New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-05-09

: bitterly that night Nothing will eve
, bring US any nearer" she sobbed. Eve,
:. IN heaven l shall be far away from him.
t know it."
, How glibly we talk of heaven. how easil,
: We invoke death! And suddenly there b,
3 ia, in dreadful nearDess! In the darkness
that followed that mOon:setting, in thu
I earliest hours of morning. came a sudder
Q and Tremendous crash. A bark at full sal
+. had struck the St. Malo amidships. and il
walked to consciousness of calamity.
3 A mass of half-clad frightened passengers
: thronged the deck. Screams, walls, impre
cations filled the air; the ships officers los,
r all self possession, and rushed aimlessly tC
} and fro: Through the great rent in the
: steamers side the water came washing in
In an incOnceivably short time the fires
were extiDguished; the bark which inflicted
the injury had vanished in the blackness OF
the light.
Lower the boats" slower the boats -
shouted voices.
"Oh, why don't they lower them 9"sobbed
poor old Mrs. LIE Clerc, clntchiug her hus-
| bands arm
Hash, Mary. they will" But precious
moInents passed, the confusion deepening
with each. and tie boats were not lowered.
Frantic men with clasp knives flung them
selves upon the davits, cut, tore, cast wide
the ropes. The first boat fell, struck the
water, filled, and instantly went down. A
second, third, shared the same fate. Some
of the sailors seized the lifeboat and pushed
| off in her, regardless OF the frenzied pas.
| sengers. A yard came crashing from above
aud smashed the launch
| 1t was scene TO try the metal of man.
| Reginald Thurston worked like hero. Ex-
| postulatiDg. directing, soothing, encOurag-
ing, be rushed to and fro, Helen keeping
near him like silent shadow. Under his
| orders three boats we're successfully
| launched, and women and children. the old
and The weak, hurried into them. Helen
! took the shawl from her shoulders to put
| round Mrs. LIE Clerc, who, through all this
scene of frantic terror, had never let 90
ner husbands hand.
Aren't you coming, tool" sobbed the old
lady.
There is no room," replied Helen,
briefly, as the boat pushed off At that
moment shout announced fresh acct
dent The last remaining boat had cap
sons renamed on the steamers deck The
water gained every moment. Helen was
the only woman left.
You here!' said Reginald. Il thought
you safe in the first boat
NO." said Helen, with strange, sweet
smile, which, even at that moment, aston
ished him.
You are cold" he said; perhaps can
find you shawl"
'Oh. what does it matter? it will soon be
over" she replied, with the same quietude.
viii the parson give us a bit of
prayers' asked grizzled old sailor, touch
ing his hat. -
All knelt, while in. solemn tones Reginald
commended their souls as dying men to the
all mercitul Father. A beautiful confidence
hy1.a the1
hush followed, all the more Impressive from
the wild clamOr which preceded it.
You are sure there is no chance for U.S."
asked Helen, when he returned to her side
"Humanly speaking, none. l do not see
the least" The words were firmly spoken:
his face wore its usually happy look.
Worthy living makes worthy dying, an old |
saint has told US. Are you much afraid!' |
he asked.
mo, not verv," with slight shiver. but
you are sure, quite sure?"
Il think SO. see no hope whatever"
What face che turned upon him as she |
spoke! The pinnacle hight famed full upon
her. and showed it plainly. Her ewes
shone, a deep flush was in the cheeks
every line was grown inexnressibly tender
You are not frightened" he exclaimed.
involuntarily. "Y0u look happy, happier
than ever saw you look before.'
~ am happy" she replied in voice 80
soft that he hardly recognized it as hers.
''We have but few moments to hye--we
are almost spirits! l can tell YOU now what
| never could have told had We liyed-tbat
love you-have loved you for long time"
Miss Milet! You!''
Don't be surprised--don't be shocked"
she pleaded. "Ob, if you know what is in
my heart, All my life have longed to
speak, and l never could. We are dead
now, and at last | CAM" |
On the edge of eternity Reginald Thurs.
ton was conscious Of embarrassment at this
avowal. Helen detected it.
You do not know what to say to me-" ,
'he went on, with sort of disembodied |
rankness. "Dear friend, say nothing. T
I'M not ashamed that have loved yon, and
'y-andb by you will not be sorry. We are
'oing where love is life and law; mine can
lot harm or Inconvenience you there"
Poor child" he murmured, inexpres. I
iblv touched. 6
mo, not poor. have been much happier :
or knowing you, and now we are going to s
he next world together. l never thought :
hat any thing SO wonderful as that cOuId | n
appen."
cry came from the foriorn group on the
Their side of the deck. :
"What was thats What did they say!r
II think they said "A ship" replied Regi. +
aid, straining his eyes into the darkness. j
"Oh. surely not! How could live now" l
There was real terror in her face. q
"Do Lot be frightened" he said gently. v
am not worthy of the affection you have r
ven me, but whether we live or die, l a
lall always thank you for it, 81
She did not answer, but there was a |
autit ul look in the eyes she turned upon | h
N. p.
just then the ship gave a heavy lnrch. is
downward plunge. Reginald clasped
elen's hand firmly. in
q" NOr" he said Il
The next moment they were in the sea. al
Ii alt an hour later he.Was recoye, inc his d,
nses on board the Curlew, the last man W
scued from the illtated steamer. iAu the ct
terval was black eclipse. He only knew al
at somewhere in ocean depths Helen's
nd had been torn from his, and that he ia
80 10 the surface without her Poor tt
len Lonely i'll death as in life. she has III
ne companionless into the unknown it
rid E
This was years ago. Reginald Thurston hi
S been successful man and hap.yOne ID
, has never married. This is no tribute to co
lens memory. He thinks, and perhaps hr
htly, that bis work is better done with OF
the membranes Of a wife. 1t may be q
At IS his hair grows gray, and the u
adows gradually leng'hen over the road. s.'
thoughts 60 back, aud he realizes that no
truest love which blessed his manhood 10
8 quenched on that wild night beneath
lantic waves. But why do | saw
enched! Do we not all believe, with
len, that love is life and law" in the ha
I'd where she is gone And even in that th'
ID OF compensation, wherever, whatever The
may be now, she must be happier. of
arnity, it would seem, must be sweeter rig
her one aloe blossom of speech-that on,
once she spoke, just once before she til;
d.-Ha,pcr's Ba=or. Or