Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-04-08

dressed 10 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 tomb stone:
HIRAM GOLDBY,
Aged 80,
Lott AT SEA, JANUARY, 1866.
The last six wss nearly complet.
ed. A strange palIor gathered for
8 mame44t cpon the strangers face,
and then be drew long, deep breath
and said
Is not ten years long time to
DO cutting letters on tombstone,
friendg
Ed, sir?
The stone-eutter looked, shading
bis eyes With his brown hand, as be
turned bis face to the setting sun.
This is 1876 was the grave reply
and Hieam Go dhy must have been
ten years under the waves
well, sir, that's the question lis
be tbere?'
ia be there? Your stone tells US
ho is and has been for ten years
Yes, sir, it doos-so il does. And
yet she has ordered It, She came
over q week or 80 back, with wear.
led look upon her sweet face, that l
have never seen any thing but pa
tient 10 ten long years. and she said
10 mc-'you may cut q stone, Davy.
sho says, and patti up in the church
yard, md | don't want to see j.. Ill
pay you whatever you choose TO
ask D2gy, she sage 'but he's not
dead, and don't want a tombstone
'Lor, mum;' says |, he'd turned up
all these years if be was not dead
Ba: she shock her pretty head, the
prettiest | ever seen sir, and she
saj'. my heart never Old ma be
was dead, DAvy, and I'll never be-
l.eve it til my heart tells me SCI
Ills sweeihearl? Questioned the
stranger.
HIS wife, sir-his loving, faithful
vito. that had poverty, and loneli-
ness her full share, ard might hare
bettered herself
How was tbat?
'Mr. Milea, sir, the richest snip
owner here sbouis, ho waited pa
tientIY for seven Ing years, trying
to win ner. Then he said that she
was free even if Hiram did Come
back
.Eooch Arden,' mut;ered The
stranger
'Wsat did you say STRIP
'N9thing, nothing, Wnst anawer
did she make Mr.. Miles2'
III Hjram's dead she said, I'm
his fsitbial widow while l live. Ii
EIiram's living Pm his faithful wife.
Maybe you are from the city, sir,
aud have not beard .he story Of our
Pearl?'
VIVA s'org is thar
Well, sir, iL's been told many
times, more particul Arly in the last
year, bit you're welcome to what |
kDow off. There, that six IS done,
aud III leave tho Scripture text till
morniag. Ii 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.
i do caro-, was the grave reply;
i want very much to hear the story
'Mav be you're some kin TO the
Pearl Of NoDkt0n--shat's what they
call Mrs Colby hereabouts. liza 8
matter of thirty three years back.
sir that there was wreck eff the
M1ak,ou rocks, that you can sea
from here, sir, now tides low. Cruel
rocks they are, and many a wreck
hey've seer, the more the pity.
You see them, sir?'
i see them.
We'll, sir, this one wreck, Thirty
three years ago, there WIS pothing
washed Ashore bnt biz &C girl>
baby throe Or four years old, win q
kin Ike lily leaf. and great black
eyes. Hiram Colby found Der on
the rocks. he was boy Of twelve
years, strong and tall 4a1 hs carried
the CD ID in bis arms to his mother.
You may sce the cottage, sir, the
ecGn a white ono on the side of the
hill.'
4 see -
Well. Hiram took the baby there
and Mrs. Colby was the same as q
mother to her--a good woman, God
bless her sout--the widow Goldby.'
rs she dead, ihen?'
Aye, sir, ak years agone. The
baby ! was telling you Of, sir, talked
q ioreig8 lingo, aud was dressed in
eieh clMhe-, that rust have cost O
power Of money. Bat never would
Hiram or the widow cell them, put
tiug them up carefully in case the
child was ever BOXED for. She was
that pretty sir, and ID dainty, that
everybody cailed her Pearl. out she
was not ike cur girls, but afraid, al
ways deadly afraid of the sea. ]
have seen her cleneh her mito Of 8
hand and Strike At IL, Tor she had q
bit Of q tenpsr in her, though no b.
ing to haTm.'
Wbea Hiram made nis first voy.
age, for they were 81 seafaring mer
heraaboula, and there was nothing
for q lad to do bat 10 ship, The Pear
was iast s TITLE washed out lily,
fregtug ill be came home again,
Ard Il was 60 whenever hs went,
for they were swee.hearts from the
ifst time he nestled her baby face
on bis beas., when be picked hei
ap from the wreck Shc was six
teen when they were married, a.
near a. We could guess; Hiram was
man 4 f twenl7.fear. Sne prayed
BIN stay home then, and be stay ed
a year, but be fretted tor the sea
and be went ag2in, thinking, sup
pose, that bis wife woul@ get used
10 it, Al all wives b sabouts mus
do. Bat she never 7i1--never. Il
was last pitiabie TO see her 90 aboul
white as 3 corpse when Hiram wenl
away, never locking at the sea with.
cut 5 shudder Ike 5 death chill. Al
shrseza the var it was just asful