The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1878-09-25
THE.sTONE-CUTTERs STORY.

THE..STONE-CUTTERS STORY.
He was whistling over his work, care
less, from [leng custom, Of the solemn
significance of the letters he was cutting
in the white marble. The June sun was
nearly at the end Of the days journey,
sinking 81 slowly to rest upon the bosom Of
the broad Atlantic, whose waves washed
tie shores of the little seaport town of
Monkton. A stranger, handsomely dress
cd in gray, with large, lustrous brown
eyes, came to the fence that was
around the yard where the stone-cutter
worked, and read the lettering, almost
completed, upon the tombstone:
HIRAM GOLDBY,
Aged 35.
LOST AT SEA, JANUARY, 1885.
The last six was nearly completed. A
strange pallor gathered for moment
upon TIE strangers face and then he
drew long, deep breath and said:
us not ten years a long time to be
cutting letters on tombstone, friend?"
'Eh, sir?"
The stone-cutter looked, shaded his
eyes with his brown hand, as he turned
MS lace to the setting SUM-
"rhis is 1876" was the grave reply.
"and Hiram Colby has been then years
under the waves"
"Well sir, that's the question--is he
there?"
us he there? Your stone tells us he
| is and has been for ten years."
eyes, sir, so it does-so it does. And
| yet she has ordered it. She came over a
week or so back with worried look upon
her sweet face that I have never seen any,
thing but patient in the long years, and
she said to me: 'You may cut stone,
Davy,' she says, 'and put it up in the
churchyard, and don't want to see it.
I'll pay you whatever you choose to ask,
Davy,' she says, Ebut he's not dead, and
don't want tombstone tLor, num-
says l, he'd turned up all these years if
he was not dead But she shock her
pretty head, the prettiest I ever seen, sir,
and she said: MY heart never told me
that he was dead, Davy, and I'll never
believe it till my heart tells nae so.'"
ellis sweetheart?" questioned the
stranger.
Ellis wife, sir-his loving, faithful wife,
that's had poverty, and loneliness and
misery, her full share, and might ha' bet
tered herself"
allow was that?''
"Mr. Miles, sir, the richest shop owner
hereabouts, he waited patiently for seven
long years, trying to win her. Then he
said that she was free even if Hiram came
back" h
'Enoch Arden" muttered the stranger.
"What did you say, sir?''
''Nothing, nothing. What answer did
the widow make, Mr.. Miles?"
"' If Hiram's dead,' said she, I'm his
faithful wife, "Maybe you are from the
city, sir, and haven't heard the story of
our Pearl?'
"What story is that?"
swell, sir, it's been told many times,
more particularly in the last year, but
20" re welcome to what know of it.
There, that six is done, and I'll leave the
Scripture text till morning. If you'll
come to the gateway and AXE seat on
some of the stones, III tell you, that is il
you care to hear it,"
II do care," was the grave reply; II
want very much to hear the story"
maybe you're some kin to the Pear
of Monkton-that's what they call Mrs.
Goldby hereabouts. It's matter OF
thirty three years back, sir, that there
was wreck off Monkton rocks, that YOU
can see from here, sir, now tides low
Cruel rocks they are, and many wreck
theyve seen, the more the pity. You see
them, sir?"
Il see them" ...
swell, sir, this one wreck, thirty-three
years ago, there was nothing washed
ashore but bit of girl-baby three OF
four years old, with skin like lily leaf
and great black eyes. Hiram Goldby
found her on the rocks. He was bov OF
twelve years, strong and tall, and he
carried the child in his arms to his
mother. You may see the cottage, sir,
the second white one On the side of the
hill.'' ~ -.<..l .......-..
Il see it.'' .
swell, Hiram took the baby there. and
Mrs. Goldby was the same as a mother to
ia good woman, God bless her soul
the Widow Goldby'' ..-
lis she dead, then?"
AYE, sir, six years agone. The baby
| was telling you of, sir, talked foreign
lingo, and was dressed beautiful in rich
clothes, that must have cost power OF
money. But never would Hiram or the
widow sell them, putting them up care
fully in case the child was ever looked
for. She was that pretty, sir, and that
dainty, that everybody called her Pearl,
though she was not like our girls. but
afraid, always deadly afraid Of the sea.
l have seen her clench her mite of hand
and strike at it, for she had bit of
temper in her, though nothing to harm.
"When Hiram made his first VOYAGE.
for they were all seafaring men here
abouts, and there was nothing for lad to
do but ship, the Pearl was just little
washed out lily, a fretting until he came
home again. And it was so whenever he
went, tor they were sweethearts from the
first time he nestled her baby face on
his breast, when he picked her up
from the wreck. She was sixteen when
they were married, as near as we could
guess; Hiram was man of twenty-fou
She prayed him to stay at home then, and
he stayed year, but he fretted for the
sea, and he went again, thinking, s'pose,