The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1884-08-27

| llNcu opposite tne Lhnulng. we lett HOrJ
Huron in the middle of the following
day. It had been very hot all the morn
ING, but as the afternoon advanced,
stiff west wind, accompanied by a
drizzling rain, began to blow.
" 1t was so late when we approached
the landing that had quite determined
not to call; in fact, we stood out in the
lake mile further than our usual course.
was taking a dog-snooze in my berth,
when the mate awoke me.
There's a women, sir, on Warmers
landing signaling us, and l think some
things wrong there
81 was on deck in a minute. Give
me the glass; said /, and / soon made
out that it was Mrs. Warner, making
frantic gestures to catch our attention.
She was bare headed, and stood in the
rain at the end of the landing. Then
she ran into the house and began to
wave a white table cloth from one of the
upper windows.
Very likely she wants to know if
her dear William got to Detroit safely
grumbled; but suppose we'd better
round to-
''As the boat made the dock, the clerk
had the whole story, Willie had been
playing with the skiff in the slip, as he
had done scores of times before. Mrs.
Warner had been busy over some house
hold duty and did not notice that it
rained. When she did, she went at once
to call Willie in. But she could not find
either the boat or the boy. Both had
vanished as though the lake had swal-
! lowed them up.
''She had not dared to go inland to
the village to seek help, for fear of miss
ing our boat as it passed, but she had for
hours been running up and down the
shore calling in vain to her darling
Some of the lady passengers wrapped
the distracted mother in shawls, for she
would not delay moment, and we put
out into the lake.
| followed the course of the wind as
well as / could, for l knew we'll enough
that the little fellow had been blown out
into the lake, where there was but
small chance that we should find him,
for 1t was unlikely so frail boat could
live long in such heavy sea.
''For an hour we beat about without
seeing an object on the water, when
away in the distance there was dark
spot that came occasionally in sight on
the top of the waves. Tom, said to
my mate, can you make out what that
is on the starboard quarter? Is it a log
OF q boatP
" It's a log adrift, sir.
"1ts notl I'm sure it's not It's
boatp shrieked a voice close by me. and
| saw, to my surprise, Mrs. Warner, who
| supposed was in the cabin, peering
into the drizzling rain. To all my ap-
peals to her to go below, she kept cry
ing;
" 1T is boat it is a boat! He is
savedp
"Without glass to aid her vision, her
strong mother-love gave her keenness of
sight denied to us. 1t was boat. But
it was only on my threatening to abandon
the search that the wretched woman con-
sented to go below,
''Two minutes later the mate cried:
Yes, sir, it is boat, but it's empty so
far as | can see. There's nobody sitting
in it..
'It was true. There the little skiff
was tossing about, like a cork on the
waves, with one scull dangling in the
row-locks, but not a soul could be seen
in her.
"'Tom,' said I, nervously, for 1 felt
sure the boy was not in the boat, and l
actually trembled with apprehension lest
the sad news would kill his mother,
will you go down and tell that poor
woman what we have seenP
"'Not for all the gold in California; =
said the mate decidedly; and yet he's as
brave a fellow as ever sailed the lakes.
"We passed the word to have Mrs.
Warner taken into cabin, as we neared
the skiff felt so angry with that poor
painted toy of pleasure boat, that had
half mind to run it down. But of course
| wasn't quite foolish enough for that
The mate and two of the deck-hands put
off in the yawl, for our wash would have
capsized the skiff had we gone any
nearer With a listless eye l watched
them approach the boat, for l felt a
leaden weight at my heart, because was
sure | should be obliged to tell the
young mother of her loss. saw Tom
get hold of the painter, and then spring
into the skiif. Then,-
"Safe. safe The boy is herep
"lt appears that the little fellow, tired
of play, had lain down under the seat,
and had gone to sleep. In the meantime
the boat had drifted into the lake and it
had begun to rain. The drizzling rain
did not wake him, and he lay in as sound
Il slumber as if he was in his bed at
home, and not hair of his head hurt.
But what fuss there was aboard.
The women were all crying, and the
men, too, for that matter. And the
young mother, clasping the boy to her
heart, went straight down on her knees
and thanked God before them all for
sparing his life. don't think words
ever cane from a minister's lips that
went straighter up to the throne of
grace than that young woman's prayer.
"The family are living East now.
William Warner is one of the few men
l claim as personal friends, and as for
his bright little wife, if she were my
] NUN child / pnn11n1t haxa a 1aorar no