The Worthington advance., 1881-09-15
CAPTAIN STORMS.

Captain Storms put the glass to his eye,
and took long look. Far of, black against
the silvery horizon, that shapeless speck
showed. What was it.? Captain Storms
prolonged survey ended, he slowly dropped
his glass and turned to Mr.. Scott, the mate
Il knew was right" he said; 1T is a
wreck, a dismantled hulk, drifting about at
the mercy OF wind and sea. There may be
no cne left aboard. but Wen bear down and
have look.
And then Captain Storms lifted up his
voice--a stentoran voice it was--and gave
the proper orders t. the men at the mast
head, or at tho helm CT somewhere don't
know exactly. would tell you the precise
words C"ptoi" Storms uoed on this occa-
sion If could; but I'm deplombly back
ward III nautical matters. So yoall have
to be content with learning that the
gallant bark, tho Lovely Lass. bore straight
down on that dark mass, outlined against
the sunny sky.
Captain Storms leaned over the side, and
lit cigar. He was bronzed young man,
stalwart and gallant, as take it sailor men
mostly are; and he looked the very beau
ldsal' OF dashing seaman. in his off hand
seafarlng costume. He had beard and
ne had a mnstache, big and brown. like HIM
self; and. from the crown OF his glazed hat
to the: sole Of his boots, Capt. Storms was
sailor, every inch of him.
The. Lovely Lass bore down, along the
! sunlit tropic sea, and reached the floating
wreck. Captain Storms was the first man
to leap aboard, the first Llan to hear the
faint cry OF a human voice. No living thing
was 70 be seen; but from the corner of the
deck that faint. plaintiff cry walled.
There's some one alive here STILL" said
Captain Storms. Speak, friend! Who
are you? Where arc you?"
Again that unspeakabiy mournful vail.
Captain Storms strobe acroBs to where a
heap of torn canvas and rotten wood Law,
and looked down. There in the garnish
sunshine, with her face upturned to the
serene sky, woman lay dead. Crouchine
over her. skeleton child, with long, wild
hair, sat making that feeble moan Of dumb
agony.
My child!" Captain Storms said pitiful-
ly-"my child. what is this?"
The ghastly creature lifteda bloodless
face and a pair Of hagggard eyes.
Mothers dead!"
My poor little GIRL" said the sailor,
bending over her as tenderly as that dead
mother conld have done, you must come
with me or you will die too. Come!'
She rose up--a fraif little shadow Of len
ytars----and held up her skeleton arms.
"Peacc is hungry" she cried piteously.
Peace is sick md cold, and mothers
dead"
And then, rs the strong arms lifted her
as it she had been wax doll, tho blue eyes
closed wearily, and the weak baby dropped
heavily against his breast; and hunger, and
sickness, cold and death were all blotted
cut in Lind darkness.
And for weary days and weary nights
while the Lovely Lass sailed along sunny
southern seas, and the dead woman Law
quleteIy under the great Pacific the little
rescued waif Icy tiuttering between death
and life. And during these endless days
and nights, the big, sun-browned sailor
watched over his little girl as a father-nay.
as mother might have done, until the
futteling spirit ceased its struggles. and
grew calm in health and strength once
mere.
Little Peace-her name was Priscilla
-. Weir. The said; Peace for short-.came up
=: on deck by-and-by. pale and weak still.
and lisped ont her story to the soft hearted
sailor.
There had been great storm-oh. a
dreadful storm!" Peace said, with shud-
q der; "and mamma was sick down in the
= CABIN, and left behind; and Peace STAYED
with mamma. and was left behind. too.
>AA sAAeAA A1NAuAun Cbuo upstairs on deck.
:. and died; and Peace sobbed, and was so in
and SO cold, and then You came" looking
gratefully at the captain, and Peace doesn't
Z remember any MORE"
Does my little Peace know where man,
ma came from, and where she vas poino9"
Captain Storms asked.
Yes, Peace knows. Mamma came from
Now York, and was going to China to papa.
Papa lived in China, and was rich."
But this was all she could tell: and Cap-
tain Storms knew that among all the unlike
~ things on the earth, the most unlikely
was that papa and little girl would ever
meet.
" The Lovely Lass spent nine long months
on the Pacific coast, and then sailed back
for America.
And I shall leave my little Peace behind,
next voyage" Captain Storms said, I have
= n sister who keeps school in PHILADELPHIA.
fashionable young ladies' academy-and
Peace shall stay there and learn to plAy the
piano, and talk French. and paint pictures.
and grow up pretty young lady."!; (
, = And shall have silk dresses and lots
of pictures and story books?" Peace asked,
with interest. ~, ::
Heaps Of 'em, Peace. And nice little: