River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-01-16


Up the little street the procession
went, and among all the women there wa
not an eye that was not filed with tears
Poor fellow ~ said my wife, ''he dc
take on horrible, to be sure. that be
certainly does. How kind his friend
seems TO him, 'haint he crying Just lit
tie, tooin
Mr. Coles met hem at the church gate
and, with some sixty Others, they entered
the church. | and my wife stood at the
corner of the ard and waited till they
came out. which they did before lo.g,
and the coffin was lowered into the grave
as the clock ceased to chime four.
After it was all over, Mr.. Coles went
up and shook hands. in his kind way,
with the skipper and tried 10 console
him. Much he seemed to require com
iorting, poor fellow!
Just let me look ence more at my
Mary Hams coflin--one more look at
Mary Ham Dar.ey's grave, afore they
ii is it up forever
Come along, poor mate said his
/ friend. land don't take on so terrible.
! have spoken to the kind vicar, and he
: says he will see to tire monument being
erected right, when you send the design
! from Newcastle. Only think, how com
j fortlng it will DE, when you be a-salling
| along past this here place wi h Goals, to
be able to just look through the glass add
say, II can see the place where, under
meath On Elegant tomb, rests Mary Ham
| barley, what was so very dear to me as a
wife, and all those who knowed her as a
sister.
These words seemed to have comfort
ing effect on the widower, who suffered
himself TO be led away, saying ID tones
which moved US all, BLESS your good
vicar, what wrote that track, which alone
prevents me following my Mary Ham TO
the grave broken 'artcd."
The bell began once more to toll. us the
sexton flied up the grave and hid from
the adnnring sight Of the boys the rows
of brass nails, which told that Mary Ann
barley was cut off at the early age of
twenty-six.
''Cut off as a tulip" said the sexton,
who always improved the occasion, to the
bystanders; land her husband remains as
gu ostrich alone in the desert; and how
I wonders he did not have made her com
Portable. and been Is. 4d. into my
pockets, which, as my wife has twins
again, would be acceptable-very."
''Bess ye, JOHN" says my old woman,
IS we walked home. 81 don't know
what We would do without your missus,
To get your meals ready and take the in
sides out Of fishes, nor / without my old
man aud it's thinking of this that makes
lne feel SO sad about this poor young
man as has lost his Mary Ann, which
must have been very beautiful, if she was
any way like the figure on the ship,
which was most pleasing as seen through
your glass"
had that evening, l remembered, left
q net ON the sea-shore, and as | passed
the coast guard station saw the Lieu
tenant was watching the ship, which was
not yet started. He called me into the
guard room where he was seated.
Bill, . says he to me. three OF my
men, unfortunately, are at Darling this
week. | must nave at least five men to-
night so, if you wish to earn good
nights wages, be down at my house be-
FIRE eight this evening"
Before the appointed time was at the
Lieutenants house; four of the coast
guards were seated round the kitchen
fire, each armed with a musKet and cut
lass.
This is for you," said the Lieutenant,
handing me a cutiass and long pistol.
Now foliew me-"
Where are we to go to2" said 70 the
Il an With whom I had to walk.
40 church, p" says he.
ITO church," says I. "What rum
60"
"A rum 90, indeed, says he; 'only it's
orders not to talk-so don't ak no more
questions
It was clear night, and the frosty
tonb-stoAes looked like ghosts as we en-
tered the church, the key OF which the
Lieutenant had got. In few moments
We were seated round the stove IN the
Z, strv. which we lighted. \ window was
lust opposite. and whore | was sitting L
could see the light of the strange snip IN
the ofiing, and few yards before us wa
the new made grave of the shippers wife
think we must have sat more than
three hours, when / noticed the light .On
the ship, which it was my turn to watch,
moving; and through the nightglass L
could see that a boat was being lowered
into the sea. | called the attention OF
the Lieutenant to this fact, who said,
"AIl right thought so; but as they
won't think of landing nearer than the
ruins, we shall have to wait some time
yet Ill be bound.
IA less than an hour after this, just as
the clock was Ginning twelve, distinct
ly saw four figures clambering over the
=
short and hid themselves under the
shadow of an old tombstone, evidently to
keep watcn The other two, keeping as
much as possible out OF the moonlight,
advanced to the new-made grave before
the window.
can't tell you my horror when | saw
the TWO men, whom | recognized as the
skipper AMI his friend with the big but
tons. proceed to take off their coats and
set to work with shovel and pickaxe to
open the grave.
,'He CAM make up his mind to leave
his dear wife, after all, | whispered to
the man next me, who was Carefully ex-
aiming the printing of his musket.
Don't talk, you fool" says he. "Let
=, have his wife, if he likes. Remem-
b, silence is orders, and no lights"
For another three-quarters OF an hour
We sat quieter than ever. SHOWS the
time, saws the Lieutenant-"They're lit
ing the cotIia out. You, John and George
Pankard, 90 through the south door. an
mind you cut them off if they try to get
through the village gate; don't use your
muskets unless you can't help 1t, but
don't let them get away. Now you three
others come with me; directly open the
vestrv door rush out aud handcutf them
before they have time to get up from the
coffin, which they are now opening. Are
/ sou readv." saws the Lieutenant, cooking
| his pistols. Now then, here goes, and
| look sharp" With loud crack the
yestrv door flew open, and out We rushed;
and before the two men bad time to rise
/ from their knees, they were safely Sc
cured with the handouts we had brought
with US.
..Very neatly DONE" said the LIeuten-
ant; as in few seconds time John comes
up to say that they had secured both the
other men.
Take the coffin to the station house"
said the Lieutenant; and so we did, and
opened it at once. In it, instead OF the
young wife with the yellow hair, was
found a large collection of silks, tobacco,
aud other rOntrabaDd goods The clever