The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1881-09-15
CAPTAIN STORMS.

Captain Storms put the glass to his eye
and took long look. Far of, black agains
the silvery horizon. that shapeless spech
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
wreck, q disnantled hulk, drifting about a.
the mercy of wind and sea. There may be
no one left aboard. but we'll bear down anG
have look.
And then Captain Storms lifted up hit
voice-a stentorian voice it was-and gave
the proper orders to the men at the mast.
head, or at the helm, or somewhere dom
know exactly. would tell you the precise
words Captain Storms used on this occa.
sion if could; but I'm deplorably back.
ward in nautical matters. So yoa'n have
to be content with learning that the
gallant bark, the 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 q bronzed young man.
stalwart and gallant, as take it sailor men
mostly are; and he looked the very "beau
ideal" of dashing seaman, in his off-hand
seafaring costume. He had beard and
he had mustache, big and brown like him
self; and, from the crown of his glazed hal
to the sole of his boots. Capt. Storms was
sailor. every inch of him.
The Lovely Lass bore down, along the
sunlit tropio sea, and reached the floating
wreck. Captain Storms was the first man
to leap aboard, the first Man to hear the
faint cry of human voice. No living thing
was TO be seen; but from the corner of the
deck that faint. plaintiff cry walled.
"There's some one alive here still, p" said
Captain Storms. Speak, friend! Who
are you? Where arc your"
Again that unspeakably n1ournful vail.
Captain Storms strobe across to where q
heap of torn canvas and rotten wood lay,
sunshine, with her face upturned to the
serene sky, O woman lay dead. Crouching
over her, skeleton child, with long, wild
hair, sat making that feeble moan of dumb
agony.
MY child" Captain Storms said piliful-
ly-"my child, what is this?"
The CHASTITY creature lifteda b]codless
face and pair of haggard eyes.
Mothers dead!'
my poor little GIRL" said the sailor,
bending over her as tenderlyas that dead
mother could have done, you must CONS
with me or you will die too. Comet"
She rose up-a frail little shadow of ton
years-and held up-herGk e1etonsarms. -
peace is hungry" she cried piteously-
peace is sick end cold, and mothers
dead.
And then, as the strong arms lifted her
as if she had been wax doll, the blue eyes
closed YEARLY, and the weak baby dropped
heavily against his breast; and hunger, and
sickness, cold and death were all blottedl
out in LIND darkness.
And for weary days and weary nights
while the Lovely Lass sailed along sunny
southern seas, and the dead woman lay
quietely under the great Paci6c-the little
rescued waif Icy f1uttering between death
and life. And during these endless days
and nights, the big, sun-browned sailor
watched over his little girl as father-nay,
as mother-might have done, until the
flutteling 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. : - - .... j =. u :;
aThere had been a great storm-oh. a
dreadful STORM" Peace said, with shud-
der; "and mamma was sick down in the
cabin, and left behind and Peace stay ed
with mamma, and was: left behind, too,
And then mamma came upstairs on deck,
and died; and Peace sobbed, and was SO III,
and so cold, and then you came, lookins
gratefully at the captain, and Peace doesn1
remember any more.": ~ ! So:
Does my little Peace know where NAM
ma camo from, and where she vas golng?.
CAPTAIN Storms asked. 49, " ~
Yes, Peace knows. Mamma came from
New 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
ly things on the earth, the most unlikely
was that papa and, little. girl would ever
meet. - f. x = -.
i,Thd Lovely Lass spent nine long months
on the Pacific coast, and then sailed back
ard I shall leave my little Peace behind,
next VOYAGE" Captain Storms said, have
sister who keeps school in hiladelphia,
fashionable young; ladies' academy--and
Peace shall stay there and learn to play the
piano, and talk French, and paint pictures,
and grow up a pretty young lady,"
And shall have silk dresses and lots
OF pictures and story books?" Peace asked,
Win interest.
Heaps of ''em, Peace. And nice little
girls to play with, and music and dancing,
and every thing beautiful all day long:
Peace clasped her hands-that would be
lovely. So, by.and-by, when Philadelphia
was reached, the captain of the Lovely
Lass consigned his little girl. willing cap:
tive, into the hands of Mrs. Lee. Not
but that she shed few tears at parting.
very soEy xhep. i game to The last. AND
the Kood-by kiss was given. s<@.@s :; :
s.There, there, my little Peace! Cap
tain Storms said, unclasping the chngine
aImy. You mustn't cry like that; it will
redden your eyes,sandssweAYo your nose, and
make you looksneay p Keep mp hesalts 1attle
Peace; I viii come back IN yearsoxt two
with .. cart load lovely Eptese1es formy
little girl. mo again, and let me Ros
z Captain Storms Imprinted soundina
smack. On t the Mletf l!ttle stear-sset -
and nnwodnd the eIaapiine. ar1as aa,d nsaked
of and st1aightway was whistlinE chee1il y
quite foreetful, I am afraid, of his little
Peace and her grief:
e. Dear, gooo gearoian, taoue9s feace J