The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1882-05-11

lain't likely twill do any good,
SEE jim; an, in fact, we all feelin'
rither down in the mouth, when up
comes Miss Vi'let from the cabin, softly
as an angel steppin' in amongst US, an
any one could see by the look on her
face that she'd BIN sayin' her prayers,
il was so still an peaceful-ike, an SEE
she: What you all lookin' so solemn
an troubled for? The good Lord can
take care Of us jest as well on the rocks
rs He can in smooth water, an / don't
believe your Cap'n's afeard.'
The Cap'n he didn't say Duthin',
only put his arm round her, an with
that she reached up an kissed him.
pose we sing a hymn, sez she.
Now most any of us old tars could
have sung a song, if she'd asked us TO;
but singin' hymns wasn't in our line.
So we didn' give hernO encouragement;
but the next minute she started off all by
herself on
Jesus lover OF my SOUL
l reckon it wasn't new to any of us.
seein' we wasn't exactly heather; but,
some way, it fetched us-may be it
fetched US all the more for not bein'
new-an' by the time she got to
"'while the bulers near me roll,'
every man Of us was drawin' his sleeve
across his eyes, for kin tell you them
words sounded mighty real when you
could hear the billers thunderin' away
within an inch o your life. Folks as
sing that hymn sittin' in meetin'. quiet
an peaceful, with the sun shinin' in at
the winder an the trees a-wavin' in the
breeze, amt apt to take sech q realizin'
\ sense of it as we fellers did that night
on the .AlbatrOss,' with the billers
pitchin' an teaIin' like a lot o mount
aims runnin' wild an the wind a-screech-
in like a pack o hyenies.
Well, she sung it through to the
end, an jest as she got to the last line
we heard an answer to our signal; but,
Lord bless you'll there couldn't no boat
live in a sea like that, so there we lay,
eXpectin' every minute we'd go to
pieces, for the ship was groanin' an
creakin in all her timbers, an all {
kept up our spirits was Miss VTlet's
singin'. But toward mornin' the wind
begun to ease a little, an with the first
streak o day we sighted a ship in the
oflin'.
Lower the boats SEE the Cap'n;
an the boys had 'em ready in a jify,
an then they all stood back, waitin' TO
see the Cap'n an Miss Nflet safe in.
But there wasn't room for all of us the
III 81 llluCs DOLll Tic Dbdto bu0t was 1Clb
bein' small, an the Cap'n, he declared
he wouldn't stir step till every soul
was off the ship.
g You can take care o Miss VTlet,
Sampson, sez he to the mate.
49, All right, sir SEE Sampson, as
cheerful rs possible for man twas
next door to drowndin'; but, when he
started to help her down, she draw d
herself back
eel I'm goin' to stay till my father
goes sez she; an, though there wasn't
no sartinty that the ship'd hold together
two minutes, there the little lady stood,
in spite o the Cap'n's urgin' an
coaXin,, as firm as a rock, with the
spray a-dashin' over her an her pretty
hair all creepin' in wet curls around her
face from under the hood of her cloak.
- Better get in, Miss VIlet,' SEE
Sampson; but Miss Vi'let was listenin'
to her father give his orders. an didn't
make no answer.
"'Why don't you get in yourself,
SAMPSON seq the Cap'n.
'''pm goin' to wait for the next boat,
sill, sez Sampson.
80 But the ship may 90 down, man,
afore the boat gets back SEE the
Cap'n.
"'Then I'll 60 down in good COM
pany,' SEE Sampson, tryin' to smile
Besides, SEE he, them boats are so
cranmed now that another man
swamp either one of en-
That's So sez the Cap'n, givin'
the word for EN- to cast off; an they
hadn't been gone more'n three minutes
when the ship gave a lurch an the
water came pourin' in at her side.
- Lord save Usl cried Sampson.
It's cur us how quick men are to call on
the Lord when they get in a tight
place; men't never think o. praYin'
when it's smooth sailin'.
THE Cap'n put both arms round
Miss NIlet. u amt afeard. father
sen she; an then she begun to sing
az in. The boys said afterward that
they could hear it till they got most to
the other snip; the girls voice, clear as
bell, soundin' between the boOmin' S
of the waves. Well, the ship kept
settlin' an settlin', till the deck was
Jest about on level with the sea, an
then, all of n sudden, they heerd
gratin sort % sound, rs if she'd come to
a stoppin' place.
"'Thanb the Lord for that, SEE the
Cap'n; but he hadn't more'n got the
words out of his mouth when n big wave
struck the ship, takin' the two men off
their feet an sweepin' Miss VTlet clean
overheard
"' Good-by. Cap'n, seq Sampson, an
with that he dashed i'm after Miss Vi'let.
He knowed well enough there was
mighty small chance o. savin' her. an
t more'n likely they'd both 60 TO the
bottom; but Sampson always was a rash
sort o. feller, so in he dove, head FIRST
How it happened he never could tell;
but the next he know there was Miss
Vi'let right alongside of him a-clingin'
to his hand. But the sea was runnin'
so high 'twasn't the least airthlv use
irwin to get back to the 'Albatross'
The most he could do was to try to keep
their two heads above water, an how
long he could have stood it the Lord
only knows; but, Jest as he was about
| tuckered out, along come one o the
boats an picked 'em up, an pretty
soon they was safe aboard the Argos
But twas none too soon, for Miss VIZ
let was whiter'n the sea-fOam an looked
rs if she hadn't n breath o life left.
| But there was two or three ladies on
board the Argos and a doctor besides,
an they all began working over her,
an it wasn't long fore she opened her
eyes, an the very first thing she SEE,
SEE she: Sampson, where's my fatherP'
e They've gone to get him, Miss VI
let seq Sampson. So she shut her eyes
an lay still an patient like, waitin' Tor
'em to ONE.
But when the men got back, they
hadn' no more in the boat n they had
when they started.
go The ships gone down. seq they,
lOokin' rs scarf as if they seen a ghost.
80 You'll have to tell her. Sampson
SeZ Collins. But nobody had to tell her