Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1875-03-06

Before nine in the evening. the wild
winds were sweeping over the hills
and cross the bay. On shore, the ele-
mental din was loud and deep. Win
dows were blown in, chimneys rocked,
and some new buildings, just raised
and boarded, toppled oyer. A drench-
ing rain, mingled with great hailstones,
came rafting down-drenching the
long streets, and pouring its full tribute
down the slopes that lead seaward.
There were sad watchers in that
troubled night - fathers, mothers,
friends; but none so outwardly calm
as the poor mother at the cd red firm
house. She seemed almost turned to
stone-so still and cold. Not a sound
escaped her lips; not sigh came up
with the quiet breath
Above the roar of the tempest, their
came titfully, other sounds. The sig
nal gun of distress pealed out upon
the air-the crashing of heavy tim
bers, the dull straining of cOradge,
were all heard amid the brief pauses
of the storm. Two or three vessels
were certainly near shore, and their
fate seemed inevitable. Then came a
| fearful crash, and the watchers on the
beach ran toward the point from
whence the sound came. A large
schooner had struck upon the rocks,
and was fast breaking up; but brave
hearts were near, and, spite of danger
in loscuing them, they were nearly all
saved, and borne tenderly to the near
est houses.
All at once Mary Kennedy found
herself forsaken. At the sound of dis
tress that walled up high over the
storm, all had left her. She reused
herself, and, running to the entry,
took down thick cape that had be-
/ longed to Andrew His long wooden
comforter hung beside 1.-THE same
she had knitted for him to wear to
school. She tied this over her head put
on the cape, and went out into the
binding storm, and down to the beach.
guided 10y the lights that kind hands
had scattered here and there across
the Observation-Disclosures, burning with
dull red glow that lighted up the waves
rs the crimson sky had lighted it that
evening. As she went on, she heard
one and another say that the Alba
trOss was driving on shore No one
dreamed that the small quiet figure,
standing by great rock, was the
mother Of Andrew Kennedy. They
talked about him-talked of his pleas
ant ways and his good heart. and how
it would kill his parents if be should
be lost; but their talk was suddenly
interrupted. The cold gray morning
had dawned. The AlbatroSs had been
in sight ever since the first gray light
appeared. No boat could live in the
boiling waves; no lifeboat was there.
There was nothing to do, but to wait
till the ship should strike or-dread
alteration go down into the depths
with all her precious freight of human
lives.
20 God in heaven! there is but
plank between my child and death -
murmured the miserable mother,
speaking for the first time since the
storm had commenced.
She spoke no more, for the ship
came on, her heavy timbers straining,
creaking, driving on and on, apparent /.
ly TO destruction. The crew had la /
bored bravely, but, in this crisis, they /
could do naught but stand upon the
dec k and wait, while the ship rolled
and plunged, as unmanageable as a
wild horse.
Among the figures standing there,
Mary saw her child. 1t must have
been pure instinct; else she could not
have known that tall weather-beaten
figure, so large and strong and dark,
for her ffteen-year-old STRIPPING. But
the heart took in what the eyes and
the memory lost. From that time,