The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-10-08

| THAT may be, but this is an awful swim.
IL IS quarter of mile to the ship, aud
with such sea as this on it might be ten
miles"
1t was impossible to see the swimmer, bur-
led as he was in the raging sea, and blinded
as the people were by the mist and spray.
But the line was slowly drawing out, and
that showed that Wentworth had still
| strength to swim.
Students clirned trees for better view.
| The women came back and crowded the
| bluff in their eagerness to learn how matters
| went with the swimmer. One young wom-
an ran out upon the spring board. She stood
| there watching the bold swimmer through a
a large spy glass. Her hair was blown loose,
and tossed about by the wind. A gust car
ried away the shawl she had worn on her
shoulders. But she knew nothing of these
things, or the pelting of the orm about
her. She only knew that there was young
nero out there among the mad waves, dar-
ing death In an effort to save the lives OF
others.
After while the paying out OF the line
stopped. The cord hung limp in Thorpes
hands, and even began to drift back upon
the beach. Five minutes which seemed like
five hours, passed away. Then the line
stretched again, and the paying out was re-
sumed Not for long, however. The in
tervals Of rest increased in frequency and
length, while the spurLs OF swimming grew
steadily briefer.
He was till alive, however, and that was
something. After while the swimmer
seemed to recover strength, for the line
drew out slowly and steadily for long time,
and by the amount of cord left it wai Judged
that he must be within a hundred yards of
the ship. Then he ceased to draw the line.
Minute after minute passed without
a sign. That long swim, they felt sure, had
been last desperate effort to reach the ship,
and when that failed the swimmer had sunk
to the bottom.
There was a low murmur among the peo-
pie as this thought was forced upon them.
Then there was twitch of the line in
Thorpe's hand and moment later it began
again to run out.
''We give Thee thanks,'' said the Presl-
dent, barring his head and looking upward,
and not another word was spoken by the
people on the shore. There was no need of
speech. The line still drew. Wentworth
was still swimming.
The young woman on the spring-board
had not lowered her glass for a moment.
She had stood there like statue, scarcely
moving muscle. Now she changed her at
titude little, and in voice quiyering with
excitement, she said, "They see him and
ar getting a line readyr' Then after
pause: 'sThey are throwing the line He has
caught--no he has missed il! He is drifting
past the ship and out of reach! He has
caught line thrown from the bowl They
are hauling him up! He is on deck Hur-
rah! hurrah! hurrahr'
And the GIRL, wild with joy, threw down
her spy-glass and waved her arms as she
shouted.
A larger cord was now attached and
drawn on board. Then a cable was carried
out, and little after noon the first load of
passengers-women and children was
brought ashore. When all the women and
children were sa ged the men followed, and
with the last carful came Wentworth and
the Captain. The youth was greatly ex-
hausted, and much bruised from being
hauled aboard the ship, but no bones were
broken, and days rast in bed was all that
he needed.
No, Wentworth did not marry the spy
glass, girl. If this was made-up story |
that is the way it would end but it is not a |
made-up story at all. 1t is simply a true |
account of something that actually happened, |
though l have changed the names of the real |
persons somewhat. Wentworth was the he |
70 of the college and the Town, of course, |
and when it was known how poor he was, |
an effort was made to raise some money for |
him. There were wealthy men who wanted |
to subscribe literally to a fund for his bene-
tit, but the proud fellow refused to receive
a cent, saying when the matter was mem
toned to him:
81 am not an object of charity. Give your
money to the poor"
And SO Wentworth went on working like
a slave and living like a pauper,v but in
truth being self-respectlng gentleman. He |
made his way through college, and, as a
matter of course, such young man mace
place for himself among men. If / were to
mention his real name here many of my |
hearers would recognize it as that of dis |
tinguished clergyman and scholar, who, in |
spite of his added years, is still strong for |
doing his duty.