Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-03-17
HIRAM GOLDBY,
Aoal Ok
LOST AT SEA, JANUARY, 1866.

The last six was nearly completed. A
strange pallor gathered for moment upon
the strangers face, and then he drew long,
deep BREATH and said
"Is not ten years long time TO be cutting
letters on tombstone, friend 2"
"Eh, sir 2"
The stonecutter looked, shaded his eyes
with his brown hand, as he turned his face
to the setting sun.
"This is 1876" was the grave reply, "and
Hiram Goldby must have been ten years
under the waves"
"Well, sir, that's the question-is he
there 2"
as he there Your stone tells us he is,
and has been for ten years."
Yes, sir, 80 it does-so it does. And
vet she has ordered it. She came over a
week or so back with a worried look upon
her sweet face that | have never seen any
thing but patient in ten long years, and she
said to me-'you may cut a stone, Davy.'
she SAYS, and put it up in the church yard,
and | don't want to see it. I'll pay you
whatever you choose to ask, DAvy,' she
says but he's not dead, and don't want
tombstone Lor, num-, says |, 'he'd
turned up all these years if he was not
dead But she shook her pretty head, the
prettiest | ever seen, sir and said she {:
Ny heart never told me that he was dead,
Davy, and I'll never believe it till my heart
tells me so.'"
"His sweetheart questioned the stranger.
:" His wife, sir,--his loving, faithful wife,
chats had poverty, and loneliness, and mis-
ery her full share, aud might ha' bettered
herself"
" How was that ?"
"Mr. Miles, sir, the richest shipowner
hereabouts; he waited patiently for seven
long years, trying to win her. Then he said
that she was free even if Hiram came back
"Enoch Arden" muttered the stranger.
"What did you say, sir 7"
Nothing, nothing. What answer did the
widow make Mr.. Miles 2"
"If Hiram's dead,' said she, I'm his
faithful widow while | live. II Hiram's
living, I'm his faithful wife Maybe you
are from the city. sir, and have heard the
story of our pearl p
"What story is that ?"
"Well, sir, it's been told many times,
more particularly in the last year, but you're
welcome to what know of it. There, that
is done, and III leave the Scripture text
till morning. If you'll come to the gateway
aud take seat on some of the stones, III
tell you, that is, if you care to hear it."
81 do care" was the grave reply; al
want very much to hear the story"
"Maybe you're some kin TO the Pearl OF
Monkton-that's what they call Mrs. Goldby
hereabouts. It's matter of thirty-three
wears back, sir, that there was wreck of
Monkton rocks, that you can see from here
sir. now tides low. Cruel rocks they are
and many wreck they've seen, the more
the pity. You see them, sir ?"
Z" see them"
"Well, sir, this one wreck, thirty-three
years ago, there was nothing washed ashore
but bit OF girl-baby three or four years
old, with skin like lily leaf, and great
black eyes. Hiram Goldby found her on
the rocks. He was boy of twelve years
strong and tall, and he carried the child in
his arms to his mother You may see the
cottage, sir, the second white one on the side
of the hill"
g see it."
"Well, Hiram took the baby there, ant
Mrs. Goldby was the same as mother tC
her-a good woman, God bless her soul-tht
widow Goldby."
as she dead, then ?"
, "Aye, sir, six years agone. The baby
was telling you of, sir, talked foreigr
lingo, and was dressed in rich clothes, thai
must have cost power OF money. Blu
never would Hiram or the widow sell them
putting them up carefully in case the chile
was ever looked for. She was that pretty
sir, and that dainty, that everybody called
her Pearl, though she was not like our girls
but afraid, always deadly afraid Of the sea
have seen her clench her mite of hanc
and strike at it, for she had bit Of temper
in her, though nothing to harm.
"When Hiram made his first voyage, fo
. | thav uara all aaa fa man haraahou anf
there was nothing for lad to do but ship
the Pearl was Just little washed-out lily
, affecting until he came home again Anc
it was so whenever he went. for they wer,
sweethearts from the first time he nestlec
her baby face on his breast when he picked
her up from the wreck She was sixteeI
when they were married, as near as we coulc
guess; Hiram was a man of twenty-fopr
She prayed him stay home then, and b,
staid year, but he fretted for the sea, anc
/ he went again, thinking, s'pose, that hii
, wife would get used to it, as all wives here
, abouts must do. But she never did-never
1t was just pitiable to see her go about
, white as corpse, when Hiram went away
: never looking at the sea without shuddel
/ like death chill. All through the war il
was Just awful, for Hiram enlisted on board
a man-o,war, and Pearl was just a shadow
when he came nome the last Tune.
After the war 7"
"Yes, sir; but he made no money Of any
} account, and so he went again, after staying
home a long spell. Well, he never came
, back. 'Twasn't NO manner Of use a-telline
Pearl he was lost; she'd just shake hel
pretty head and say Hell come back.
, Not mite of mourning would she wear
even after his own mother gave him up anC
put on black; for, sir, it stands to reason
he's dead years ago"
"lt looks So"
"Of course it doss nobody else doubts /,
but Mrs. Goldby. Old Mrs Goldby's llst
} words were,-'l'm going to meet Hiram,
| and they say the dying know. But ever
, then that didn't make Pearl think So Sh,
wore mourning for her who had been tn,
, only mother she knowed of, but no weeds
, Weeds was for widows, she said, and she
, wasn't widow"
"But the stone 2"
, "Wel, sir, I'm coming TO that. A yeal
ago, sir, fine gentleman from France came
here hunting for child lost on this coast
! He'd heard OF Pearl by happen-chances, il
there is such, and came here. When he saw
the clothes, he just tainted like woman"
| "She was related, then 7"
TIE strangers voice was husky, but the
sea air was growing chill.
| ll..,. f.tk al