Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1878-09-26
THE STONE.Cu1TERSsTORY..

And SO cannot nameit. +
THE sTONE-CU1TERS STORY.
He was wkistling over his work, care
less, from lsng custom, OF the solemn
slgniti> ance of the letters be was cutting
In the white marble. The June sun was
nearly at TIE end Of the DAYS Journey.
sinking slowly to rest upon the bosom OF
the broad Atlantic, whose waves washed
II shores of the little seaport town OF
Monkton. A stranger, handsomely dress
ed 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 IS.
LOST AT SEA, JANUARY, 1866.
The last six was nearly completed. A
strange palIor gath red for moment
upon tue strangers face and then he
drew long, deep breath and said:
as not ten years a long time to be
cutting letters on a tombstone, friend2"
"Eh, sire"
The stone-cutter looked, shaded his
his face to the setting sun.
"chis is 1876 was the grave reply,
land airam Goldby has been then years
under the waves
"Well sir, that's the question--is he
there2"
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 have never seen any
thing but patient in the long years, ana
she said to me: You may cur a stone,
Davy,' she says, 'and put it up in the
churchy ard, and don't want to see it
Ill pay you whatever you choose to ask.
Davy, she says, 'but he's not dead and
don't want tombstone 'Lor, mum.
says I, he'd turned up all these years if
he was not dead But she shock her
pretty head, the prettiest ever seen, sir.
and she said: My heart never told ne
that he was dead, Davy, and III never
believe it till my heart tells nae so.'"
Ills sweetheart" questioned the
stranger.
"His 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 thatg'
Mr.. Miles. sir, the richest shop owner
hereabouts, he waited patiently for seven
long years, trying to win her. Then he
aid that she was flee even if Hiram came
back"
''Enoch Arden," muttered the stranger
'Wha; did you say, sir?''
''Nothing. nothing. What answer did
the widow make, Mr.. Miles!'
GO If Hiram's cead,' said she, I'm his
faithful wife, "Maybe you are from thu
city, sir, and haven't heard the story Of
our Pearl9"
''What story is that?"
swell, sir, it's been told many times
more particularly in the last wear, but
yo-'le welcome to what I know of it
There, that six is done, and II, leave the
Scripture text till morning. II you'll
come to the gateway and axe seat or
some of the stones, I'll tell you, that is il
you care to hear it,"
II do CARE" was the grave reply; 81
want very much to hear the story"
"Maybe you're some kin to tho Pear
of Monkton-that's what they call Mrs
Golobv hereabouts. It's matter Of
thirty-three years back, sir, that there
was wreck off Monkton rocks, that yor
can see from here, sir, now tides low
Cruel rocks they are, and many a wreck
they We seen, the more the pity. You SET
them, sir2''
Il see them"
swell, sir, this one wreck, thirtv-thre,
years ago, there was nothing washed
ashore but bit OF girl-baby three o.
four years old, with skin like a lily leaf
and great black eyes. Hiram Goldby
found her on the rocks. He was boy o.
twelve years, strong and tall, and he
carried the child in his arms to hi
mother. You may see the cottage, sir
the second white one on the side of the
hill"
II see it,"
well, Hiram took the baby there. and
Mrs. GoIdby was the same as mother tc
it-a good woman, God bless her soul
the Widow Goldby." D.. ..~, ..-- a., ~.
Is she dead, then?' I =
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 tina,
dainty, that everybody called her Pearl
though she was not like our girls, blu,
afraid, always deadly afraid Of the sea
have seen her clench her mite of a hanC
and strike at it, for she had a bit of 8
temper in her, though nothing to harm.
"When Hiram made his tirstvoyage
for they were all seataring men here.
abouts, and there was nothing for a lad to
do but ship, the Pearl was just little
washed out lily, a fretting until he came
home again. And it was 80 whenever be
went, tor they were sweethearts from the
first time he nestled her baby face or
his breast, when he picked her ur
from the wreck. She was sixteen wher
they were married, as near as we could
guess; Hiram was MIN of twenty four
She prayed him to stay at home then, anG
he stayed year, but he tretted for tht
sea, and he went again, thinking, s'pose
that his wife would get used to it, as vel
as all wives hereabouts must 90. Blu
she never did never. 1t was just pitt
able tosee her so about, white as corpse
when Hiram Went away, never looking
at the sea without shudder like dealt
chill. All through the war it was jus
awful, for Hiram enlisted on board ,
man. o-war, and Pearl was just shadoy
when he came home the last time.,o ri,
sAfter the warp 81 Isss31t = n :.
eyes, sir but he made no none,
of any account and SO went ava,
again, after staying at home along spell
= Well, he never came back. 'Twasn't n
manner of use telling Pearl he was lost
shed just shake her pretty head and say
He'll come back Not q mite of mourn
ing wonld she wear, even after his owl
mother gave him up and went in black
for, sir, it stands to reason he's dea,
years ago. sss5s s5 sss 2's .e5
at locks So ... " 81
"Of course it does; NOBODY else f1onht