The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1878-05-10
HIRAM GOLDBY,
4 ued q
Lost at sea, Januaru, 1866.

Lost at sea, January, 1866.
The last six was nearly completed a
strange pallOr gathered for moment upon
the strangers face, and then he drew a
long, deep breath, aud said
'-Is not ten years a long time to be cut
ting letters on a tombstone, friend ?"
"Eh, sir?''
The stone cutter looked, shading his
eyes with his brown hand, as he turned
his face to the setting sun.
'tThs is 1S76,'' was the grave reply,
''and Hiram Goldby must have been ten
years under the waves"
'-WeI, sir, that's the question-is he
there?'
lis he there? Your stone tells us he is
and has beon for ten years.
''Ies, sir, SO it dOes-so il does. And
yet she has ordered it. She came over a
week or so back with a worried look upon
her sweet face that | never seen any but
patient in ten long years, and she said To
me You may cut stone, Davy,' she
says, 'and have it put up in the church
yard, and | don't want to see it. I'll pay
yuu whatever yOu choose to ask. Ddvy,'
saws she, bar he's not dead aud don't
want A tombstone 'Lor' num,' says |,
he'd turned up in all these years if he
was not dead But she shook her pretty
head, the PIE tiest | ever seen, sir, and SAID
she NV heart never told me that he was
dead, Davy, and III never believe it till my
heart tells me So
"His sweetheart 90 questioned the stran-
ger.
ellis wife, sir, his loving. faithful wife
that's had poverty, an loneliness an mise
nv, her full share, an might ha' bettered
herself''
'How was that?''
"Mr. Miles, sir, the richest shipowner
hereabouts, he waited patiently for seven
long years, trying to win her. Then he
said that she was free even il Hiram came
back"
'Enoch Arden,' muttered the Stranger
"What did you say, siI !?
"Notbing, nothing. What answer did
the widow make Mr.. Miles ?''
eff Hiram's dead, says she, I'm his
faithful widow while | live. If Hiram s
living, I'm his faithful wife, Maybe
you're from the city, sir, and have heard
the story of our peril? ?"
"WhaL story is that ?''
.'Wen. sir, it's been told many times,
ruore particularly in the last year. but
YOU'RE welcome to what / know OF IT.
There that is done. and FL leave the
scripture text till morning. If you'll come
to tile gateway. and take a seat on some
of the stones, I'll tell you. That is if you
care to bear it.
s.I do care,' vas the grave reply !; II
want very much to hear the story.
"Maybe you're some kin TO the Pearl of
Monktou-that's what they call Mrs. Gold
by bereabouts It's a matter of thirty
three wears back, sir, that there was
wreck off Monkton rocks, that you can see
from here. sir. no " tides low. Cruel rocks
they are. and many a wreck they've seen,
the more the pity. You see them, sif'
al see them"
oWen. sir. this one wreck, thirty-three
years ago, there was nothing washed
ashore but a bit of a girl baby, three or
four wears old, with skin like lilly leaf,
and or. al b ack eyes Hiram Goldby found
her in the rocks. He was boy OF twelve
wears. strong and tall. and he carried the
child in his aims To his mother. 1ou
may see the CO tage, sir, the second whlte
one on the 6e of the hill.
Il see it,"
"WeH, Hiram took the baby there, an
Mrs. Gcldby was the same as mother 10
her-a good woman, the widow GoldOy-
God bless her soul y
''Is she dead, then p
'.Aye, sir six years agone. The baby
was telling you Of sir. talked a foreign
lingo and was dressed beautiful in rich
clothes, that must have cost a power oil
money. But never would Hiram or the
widow sell them, putting them up careful
ly, IN case the child WAS ever looked ior-
She was that pretty. sir, and TINT DAINTY
that everybody called her Pearl. though
she was not like our girls, but AFRAID, al
ways deadly afraid of the Sea I've seer
her clench her mite Of hand aud strike al