Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1878-10-31
- HIRAM COLBY, stIt
M Aged &c.. 3
LOST AT SEA, January, 1866.

The last six was nearly completed
A strange palOr gathered for a Inomen
upon the strangers face, and then he
drew long, deep breath, and said:
Is not ten years long time TO he
cutting letters on a tombstone, friend?
'Eh, SIR j 81 .ttu-a 1
The stone-cutter looked up, shading
his eyes with his brown hand, as be
turned his face to the setting sun. -
This is 1876 was the grave reply
'and Hiram Colby must have been ten
years under the waves "- a'lE 81
We'll, sir that's the question-is he
ther% 13
rs he there? Your stone tells US he
Is And has been for ten years."
Yes, sir, SO it does-so it does. And
yet she that has ordered it don't be-
lieve it. She came over week 80
back with worried look upon her
sweet, lace thatI never seen any but
patient in ten long years, and she says
ID me; You may cut stone, Davy,
she says, and have it put up in the
churchytrd, and L don't want TO see it.
pll pay you whatever you choose to
ask, Davy, says she, but he's not
dead and don't want a tombstone.
'LOr, num- says l, he'd turned up
in all these years if he was not dead.
But she shook her pretty head, the
prettiest l ever seed, sir, and says she:
'4ay heart never told me he was dead,
Davy, and I'll never believe it till my
heart tells Ine so.'
Ibis sweetheart?' questioned the
stranger.
"His wife, sir, his loving, faithful
vie, that's had poverty, an misery,
her fuil share and might ha' bettered
herself.
'How was that?'
"Mr. Miles, sir, the richest ship own
er, hereabouts, ne waited patiently for
seven years, trying to win her. Then
he said she was free, even if Hiram
came back
'Enoch Arden muttered the strang
er.
What did you say, sir?'
Nothing, nothing. What answer
did the widow make Mr.. Miles?'
IF Hiram'S dead says she.' 'rm
his faithful widow while l live. II
Hiram's living, Pm his faithful wi e. :"
Maybe your from the city, sir, and
have not heard the story OF our Pearl?,
what story is that?'
We'll, sir, it's been told many times:
more particularly in the last year, but
you're welcome to what l know of it,
There that 6 is done, and I'il leave the
Scripture text till morning. If you'll
come to the gateway. sir, and take a
seat on some of the stones, Pll tell yOu
That is, if ycu care to hear it,
Il do care,' was the grave reply: Il
want very much to hear the story
May be your some kin to the Pearl
of Monkton-that's what they call
Mrs. Colby bereabouts. It's matter
of thirty three years back, sir, that
there was q wreck off Monkton Rocks,
Inat you can see from here, sir, now
tides low. Cruel rocks they are, and
many wreck they've seen; the more
the pity. You see them, sir?'
81 see them.'
well, sir, of this one wreck, thirty
three years ago, there was nothing
washed ashore but bit of girl baby.
three or four years old, with skin like
lily leaf and great black eyes; Hiram
Colby found her down in the rocks.
He was boy of twelve years, strong
and tall, and he carried the child in
his ans 10 his mother. You NAV see
on the side of the hil.'
Il see it,
well, Hiram took the baby there.
an Mrs. Goldby was the same as a
mother to her-a good woman the
Widow GOldby, God bless her soulv
SIS she dead, then"
Aye, sir, six years sgone. The baby
was telling you of, sir, talked foreign
lingo, and was dressed beautifully in
rich clothes, that must have cost pow
er OF money. But never ould Hiram
or the widow sell them, putting them
up carefully In case the child was ever
looked for. She was that pretty, sir,
and that dainty that everybody called
her Pearl, though she was christened in |
the church, NJ 4rgaret, six months after
Hiram found her, Though she was moi
like our girls, but afraid, always dead
ly afraii Of the sea. Ive seen her
clench her mite OF hand and strike at
1t, for she head bit of a temper in her
though nothing to harm.
when Hiram made his first voyage