Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1879-02-06

creased In force, or screamed like an
-Eollan harp through what remained OF
our wire-rigging. The cyclone was
now at It's height. and we had been
nearly four hours on the bowsprit, when
there was a lull, and as cattle, horses,
and the dead bodies of men, women
and children passed us, besides native
boats and portions of wreckage, we
| could make out that they saw US on
shore, and were getting the rocket APP
paratus IN position; but such was the
| force of the wind, that when they fired
the lines fell short, and after several at
tempts they desisted. They pointed
down the river, however, and to wind
ward we saw what appeared to be a
speck coming up with the tide,which was
running like a sluice. As the speck
approached we could distinguish that
it was a man with the features of
Hawke, and he held up his hand to
show that he had line attached to
him; and as he was carried toward us,
the captain dropped a running tow-line
over him, and with great difficulty we
hauled him on board. To the line
which Hawke brought with him we
We're not long in attaching hawsers
spliced together, which they hauled on
shore;and as they We're dragging us
one at a time, on shore. Hawke came
to me for moment, and in an anxious
tone asked:
"Where is Helen? ?"
Married this morning to the cap
tain, and on shore"
He turned away, saying:
Then [ am of no use to the world,
and the world is of no use to me-"
Through Hawkes. gallantry we were
rescued, and when safe on shore both
the captain and Mr.. Cobb shook him by
the hand, as did numbers of others, and
admired him for a brave fellow. A
public dinner was given in his honor,
and large sum of money would have
been subscribed for him; but the latter
to the organizers Of the subscription by
telling them that he could not take
what he was not entitled to claim: and
| from this speech some of us inferred
that had Hawke known that the fair
stowaway Ito whom he had never
spoken) was not on board the wreck,
he might have acted, and we might
have Jared, differently.
The day after the cyclone the Hoogh-
iy was one unbroken mirror, and all
was peace and tranquility; and but for
Calcutta being in ruins, and the harbor
one mass of wrecks. there was no trace
in the yellow sky of the fearful scene
that had been enacted the day before.
High out of the water, and standing
conspicuously among the wrecks, was
the full-length figurehead of La Belle
Helene, the flowing robe of which was
painted cerulean blue, suggesting to
those belonging to the vessel that
Hawke, whose work it was. had it in
his mind to make it resemble his late
commanders wife. With the aid of
steam-pumps and lighters, the vessel
was subsequently raised and towed into
dry dock.
One day, as the newl Unmarried couple
were about to Gloss the river Ell route
to the vessel, they saw a crowd of halt
nude natives staring at a European who
was lying full length on the bank of
the river.
"What a shame p remarked the cap
tain, ''for an Engllshman to be in such
a state;" but his wife, hurriedly drop
ping his arm, exclaimed:
"Why, it's that brave fellow who
saved all your lives; l fear he has
| tainted"
He was dead, and apparently had
been so for half an hour; and the post
mortem resulted in a verdict of "Died
from apoplexy, accelerated through
want of food, and too great use of
stimulants."
The clue to his identity was a lady's
letter enclosed in all empty purse, the
purport of which was that Lady Falcon
enclosed check for her sons use; but
until he retrieved his position requested
that neither her daughters nor herself
might hear from him again. The fu-
neral-which but for the accidental re-
cognition Of poor Hawke by Mrs.
Sproul, would have been that of an I'M
known paupe', was paid for by her hus-
band, and largely attended by the off
GERS and seanen in port. 1t was Helen,
too, who supplemented the official re-
port of the captain to the widowed mo-
ther, containing the account of the
death of her son, by sympathizing
letter Of her own, enclosing a fragment
of hair, and detailing an account of the
| cyclone and the rescue from the wreck,
which Hawkes. name was so honorably
associated, and whose prominent BRAY
cry IN some measure expiated for his
previous shortcomings and folly.
Little remains to be told. At first the
wives Of the captains, agents, and their
sets, who had heard of the romantic an
tecedents of Mrs. Sproul, thought it
would never do to encourage person
of such doubtful origin; consequently it
was understood that Mrs. Sproul was to
be cold, shouldered. But the little wo-
man was more than a match for them.
Her amiability, charming manners and
beauty yanquished the scruples, and
melted the stern responsibility of most
of them, while her husband was respect
ed as a worthy man and skillful COM
mander She made him a devoted
and excellent wife, realizing the senti-
ment:
Honor and shame from no condition rise;
Act we'll thy part, there all the honor ltes.
Child Kissing.
Everybody is expected to kiss the
baby. The timid little girl who shrinks
from the profered OSCILLATION is ordered