Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1883-04-30
miscellaneous.
A swift and Terrible Catastrophe.

They had gone down to the seaside for
a weeks change. The day was a perfect
one, with now and then eapful of wind
blowing out of the little round clouds that
swelled up over the horizon like bubbles.
Xviii you go out with me?" asked
Helena.
with all these Haws?" he said.
Just as You please, then | will go
alone.''
"Alone What in heavens name could
you do alone'"
III not Grace,Darling nor Ida Lewis. :"
she said, the laugh Frightening all the
rich color in her cheek 'but l fancy
could pull boat about in these smooth
waters.''
'sLife would be much more comfortable,
Helena, if there were something you
were afraid of in it Well. here we CO."
and he gathered up his lazy length and
reached his hat ''If we drown it is your
FAULT
ut doesn't matter much about drown
ing,'' she said, swinging her hat as they
went along over the single. and unaware
that she spoke other than in matter-of-
fact way s'If we drown together"
Are you so Indifferent to life-in such
a hurry to get through-"j
'.Oh, no. no. never! But it is all so
blest that am half the time afraid some
thing will happen"
'But the worse that could happen is
death, and"
happen would be that you might look at
some other womanr' and then they both
laughed, knowing web the habit OF her
ard al To ba boat
it signiiying but little that neither of them
knew much about boat, and that they
were running before the wind directly in
the track of the sea going steamers.
"Could anything be more perfect ?' said
Helena, half recumbent in the stern, sea
and sky making a sapphire and lapis ring
hollow shell of the sky and sea. 1t is like
our old lover DAYS over again"
''Only better" he answered her.
"Only better" she repeated.
1--WE must come out at night.
with the sea and the stars and the freedom
of the universe alone together" and as
they sailed. he told her histories OF the
old craft that had ploughed these waters
tire-ships and phantom saips-and recited
to her verses of his own inditing, for now
and then he turned off little song as
perfect as pearl.
THAT is the strangest thing" she said,
that you. who don't know what music is,
should have the writing of such verses,
and |, who am music's ccnfddnte, cannot
write melody"
''You are melody" he said. And
just at that instant there was a roar, a
rush, ringing of bells that sounded in
their ears like gongs, wild cries, vast.
black bulk towering over them, crash I,
Il sweep of many waters, and then moth
ingness.
Half an hour allerward fisherman
found a broken boat ahoat, bottom-side
up. man entangled in the rigging. his
head above water. unconscious, but alive,
Trimming his sail speedily, he took the
half-drowned man ashore. And after the
sickness and delirium of weeks, as wretch
ed and desolate IA man as walked the
earth, Leonard Vance took up his color
less life. alone, as he said, till the sea
gave up its dead. For Helena was never
found. l scraped the moss away. the 9th
er day, from a stone set up as "a memorial
without a grave, and overgrown with
bramble-roses, to read the name upon it,
HELENA VANCE,
LOST AT SEA,
Aged Trenty-eigh.
HARRIET PRESCOTT SPoFFoRD, az The
Manhattan for Nay.