The Arizona sentinel., 1875-12-04

l II
an we was goin' down, an O.,
Bill Walkers wife! yer husband
wouldn't forsake that ere shlp!"
THAT'S right in him." she said.
ST wouln't have a man who would
forsake his work when it got
troublesome.
"Well-but, lass, Bill was aboard
till the very last. He wouldn't
go. He got all the others off am
there he stayed, looking toward
home, an thinkin' of ye an the
babies"
"Good for Bill" she said, her
pleasant eyes sparkling with tears.
"But why don't you get excit-
ed? Didn't We care for Bill? Why
don't you get excited"
go, Pll get all that after a
WHILE"
"But didn't you care for Bill?"
"Now. look here, sailor. You
knew Bill, you say, so well, and
you don't know that ? Didn't Bill
ever know Of the many weary
times when sat here alone in the
night-when the snow was falling
and the wind was screaming, and
the little ones tucked up in bed?
Didn't Bill ever know that at
such times my heart left these
pretty things and went far over
the cruel sea hunting for him ?
Didn't he ever know how 1 clung
to every hope-to every dream of
him-tO every prayer for his good
that [ learned over and over
again? And how [ used to 60 to
the little children's crib when the
wind grew stronger and stronger,
and the storm became wild and
awful, and how 1 walked them up
from their happy sleep, crying,
Babies, babies {! wake with
nanny, and pray for daddy on
the wild, wild seas p And how
l have fixed their little hands to-
gether, and we four would kneel
down, and, though they only
knew the one pray, Our Father
yet they said it after me, and I
knew that God understood they
were praying for their poor storm
tossed daddy far out at sea, and
that he would listen and have
pity?
"Didn't Bill ever know how I
counted days, then weeks, then
months, and at last years, long
ing for him, waiting for him-al-
ways true to him, in word and
thought &? And how l loved all
sailors, and pitied the lonely men
that came to port here without a
friend in the world but me ? For
I've gone to them, and Pve said,
'HO, lads Pm Bill Walk er's wife,
and him sailing far away. Let
me help you if l can. And if you're
sick or lonesome, come to- me-
And how often and often has this
little room been filed with sea-
faring men, who came for COM
fort and the little kindnesses /
could do for them ? And how
they kissed the children-fOr they
said they were a sailors babies,
and they loved them for the sake
of their own little ones many
miles off? And how often have
l got tears from these men, and
blessings, till I've gone down to
the warf, and taken the children
with me, and we've stood and
seen them off, and I've made the
little ones wave their hands to
the men, and the men have called,
Three cheers for Bill Walkers
wife = and God take care of h er
and the babbies!" And, o! sail
or, Pve done all this for love of
Bill! And don't you think he
would have liked to know it?"
and she wiped her eyes on the
little frock she was mending.
The man looked at her, was
silent for a moment, and then
went on:
eyes, he knew it, lass. He
thought it for a truth. And now
comes the awful part o. my yarn"
Eyes, sailor"
Well-now don't cry out, and
don't flop down-Bill will never
come home again"
She never said a word, but
smiled up into his face.
"Why won't he come home
agaiu?" she asked.
Because he's droWnded," he
replied.
81 don't believe it, sailor"
"But 1 was with him all o. the
time"
"Then why wasn't you drownd-
ed, too? If you were so much
with him why wasn't you
drownded ?"
"WelI, because [ washed ashore.
But, poor Bill, he's gone"
"Well, if that's so, I might as
we'll make up my mind to be a
widow"
"Why don't you get excited,
widder?" asked the man, aghast.
"I'll get all that after a WHILE"
"But Bill's drOwnedw
"I can't help that, so there !!