Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1878-09-20
THE STONE-OUTTER's STORY.

He was whistling over his work, careless
from long custom, of the solemn signif.
canoe of the letters he was cutting in the
white marble. The June sun was nearly
at the end Of the days journey, sinking
slowly to rest upon. the bosom of the broad
Atlantic, whose waves washed the shores
Of the little seaport town of Monkton. A
stranger, handsomely dressed in gray, with
large, lustrous brown eyes, came to the
fence that was around the yard where the
stone-cutter worked, and read the letter
ing almost completed, upon the tombstone.
HIRAM GOLDBY,
Aged IS.
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 and said
''Is not ten years long time to be cut.
ting letters on tombstone, friend ?''
''Eh, sir %
The stone-cutter looked shaded his eyes
with his brown hand, as he turned his face
to the setting sun.
''This is 1875, was the grave reply, "and
Hiram Colby has been ten years under
the waves.''
''Well, sir, that's the question-is he
there % #1 81 N.
els he there? Your stone tells ushe is,
and has been for ten years. M
Eyes, sir, so it does.-so it does. And
yet she has ordered it. She came over a
week OF so back with worried look upon
her sweet face that have never seen any
thing but patient, in the ten 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,
LII pay you whatever you choose to ask,
Davy,' she says, but he's not dead, and
don't want tombstone 'Lor, num-
says 1, he'd turned up all these years if he
was not dead But she shook her pretty
head, the prettiest I ever seen, sir. and
said she: My heart never told me that
he was dead, Davy, and I'll never believe
it till my heart tells me so -
Ellis sweetheart?" questioned the stran.
ger.
Ellis wife, sir-his loving, faithful wife,
that's had poverty, and loneliness, and
misery her full share, and might ha' bet
tered herself"
"How was that ?''
''Mr. Miles, sir, the richest shop owner
hereabouts, he waited patiently for seven
long years, trying to win her. Then he
said she was free even if Hiram came
back
"Enoch Arden,'' muttered the stranger.
"What did you say, sir?"
Nothing, nothing. What answer did
the widow make, Mr.. Miles %
eff Hiram's Dead" said she, ssI'm his
faithful wife," MAYBE you are from the
city, sir, and have heard the story of our
Pearl ?"
'sWhat story is that ?"
swell, sir, it's been told many times,
more particularly in the last year, but
you're welcome to what 1 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 take seat on some Of
the stones, III tell you, that is if you care
to hear it,
81 do care'', was the grave reply. 81
want very much to hear the story"
"Maybe you're some kin to the Pearl OF
Monkton-thatis what they call Mrs. Col
by hereabouts. Its matter of thirty
three years back, sir, that there was a
wreck off Monkton rocks, that you can
see from here, sir, now tides low. Cruel
rocks they are, and many wreck they
have seen, the more the pity. You see
them, sir?'
81 see the1n.''
''Well, sir, this one wreck, thirty-three
years ago, there was nothing washed ashore
but bit of a girl-baby three our four years
old, with skin like lily leaf, and great
black eyes. Hiram Goldby found her on
the rocks. He was boy of twelve years
strong and tall, and he carried the CHILD