Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1877-12-19

ened child.
And when we came down into the
warm tropic seas was so happy watch
ing the schools of flying fish and the
great floating fields of gulf weed ; and
at night, when the sea was shining and
the ship seemed passing through lake
OF silver, all my dreams of paradise
were realized.
Then came the foreign landN with
strange, swarthy faces, and words |
didn't know, and odd fruits, and all
manner of queer things. Charlie was
never tired of bringing me new and
curious trinkets, and | made my little
/ CABIN as fancy as a Chinese toyshop.
When we came home from that
voyage, my little Minnie was born. She
was darling blue-eyed baby and Char
lie was So anxious for her comfort that
he persuaded me to stay at home with
mother, and he went on the next VOYAGE
alone
=" But | couldn't bear it so when he
came home again, begged him to let
me 90 back to my home in the little
| cabin. He found it desolate enough
without ne, 50 he said, and we went
together.
This voyage we lay long time in
the Brazilian port, and before we sailed
for home, another baby was in my
arms. We called her Pepita, after our
dear old ship, and it was hard to say
which the sailors petted the most the
ship or the baby.
All went well with us until we were
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. 1t was an awful time, ma m.
Charlie didn't laugh then; and although
he tried to speak cheerful words,
could see ne was almost wild with anxi-
ETY.. I'll never forget that time, when |
sat day and night on the cabin floor
Minnie ciinging to my dress and poor
little Peplta III my arms, listening to
the wave crashing against the ship as if
every moment must be our last, The
sailors would come down now and then
for a drop of hot coffee and to warm
their frozen fingers, for everything on
deck was covered with ice. They
hadn't the heart, poor fellows, to speak
to the children, and saw more than
one tear on their rough checks when
they looked at them, and Pepita would
smile and stretch out her little hands
III her unconscious baby way.
But God saved us after ALL In the
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 well
have drifted the other way, for the
ship was almost helpless. 1t was about
two in the morning when Charlie rushed
/ into the cabin and almost carried me
| in his arms to the door. There | 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 Il
| time since, mann. I've seen them in
soft summer evenings and clear spring
mornings, but | never see them with
out my whole heart going out in thanks
! giving and praise. No one to whom
| they have not snone as they did to me
that night can know what they really
mean, standing there on the headland
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 laid Pepita in my moth
cr's arms.
After that, Charlie wouldn't hear to
my going TO sea again He said he
could bear anything if tie children
were not suffering too; so, for the sake
of my little ones, | consented TO stay
behind. Charlie bought Il little cottage
on the Jersey coast, WhCreI could over
look the sea, and | settled down quiet
| ~ to take care Of the children while he
went on his voyage.
He kept ON going to Brazil and back
! for long time. Twice / left the chill
/ dren with mothcr-for she had come to
! live with us in the cottage-and went
with him, for it hurt me to pass all my
life away from Charities side So every
! thing went well with us. We owned
our cottage and bit of garden, where
mother and Minnie used to pass long
summer days wedding and watering and
tending the beds of peoples and mari
Colds and astors-old fashioned flowers
such as mother loved. Pepita was her
fathers own 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 Charley
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 rs she would come dancing up
the garden path pulling him with both
her hands, and he laughing and calling
/ her all manner of tender names.