The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1876-12-21


deer 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 were
within three dsys' sail OF New York, and
then terrible sioiia came on. 1t was
in the winter, and 10, 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, could
see he was almost wild with anxiety. I'll
never forget that time, when 1 sat day
and night on the cabin floor, with Min
ME clinging to my dress and poor little
Pepita in my arms, listening 10 the
waves crashing against the ship as If
every moment must be our last. The
sailors would come down now and then
for drop of lot coffee and to warm
their frozen fingers, Tor everything on
deck was covere with ice. They hadn't
the heart, poor fellows, TO speak to the
children, and I 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 IN
conscious baby way.
oub OOu SdNSu us ulbtE hils LII bu6
evening of the eighth day the wind
changed, and we drifted into calmer
waters. If it hadn't been for the east
wind blowing, we might just as we'll
have drifted the other way, for the
ship was almost helpless. 1t was about
two in the morning when Cha, lie rushed
into the cabin and almost carried me in
his arms to the door. There I saw,
cleaning through the fog, two great
shining lights. They were like angels
eyes looking from heaven to me. I've
passed those Highland lights many
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 headland and
pointing to heaven.
"Weil. we saw the lights from other
vessels all around us, and at daybreak 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 to
my going to sea again. He said he could
bear anything if the children were not
suffering too; SO, for the sake of my
little ones, consented to stay behind.
Charlie bought little cottage on the
Jersey coast, where I could overlook
the sea, and settled down quietly to
take care of the children while he went
his voyages.
"He kept on going TO Brazil and
back for long time. Twice left the
children with ,uothey--for she had nA,.A.,
TO ,ive' fth us IN the cottage-and went
with him., for it hurt. me to pass all my
life away from Charles side. So every
thing vent well with us. We owned our
cottage and bit of garden, where
mother and Minnie used to pass long
sumner days wedding and watering and
tending the beds Of poppies and mari
golds and asters-old fashioned flowers
such as mother loved. Pepitl wss her
father's OVID girl. She loved the sea,
and would leave Minnie to take care 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
home 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 wero sunny days, ma'am,
aud I'm sure there never was happier
family than the one gathered round our
little table while Charlie was at home.
"We had saved good bit of money,
too, for Charlie wasn't like come 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 o. anxiety was 10 come.
An opportunity was offered Charlie to
90 on long voyage to the East Indies.
The chance, rs We looked at it, was too
good to be thrown away; SO he sold the
Pepita, which was getting to be an old
ship, and went of as half owner of an
other bark, the Arago. It WAS hard to
ct him go for so long a time. South
America seemed like home, but the
East Indies was an unknown world. He
vas so full of hope that he tried to go
If in his usual jolly way, kissing Min
lie and telling her she would be little
goman when he came back-she was
ourteen then-and promising Pepita no
nd OF curious things from the foreign
ands; but there was a great heaviness
a my heart, and when he came and put
lis arm around me and said Keep np
our courage. Maggie; I'll soon be
'ack, l couldn't look at him. 1 hid my
ace in my hands and sobbed like a |
ably.
"After he was gone we settled back |
nto the old ways; the children went to |
ehool, and mother and I kept the house
ldy. But was uneasy; l didn't dare
o say anything to trouble the girls,
'ut never lay down at night without |
reaming of shipwreck, and when the |
lme came round when We could expect |
ews from Charlie, it seemed as if my
cart would burst with anxiety. The |
ews never came. Day after day we
'ait d, and little by little sad silence
ettled down on our cottage. When
'ord would come of the arrival of ships |
'hich sailed long after CharIie's did, we
'ould look in each others faces and |
ever speak word, but each knew what
orrow was in the others heart. Only
tile Pepita never gave up. 'My father
7ill come back; my father will come
ack, she used to say, until I couldn't
ear to hear her, because I couldn't be-
eve it; and when she used to stand for
ours, shading her eyes with her hand
nd gazing off over tie water, it drove
le almost wild, because 1 knew what
ne was watching for.