Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1875-09-10


fell down like dead.
"'Jock = called out then, for 1 didn't
know what was sayin'-'oh, Jock is 1t
conner
"He didn't answer. doubt &c he heard
or saw me at all. He stood starin' out to
sea with such face as never saw on NOR
tal man. All 10 once bis voice, that used
TO be so weak like a child's, rung out strong
and clear as a trumpet:
HE bowed the heavens, also, and came
down, and darkness was under his feet.
And he rode upon a cherub and did fly
yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind.
His pavilion round about him were dark
waters and thick clouds of the skies.
"'He sent from above, he took me, he
drew me out OF many waters.
"'Thou wilt light my candle the Lord
my God will enlighten my darkness For
who is God, save the Lord, and who is a
rock save our God |?
''The fog lined up in the east, and the
clear light touched his head. A minute
more and the wreck was in full view.
Jock turned like a fash and wrenched
the glass out OF Skipper Gibson's hand.
He looked for an instant, then he dashed
1t down on The sand, and ran for The
boat-bouse. The men looked at each
other Nobody seemed to breathe. Skip
per Gibson was the first that spoke.
"'MenT he said, God calls us by
miracler
at was like broakin' a spell. They ran,
they shouted, they pulled down the boat.
"A -
swell beat her back, the seventh she passed
the breaker. Up and down over The white
caps we could see her spring 10 the oars.
The men told ms after that Jock never
spoke, but pulled with the strength of
three, and that if in all those senseless
years when he'd been SO much upon the
sea, he'd made the handlin' of a boat a
study, he couldn't "a seemed to know
better what TO do. Skipper Gibson de-
clared TO his dyin' day that he believed
the spirit of his father came back into
jocks body that day; but 1 think ma'am,
that it was another spirit that lightened
that darkness.
1--WE watched them as they made fast
to The wreck, and then we made out two
men climbin' up the side and into the
riggin'. We saw through The glass one
dark ing aud then another handed down;
then somethin' seemed TO fall, and nothin'
was clear for a 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
STR etched out 10 pull em in. The skipper
sprung over the bows.
"'Quick quickr he called out. Lend
hand and we may save them YETI
"Who was it ma'am, do you think, that
lay white and still in that boat bottom
A woman, and an old man and a youngl
1t was Mabelle, and her father, and poor
Jock
II needn't tell you how We worked.
We that live here know how to snatch
life out of the very NAV of the hungry
sea. Mabelle and Mr.. Devereux were
higher frozen TO death than drowned. The
captain OF the ship had 'em lashed 10 tho
riggin' and wrapped round and round
with sail-cloth. Only that bad 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 the skipper after him, and cut the
ropes himself. Mr.. Devereux was handed
down first, and then Jock lined Mabelle in
his arms, but just as the men in the boat
took her from him, her cloak fell away
and showed her face, white aud set like
death. Jock gave a great cry, threw up
his arms, and fell over the ships side.
They picked him up in less n a minute,
but he must "a struck his head somehow,
for there was great bruise on his temple,
and he never breathed nor stirred.
~ knew when first set eyes on him
that he was dead. thought the Lord had
come so near in takin' poor Jock that we
might "a seen the chariot of Israel and
the horsemen thereof
"He looked the image of his father in
the coffin. Such funeral never was seen
on the island. 1 reckon that a thousand
people stood in the graveyard and round
the church, aud scarce a dry eye among
them all.
"There was no end OF fne-spun talk
among the doctors. Three of 'um came
10 talk with me one day, seein' that Jock
had been with me so much, to find out all
they could about hinl--the nature OF his
disease and so on. But just made
answer,
"Irs no use, gentlemen! begging your
pardon, you've no cause 10 meddle with
this thing. It's the Lords doin's and it's
marvellous in our eyesI
"And so they went away.
"Mr. Devereux had the stone set up, but
twas Mabelle that told them what 10 put
on 1t. The old gentleman is dead now, but
Mabelle is married and lives in Boston,
and every summer she comes down to
the island aud brings her little boy, and
when The afternoons are pleasant you can
see them sittin' here in the graveyard ON
this very seat. She tells him over and
over what. I've been tellin' you, and he
never gels tired of listenin'.
always when she's done, he says:
$50 that's why you named me Jock,
mammar
"But, bless me there's the bell, ma'am.
How I've been runnin' oni But you'll
excuse an old woman whose life is mostly
In the past."-AldiAe.
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The recent glut in the peach market