The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1876-12-14

dear old ship, and it was hard to say
which the sailors petted the most, the
ship or the baby.
"All went we'll with us until we we're
within three days sail of New York, and
then terrible storm came on. 1t was
in the winter, and for eight long days
we tossed at the mercy OF the tempest.
It was an awful time, ma'am. Charlie
didn't laugh then; and although he
tried to speak cheerful words, l could
soc he was almost wild with anxiety. I'll
never forget that time, when sat day
and night on the cabin floor, with Min
ME clinging to my dress and poor little
Pepita in my arms, listening to the
waves crashing against the ship as If
every moment NUT be our last. The
sailors would come down now and then
for O drop of hot coffee and to warm
their frozen fingers, for everything on
deck was covere with ice. They hadn't
the heart, poor fellows, to speak to the
children, and / saw more than one tear
on their rough cheeks when they looked
at them, and Pepita would smile and
stretch out her little hands in her un-
conscious baby way.
"But God saved us after ell. In the
evening of the eighth day the wind
changed, and We drifted into calmer
waters. II it hadn't been for the east
wind blowing, we might just as well
have drifted the other way, for the
ship was almost helpless. It was about
two in the morning when ChaI lie rushed
into the cabin and almost carried me in
his arms to the door. There l saw,
cleaning through the fog, two great
shining lights. They were like angels
eyes looking from beaven to me. I've
passed those Highland lights many a
time since, ma'am. I've seen them in
soft summer evenings and clear spring
mornings, but never see them without
my whole heart going out in thanksgiv-
ing and praise. No one to whom they
have not shone as they did to me that
night can know what they really mean,
standing there on the head!and and
pointing to heaven.
"Well. we saw the lights from other
vessels all around us, and at daybrcak a
tug was alongside taking our forlorn,
nearly wrecked ship up the harbor, and
before night I laid Pepita in my moth
er's arms.
"After that, Charlie wouldn't hear 10
my going to sea again. He said be could
bear anything if the children were not
suffering too; SO, for the sake OF my
littla ones, consented to stay behind.
Charlie bought a little cottage on the
jersey coast, where / could overlook
the geo, and [ settled down quietly to
take care of the children while be went
his voyages.
"He kept on going to Brazil and
back for long time. Twice left the
children with mother-for she hod com
to live with us in the cottage-and went
with him, for it hurt me to pans all my
life away from Charles side. So every
thing went well with us. We owned our
cottage and bit Of garden, where
mother end Minnie used to pass long
summer days wedding and watering and
tending the beds of poppies and mari
Colds and asters-old fashioned flowers
such as mother loved. Pepit, was her
fathers own girl. She loved the sea,
and would leave Minnie to take caro- of
the garden, and go and sit for hours on
the beach watching the waves tumble in
among the stones and beat against the
foot OF the cliff. When Charlie came
homo she was always the first to see
him far down the road, and I'll never
forget how her pretty face used to look
as she woul come dancing up the gar
den path pulling him with both her
hands, and he laughing and calling her
all manner OF tender names.
"Those were sunny days, ma'am.
and I'm sure there never was happier
family than the one gathered round cur
10 Aal Ia ,i.t1 Il. a
"We had saved good bit of money,
too, for Charlie wasn't like some sail
ors, who throw everything about when
they are on shore. Every penny we
could spare he laid by for the little
girls; for they were always little girls to
him, and always will be.
"But our day Of anxiety was 10 come.
An opportunity was offered Charlie to
go on a long voyage to the East Indies.
The chance, as we looked at it, was too
good to be thrown away; SO he sold tho
Pepita, which was getting to be an old
ship, and went off as half owner of an
other bark, the Arago. 1t was hard to
let him go for so long time. South
America seemed like home, but the
East Indies was an unknown world. He
was 20 full OF hope that he tried to go
of in his usual jolly way, kissing Min
ME and telling her she would be little
woman when he came back--sho was
fourteen then-and promising Pepita no
end of curious things from the foreign
lands; but there was great heaviness
in my heart, and when he came and put
his arm around me and said /: Keep up
your courage. Maggie; I'll soon be
back, couldn't look d him. I hid my
face in my hands and sobbed like a
baby.
"After he was gone we settled back
into the old ways; the children went to
school, and mother and kept the house
tidy. But was uneasy; didn't dare
to say anything to trouble the girls,
but never lay down at night without
dreaming of shipwreck, and when the
time came round when we could expect
news from Charlie, it seemed as if my
heart would burst with anxiety. The
news never came. Day after day We
wait d, and little by little sad silence
settled down on our cottage. When
word would come Of the arrival of ships
which sailed long after Charles did, we
would look in each others faces and
never speak word, but each knew what
sorrow was in the others heart. Only
little Pepita never gave up. my father
will come back; my father will come
back, she used to say, until couldn't
bear to hear her, because l couldn't be-
lieve it; and when she used to stand for
hours, shading her eyes with her hand
and gazing off over the water, it drove
me almost wild, because 1 knew what
she was watching for.
GA summer and winter and another