The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1877-11-08
A WIFE'S PRAYER.

For three days terrible gale drove
before it the ship Pembroke, bound to
Liverpool from the Sandwich Islands.
Under bare poles, with every timber
groaning and creaking, with the
tall masts bending like reeds, with
heavy seas and binding spray sweeping
her decks fore and aft, the vessel doomed
on, rolling, plunging and quivering in
her desperate struggle with the tenn
pest.
At midnight, just before the ending of
the third day, a fearful cry, not loud,
but hoarse and deep, went through the
ship:
1--WE have sprung leak T.
Then the light from the two lanterns
hung up in the main and mizzen shrouds
fell upon the sturdy forms of seamen,
hurrying to rig the pumps.
Soon the dismal clang was heard, as
the stout fellows toiied and toiled, but
all to no purpose.
"Oh, Henry, what shall we do? The
leak is gaining upon us !" cried despair
ingly the young wife of Mr.. Rogers, the
first mate.
She was fine, noble-looking woman,
and was liked and respected by every
man aboard ship. A true daughter OF
Eve, her love for her husband was SO
deep and absorbing that she would have
followed him through any hardship or
peril sooner than separate from him for
a long period.
Now as the sturdy, good-looking
young mate heard his wife's cry of
alarm, he flung an arm around her waist
l. l,,, H. .Ns 81.
-" III it should come to the worst" said
he. " we will probably fall in, ere long,
with some other craft"
Meanwhile the leak steadily gained
The captain sent his carpenter into The
hold.
"Captain p cried the latter, when he
returned, "its all up with us There
must be big hole in the ship, rs the
water in her is already seven feet deep"
A look of dismay settled on every
face.
"Get the boats ready" said the
skipper.
While the men were obeying the order,
the ships hull, settling lower and lower,
was soon nearly engulfed in the rushing,
roaring seas.
The sailors has, barely time to put q
bag of sea-biscuit, q couple of cans of
prepared meat and breaker of fresh
water in each of the boats, when, with a
sidelong sheer, the vessel rolled half
way over to leeward, as helpless as log,
preparatory to going down.
The mate and his wife, with eight
men, took to the long boat; the rest of
= the ships occupants, amounting to ten
sailors, entered the quarter boat.
just as the two light vessels put away
from the doomed craft, the latter plung-
ing her bows under, dull report was
heard, as the matches were burst open
by the rising water in the hold.
A minute later, elevating her stern,
the ship sani out of sight in the stormy
ocean.
In the darkness and amongst the
heavy seas, the mates boat soon became
separated from the other.
Atdawn no sign of the latter could be
discovered by those who looked for it.
Keeping the boat dead all day against
the wind, the mate with his companions
vainly watched for sail.
Thus, day after day passed, until near
ly week had elapsed, by which time
the scanty allowance of sea-biscuits hay-
ing given out, there was nothing left to
eat in the boat, while in the breaker On
small cask) there remained hardly two
quarts of water.
Three days later, neither land nor q
sail having yet been fallen in with, the
sufferings of the people in the boat, re-
duced almost to q state of starvation,
were terrible.
"Oh, Harriet I" gasped the mate, on
4l,a, Of l,n of no
ship had been abandoned, if could
only obtain food for you-even provided
the rest of us had none-it would be
great comfort to me"
"Nay," answered the young woman,
in faint voice, while tears streamed
down her hollow, flushed cheeks, "you
should have my share. Henry. / could
manage to wait for sail, which / trust
we shall soon behold.
Later in the day, a wild, fierce express
sion cleaned in the eyes of the men.
They exchanged significant Chances,
but at the time said not word.
Each, however, guessed the horrible
thought that had entered the mind OF
every sailor, although they hesitated, as
yet, to express it.
At last man named Michael Bruno
"a half-breed between an Englishman
and Portuguese--let loose the dreadful
idea.
at must be DONE" he almost
screamed. "Two hours more without
food will put the death seal upon us.
One of us must die"
Z" Oh, no. no." cried Harriet. "We
can wait still. We shall see sail before
long. feel sure We will.
But all her pleadings zere in vain.
Some paper was cut into strips, and these
being held by Bruno, the drawing OF
lots to see who shspld die was COM