. Now then, doctor, can
you get up bit of sail?"
81 will 90 and send you something
that will quiet you," he said, rising
"Thankey Doctor | says, smiling to
myself +" And now look here, Pm not
going to give up till the last, and when
that last comes, and the ships going down,
why, shall have try if | can't swim to
safety If that fails, and I can really
feel that it is to be, why, / hope l shall
90 down into the great deep calmly, like
a hopeful man, praying that somebody
above will forgive me all I've done amiss,
and stretch out His fatherly hand TO my
little ones"
He went away and I dropped to sleep,
worn out with my exertion. 1854.
When | woke, Polly was standing by
the bedside watching me, with a bottle
and glass on the little table.
As soon as she saw my eyes open she
shook up the stuff and poured it into
a wine glass. ..--....---
els that what the doctor sent ?" I
says.
Yes, dear; you were to take it di-
trectly.'' 49,. -..-....
"Then / shan't take it, l says. " He's
give me up, and that stuffs only to keep
me quiet. Polly, you 90 and make me
some beef-toa, and make it strong"
She looked Mortified, poor girl, and was
about to beg me to take hold of the rot
ten life-belt he'd sent me, when | held
out my shaking hand for it, took the
glass, and let it tilt over-there was only
about a couple of teaspoons in it, and the
stuff fell on the carpet.
| saw the tears come in her eyes, but
she said nothing-only put down the
glass and ran out to make the beef-tea.
The doctor didn't come till late next
day, and / was lying very still and
drowsy, half asleep like, but / was awake
enough to hear him whisper to Polly,
{" Sinking fast -" and l heard her give
such a heart-broken sob that as the next
great wave came on the sea where | was
floating, | struck out with all my might,
rose over it and foated gently down the
other side.
For the next fourTdays-putting:f it as
a drowning man striving for his life like
a true-hearted fellOw-it was like great
foaming waves coming to wash over me,
but the shore still in sight, and me trying
hard to reach it,
And it was a grim, hard fight; dozen
times | could have given UP, folded my
arms, and said goodbye to the dear old
watching face safe on shore; but look
at that always cheered me, and | fought
on again and again, till at last the sea
seemed to 90 down, and, in utter weari-
ness, | turned on my back to float rest
fully with the tide bearing me sheer
ward, till | touched the sands, crept up
them and fell down worn out, to sleep
III the sun-sate
That's a curious way of putting it,
you may say, but it seems natural to me
to mix it up with the things of seageing
life, and the manner in which I've seen
so many fight hard for their lives. 1t
was Just like striving in the midst of
storm to me, and when at last [ did fall
into deep sleep felt surprised like to
find myself lying in my own bed, with
Polly watching by me- and when l
stretched out my hand, and took hers,
she let loose that which she had kept
hidden from me before, and, falling on
her knees by my bedside, she sObbed for
very Joy.
Gas much beef-tea and brandy as you
can ret him to toxic" the doctor says,
that afternoon; and it wasn't long before
I got from Stops to solids, and then was
sent. as | told YOU, into the country to
get strong, while the doctor got no end OF
praise for the cure he made.
never said a word though, even to
Polly, for he did his best; but | don't
think any medicine would have cured me
then.
was saying little while back that I
pulled my wife regularly out of the hands
of death. and of course that was when
we were both quite young, though for
the matter of that, | don't feel much
different and can't well see the change.
That was in one of the cape steamers
when first took to stocking. They were
little ramshackle sort of boats in those
DAYS, and how it was that more weren't
lost puzzles me. 1t was more due to the
weather than the make or finding of the
ships, can tell you, that they used to
find their way safe to port; and yet the
passengers, poor things, knowing no bet
| ter, used to take passage, ay, and make a
voyage too from which they never got
| back.
Well, I was working on board a steamer
as they used to call the Equator, and
| heavy laden and with about twenty pas
| sengers on board, we started down Chan
mel with all well till We got. right down
off the west coast of Africa, when there
came one of the heaviest storms | was
ever in. Even for well-found steamer,
such as they can build to-day, it would
have been a hard fight, but with our poor
shaky wooden tub, it was hopeless case
from the first.
Our skipper made a brave fight of ii
though, and tried hard to make for one
of the ports; but, bless you, what can j
man do when, after ten days knocking