Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1880-12-23

awed. / turned from the selfish, cow
ardly wretches around me; they had
shown themselves in their true cOlors,
and l was diSgusted with myself for
having put up with them 50 long.
didn't like even to go to the bottom with
such miserable lot. In truth, it felt
hard enough to go to the bottom all.
The biggest of my nuggets l always
carried in a belt round my waist, but the
rest of my fortune was in my bag.
Most of us carried these bags,and tried
to get with them into the boats, which
was impossible. So some had to let
them go overheard, but others, Shrek
ing and praying, refused to be parted
from their luggage as they called it.
They were not parted, for both soon
went to the bottom together. / was not
inclined for that exactly, and so, after Il
few minutes thought, / left my bag be-
hind"
"How much was there in it?" some
one asked.
IL don't know exactly, but 1 guess"
(Uncle Dick still used IA Yankee phrase
now and them somewhere about seven
or eight thousand pounds"
We boys drew long breath. what
q iO1 VI HlOlICJ. anu IL oil hcllb W tuc
bottom of the sea ?"
"Yes, but as the Bible says, What will
not a man give in exchange for his
soul ? or his life-fOr nay soul troubled
me mighty little just then. / hardly
knew had one till l lost my money; so
you see it was good riddance perhaps" I"
We stared. Uncle Dick talked so very
oddly sometimes! And then we begged
him to continue his story.
well, | was standing waiting my
turn to jump into the boat-the last
boat, for two had been filled and swamp
ed. Being young, it seemed but right to
let the older fellows go first; and, be-
sides, wanted to stick by the Captain
as long as | could. He, l told you, de-
termined to stick by his ship, and went
down with her. He had just given me
his watch, and his last message to his
wife, and L was trying, as L said, to keep
quiet, with all my wits about me. For
all that, seemed to be half dreaming,
or as if | saw myself like another per-
son, and felt rather sorry for myself to
be drowned on my twenty-fifth birthday
I-drOwnen just when l had made my
fortune, and was going home to spend
it.
Home! the word even had not cross
ed my lips or my mind fer years. As |
said it, or thought it-I can't remember
whitehall of sudden l seemed to hear
my mothers voice, clear and distinct
through all the noise of the storm. And.
boys. what do yOU think she said? Moth
ing wonderful, nothing strange Rich
ard, how coutd you take your sisters
grapes?
at flashed upon HE like lightning;
something that happened when l was
only ten years old, and yet remember
ed it as if it happened yesterday. 1 saw
myself-yOung wretch with the bunch
of grapes in my hand, and my mother,
with her grave, sad eyes, as. passing
through the 7dreSSing-roOm into my sis
ter's bedroom, she caught me in the act
of stealing them. l could hear almost
through the open door poor Lily'S short
feeble cough; she died two days after.
The grapes had been sent her by some
friend. She had so many friends! /
knew where they were kept; l had
climbed up to the shelf and eaten them
ALL
MANY selfish thing had l done, both
before left home and afterward: why
should this little thing, long forgotten,
come back now? Perhaps becavse l
was never punished for it. My mother,
who at any other time might have box
ed my ears, or taken me to father to be
whipped, did nothing. said nothing ex-
cept those few words of sad reproach,
How could you take your sisters
grapesY
Il heard them through the horrible
tumult of the winds and waves, and poor
souls struggling for life. My life-what
had l made of it? If went to the bot
tom of the sea, and all my money, who
would miss me? who would care?
Hardly even my mother. If she ever
heard of my death tonight she might
drop a tear or two, but nothing like the
tears she shed over my sister, Who in her
short life had been everybOdy'S comfort
and joy, while l.
"'MotherP l cried out, as if she could
hear me these many thousand miles off
mother, forgive me, and I'll never do
it any morep
Il had not said this when 1 was ten
years old, and took the grapes, but l said
it. sObbed it at twenty-five, when the it
implied many selfishness, many sin,
that my mother never knew. Yet the
mere saying of it seemed to relieve me,
and when directly afterward some one
called out from the boat, Jump in,
Dick; now's your turn jumped in to
take my chance of life with the rest.
1T was given me. l was among the
eighteen that held on till we were pick
ed up-almost skin and bone, and one of
us raving mad from thirst-by home
ward-bound ship, and landed safely in
England. No, boys, don't question me-
L won't tell you about that time;
can't"
1t was not often Uncle Dick said, 81
can't" indeed, it was one of his queer
sayings that cant was a-word no hon
est or brave lad ought to have in his
dictionary. We turned away our eyes
from him he seemed not to like being
looked at-and were silent.
"Well, landed, and found myself
walking London streets-nOt the rich,
healthy, jolly young fellow who had
come to have his fling there, but a poor
shattered wretch almost in rags, and
just bag of bones. All that remained
of my fortune were the few nuggets
which l had sewed into my belt. turn
ed them, not without some difficulty, |
into food and clothing of the common
est kind, to make my money last as long
as l could. l did not want to come |
home quite beggar; if l had been, i |
should certainly never have come home |
at all.
"By mere chancellor had altogeth-
er forgotten times and seasOns-the day
L came home was Christmas morning. |
The bells were ringing, and all the good |
folk going to church-my mother, too,
of course. We met at the garden gate. |
She did not know me, not the least in the |
world, but just bowed, thinking it was |
a stranger coming to call, till said, |
.Motherp And then
"Well, boys, that's neither here nor
there. It's commonplace saying, but
one can't hear it too often, or remember |