The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1877-03-01
THE FISHERMAN'S WIFE.

a woman we're sitting, sadly enough, in
one of tho humblest dwellings near the
harbor of Ostend, beside a table. 1t was
supper time, and yet the table was bare,
and there was no fire on the hearth. A
newborn infant'lay shivering in its era
die, which piece of sailcloth alone pro-
tected from the sharp, north wind that
blew through broken pane in the win
dow.
The man, who was one of those beings
condemned to poverty and perpetual toll
from their very birth, whether they
plow the ocean or the earth-one OF
those urfortunates who never rest nor
take to their bed, as Montague says, but
to die-or in other words, a seaman
would rise from his seat every now and
then, 90 to the window to examine the
state of the weather, and then return to
his place as if in despair.
The woman who was young and pretty
still, in spite of the whitening effects of
poverty, locked anxiously from her hus-
band to her in.ant. She endeavored to
smile to conceal her sufferings, and to
inspire degree of hope which she felt
not.
"I must be of, after ALL" said the
poor seaman; "though the wind doesn't t
change, and it blows hard enough to cap
size flagship"
"You had better wait Bit" urged
the wife.
"But you haven't crust of bread to
eat" he returned.
IL am not hungry" answered she as
boldly as she could.
Dat tha,, thora,a orr infant ID
"Oh, he will not feel want, though we
might" replied the poor mother.
At this moment a loud knock was
heard at the door.
"Who's there?' said the wife, start
ing.
The infant was reused out of its sleep
and expressed its hunger by low wall
"It must be our landlord" answered
the husband cit is only master who
would knock in that fashion. He has
come to remind us that our rent will be
due in three days"
And the seaman went and opened the
door.
Sure enough it was the landlord-a
landlord cut upon a pattern unhappily
far too cOmmon-one of those modern
feudal lords, who have replaced the feu
dality of the sword by the feudality o.
money, and who are quite as pitiless to
wards their serfs.
"Holloa, there" said he "Pve come
to see whether you are going to pay me
little more exactly than usual"
"Alasl sir" said the young mother
"we have neither money nor work. Yor
see what weather it is"
ggUL 80 .hu uos naaa ,nf roina ~ ra
torted the landlord.
"But sir,'' said the seaman, timidly
'"give us weeks delay, that ] may have
time to 60 a-fishing. | should have Sc
off three days ago, but the sea has beer
too rough"
CT can't help that" replied the i'm
movable landlord. Then, seeing thu
wife cry, he condescended to explain hi
reasonsIfor being thus inAexible: "Yor
shoald not have waited till the fou
weather came Oh. You should work il
the right season, and lay by, in tn
course of the year, a sufficient sum Il
But, sir" said the tenant yo,
know we work as hard as ever we can
and live from hand to mouth; and tn
weeks earnings are swallowed up II
downright necessaries."
Be that as it may, must have m.
money, or / shall give you warning" :.
And he walked off in passion, call
ing the poor people good-for-nothin,
drunkards end idlers. And forthwith
he went to calm his rage by drinking
few glasses OF liquor at the nearest cafe
1t would be impossible to describe tn,
scene of despair that took place in tn
seaman's dwelling.
The poor man rose, and embracing hi
wife and baby, left the cottage, and hay
ING knocked at the doors of sewers
neighbors he had soon recruited halfs
dozen determined fellows as poor as him
self, who were half surprised at his bolc
ness, yet willing to follow his example
however fraught with danger, provide
il offered a single chance of succe,
against twenty chances of death.
They now embark in one of those littl
nutshells called fishing boats, hired fc
the purpose, and about rs i'll put I,
qether as their house, and letting in ,
much water as the latter let in wind
and of they set, impelled by that hero
sense of duty and OF the sacredness OF
debt, which must surprise many baDk'
who has failed, but which induces thel
poor people TO rick for others the DANCE
they would not have faced for their ow
profit.
The poor woman had likewise left Il
cottage, and watched the few planl
that were holding her whole happiness
The boat was soon out at sea. 1t wi
Just at the moment and In the season
those fearful equinoctial tides, when u
sea seems TO threaten To swallow up q
earth. The waves were tossing about
IL in fury, and dashing against eac
other like the onset of two contendir
armies.
But no sooner did they feel the bo
within their grasp than they assailed
stem and stern, and lashed its sides Il