Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-11-03


I'm not going tosg1ve. up now, I've
sstop, stop" he says gently. You're
exciting yourself. . ~ I
Not a bit, says, though my voice
was quite whisper. GIVE had this
over all night, and I've come to think l
must be up and doing my duty"
&c But, my good man." he began.
''Listen to me, DOCTOR" I says. GA
score of times l might have given up
and been drowned, but made a fight
for it and was saved. Now [ mean to
make a fight for it right here, for the
sake of the wife and BARNS. l don't
mean to die, doctor, without struggle.
I believe this here, that life is given to
us all as treasure to keep. We might
throw it away to 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 I
took big draught, and went on, he
seeming all the time to be stopping to
humor me in my madness.
''That's better, DOCTOR [ says.
CHOW look here, sir, speaking as one
who has sailed the seas, it's a terrible
stormy time with me, There's lee
shore close at hand, the fires are drown
ed out, and unless we can get up bit
of sail, there's chance for me. Now
then, doctor, can you get up a bit of
sail 2"
81 will go and send you something
that will quiet you," he said rising.
"Thankey, doctor" says smiling to
myself. .'And now look mere, I'm not
going to give up till the last, and when
that last comes, and the ships going
down, why, [ shall have to try if can t
swim to safety. If that fails, and 1 can
really feel that it is to be, why, I hope
[ shall go down into the great deep
calmly, like hopeful man, praying
that somebody above will forgive me
all I've done amiss, and street ch out his
hand to my little ones"
He went away and dropped to sleep,
worn out with my exertion.
When. I woke, Polly was standing by
my bedside watching me, with bottle
and glass on the little table.
AS soon as she saw my eyes open she
wine glass.
Is that what the doctor sent % says
eyes, dear, you were to take it di-
rectly.''
''Then Ishan't take it, I says. "He's
give me up, Ind that stuff's only to
keep me quiet. Polly, you go and
make me some beef tea, and make it
strong"
She looked Mortified, poor girl, and
was about to beg me to take hold of
the rotten 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 couple of teaspoonfuls in
it, and the stuff fell on the carpet.
l saw tears come in her eyes, bat 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 I was lying very still and
drowsy, half asleep like, but [ was
awake enough to hear him whisper to
Polly, Sinking fast;" and I heard her
give such heart-broken sob that at the
next great wave came on the sea where
[ was floating, [ struck out with ali MY
might, rose over it and foated gently
down the other side.
For the next four days putting it as
a drowning man striving for his life
Ike 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 1t was a grim, hard fight; dozen
times / could have given up, folded my
arms, and said gocd-by to the dear old
Watching face safe on shore; but look
at that always cheered me, and I fought
on again and again, till at last the sea
seemed to go down, and, in utter wearl-
ness, [ turned on my back to float rest
fully with the tide bearing me shore
ward, till touched the sands, crept up
them, and fell down worn out, to sleep
IN the sun-safe
'That's a curious way of putting it,
you may say, but it seems natural with
me to mix it up with the things Of sea-
going life, and the manner in which I
nave seen SO many fight hard for their
lives. It was just like striving in the
midst OF storm to me, and when at
last I did fall into a deep sleep I felt
surprised like to find myself lying in
my own bed, with Polly watching by
me; and when stretched out my hand
and took hers, she let loose that which
she had kept hidden from me before,
and falling on her knees at my bedside,
she sobbed for very JOY.
GAS much beef-tea and brandy as you
can get him to take" the doctor says,
that afternoon; and it WASH t long be-
fore [ got from Stops to solids, and then
was sent as / told you in the country
to get strong while the doctor got no
end of praise for the cure he had made.
[ never said word though, even to
Polly. for he did his best, but I don't
think any medicine would have cured
me then.
I was saying little while back that
| 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 we don't feel
much different and can't welcome the
change. That was in one of the Ohio
ctaa m arc xuhan r fret tooI fo OF