Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1876-11-16
The Sturg Telter.
how MARY BECAME my WIFE.
AN OLD SAILORS YARN.


polly" says, at last, breaking Che silence,
saint this lovely ?"
,saAnd you feel better I" she says, laying her
hand on mine. sE - u.tl n
."Better !" says /, taking long draught Of
the soft, sweet-scented air, and filling my
chest; "better, old girl 1 feel as if l we're
growing backward into boy" -. !, :, d, "
'And you fifty last'week ?'' she says. -.
..!.Yes,". Il says, smiling, "and you forty-seYen
next week." Aad then we Sat thinking for a
bit. X rs 80 =. -. .-,--
"Polly," saysI at last, as sat there drink
ing in, that soft breeze, and feeling it gave me
strength; sits worth being ill only to feel as l
= do now.
For You see I'd been, very bad, else dare
say I'm not the man to go hanging about
churchyards and watching funerals. I'm p
stoker, and my work lies in the ssteamers ira.
ding to the east I'D come home from my
last voyage bad with fever, and been carried
Home to de- sas my mates thought, and it was
being like this and getting better, that had set
me to thinking SO seriously and made me 90
quiet. Not that was ever noisy sort of
man as any one who knows me will say.
And now, after getting better, the doctor had
said must 60 to the country to!get strong
50 as there was no more voyage till l was
strong. Aere was nothing for it but to leave
the youngsters under the care of the elder
girl and q neighbor, and come and take lodg-
ings out In this quiet Surry village. ~
Polly meyer thought l should get better,
and one tine no more did I; for about a
month before. this time, as 1 lay, hollow.eyed
and yellow onhthe bed, knowing, too, how bad
Hooked, for used to make young Dick
bring me the looking glass every morning, the
doctor came as Usual and, like blunt Eng
lishmsn, l put itto him fiat,
doctor" I says. "you don't think I shall
get betterT and looked him straight in the
"Oh i'come, ;come, my man r he says, smi-
ling, "we never look at the black side like
thai"
"None Of that, DOCTOR" says. "Out with
it, like man. can stand it. I've been ex.
pecting to be drowned or blown-up half my
life, 50 I shan't be scared at what you may
'Well, py man." he says, "your symptoms
are Of very. grave nature. You. see the
fever had undermined you before you came
home, and unless" .....
"All right, DOCTOR" L says,1"I understand
You mean that unless you can get new
plate pn the boiler, she won't stand another
voyage"
Dh come, we won't look upon it as a
hopeless case," he says. There's always
hope" After little more talk, he shook
hands and went away =
Next day when he came | had been think
hight all over, and was ready for him: do
not believe was bit better. In fact know
I was drifting FAST and saw it in his eyes as
we'll. t.~
i I waited till he had asked me his different
questions, and then, just as he was getting up
to 90, asked him to sit down again.
'Polly, my dear" says, 81 just want
few words with the DOCTOR" and she put her
apron up to her eyes and went out, closing
the door after her very softly, while the doctor
looked at me curious like, and waited for me
to speak.
"Doctor,"I says, you've about given me
up. There, don't shake your head, for |
know. Now, don't you think I'm afraid to
die, for don't believe am. But look here,
there's seven children down stairs, and if
leave my wife widow, with the few pounds |
them? :? Can't you pull me through p -.
."My dear fellow" he said, honestly, GIVE
done everything I can do for your case"
"That's what you think, DOCTOR" l says !;
"but look here. I've. been at sea thirty years,
and in seven wrecks It's been like dodging
death with me score Of times. Why, pulled
my wife there regularly out of the hands of
death, and I'm not going to give it up now.
I've Been" ...... ~. -. a..
.stop, STOP" he says gently "You're e1.
citing yourself" ...r.....
"Not a Bit" I says, though my voice was
quite whisper. "I've had this over all night,
and I've come to think l must be up and do
ing my duty"
"But, my good man." he began.
"Listen to me, DOCTOR 1 says "A score
of times I might have given up and been
drowned, but made a fight Of it and was
saved. Now mean to make fight Of ii
right here, for the sake of the wife and BARNS;
I don't mean to die, doctor, without strug.
gle. believe this here, that life is given to
us all as treasure to keep. We might throw
it away by:our own folly at. any time, but
there's hundreds of times when we may pre-
serve it, and we never know whether we can
save it till We try. Give US drink of that
water"
He held the glass to my lips, and l took q
big draught, and went on, he seeming all the
time to be stopping to humor me in my mad
ness.
"That's better, DOCTOR" I says. Nov
look here, sir, speaking as one who has sailed
the seas, it's terrible. stormy time for me
There's q lee shore close at hand, the fires
drowned out, and unless we can get up BIT
ofsail, there's no chance for me. Now then
doctor, can you get up bit of sail p .
81 will goand send you something that will
quiet you," said he, rising. :.
"Thanksy, doctor, I says, smiling to myself
aAnd now, look here; I'm not going to give
up till the last and when that last comes
and the ships going down, why, shall have
try of it if can't swim to safety. If thai
fails, and can really feel that it is to be, why
hope shall 60 down into the great deer
calmly, like a hopeful man, praying ths
somebody above will forgive me all I've done
amiss, and stretch out His hand to my little
ones" = - - :; ..l..
He went away and I dropped to sleep,
worn out with my exertion.
When woke, Polly was standing by my
bedside watching me, with bottle and glass
and the little table.
a.f AZ ennn as she saw nv ewes open, she shook