The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-02-28

looking, we spied dead women in it,
with her right arm cast around baby
nine or ten months old. 1t was impos-
sible to tell that she was dead till I'VE
drew close and saw the signs plain.
She was young woman, not more
than twenty-six or twenty-seven. her
hair yellow. and in life | don't doub;
she had been pretty enough, but now
her face was so strangely white that SIC
might have passed for a figure workel
in plaster of Paris. The baby was toe
young 10 sit up; he lay-it was a boy,
sir-he lay on his dead mothers arm.
giving now and then the queer cry we
had heard, the wall an infant utters al
ter it has exhausted itself in crying for
hours. 1 picked him up out of the
bunk and found him wet through, and
his flesh ike stone. for the cold. His
mothers clothes-if the woman were
his mother, which | don't doubt-were
streaming wet, too. and this made us
suppose that she had been driven from
the deck by the washing water and had
entered herI cabin and had lain
down to die there.
1.-The men spoke hurriedly about how
it came to pass that these two should
have been left alone in the wreck. Who
was she? / said there was no account
ing for what happened at sea. She
might have been the wife Of the master.
who was drowned in the storm, and left
no one to look after her; or all hands
might have persisted in getting the
boats over; or the crew might have for
gotten her when they put off; there was
no telling. There lay the woman dead,
i said; and | gave the baby to one of
the men named Nipper to hold whilst
pulled off my coat to wrap the little
chap up in, for he trembled like a
shivering bird with the cold, and kept
on wailing, as if our handling him and
the sound of our voices had put bit of
life into him. We looked hurriedlv
into the other cabins, but they were
empty, and we could find no papers
There was no good bringing the dead
mother along with us to bury; the ship
she was in was her rightful coffin, and
being very deep, with her main hatch
open, rightly reckoned that the next
bit of sea that got up would sink the
wreck fast enough. I don't say as l
didn't humble a PRAYER as came away
holding the little chap. 1t was an af-
fecting sight to see that young woman
lying there-quite recently dead, as we
might suppose by her little one being
alive: and when | took a last peep at
her almost felt as if she knew that [
was taking her baby away from her
We handed the infant into the boat,
and showed oil for the bark that lay
hove to waiting for US about half a mile
TO leeward.
What have YOU there. Mr.. ROband?'
sings out Captain Blackett, leaning
over the rail.
g A baby, SIR answers, and Ipulled
my coat bit open TO let him see the
little face inside. ....
well, WELL cries he, tossing his
hands. Look sharp and get aboard
''All hands were looking over the
side when | handed the baby up, and
there went deal of hoarse whispering
among the. men as they pressed forward
to see the waif. | carried him to the
worthiest man. sir, with
the tenderest heart that ever sailed a
ship; he pulled of his cap as if awed by
the misery and suffering that was typi-
fed by the BARN, and his eyes filled
with tears as he gazed down upon it.
"'And the mother lies dead yonder,
Mr.. Roband3' says he, pointing to the
wreck. . ..-f...
Gay. SIR saysI l.. .-.
:: God receive herr SAYS he. D'ye
the management of babies,
Mr.. Roband?"
g why, | have two Of my own, I
but | was so much away at
sea when they were little ones that L
can't say ever had chance of watch
nc what my wife did to 'em to keep
EN- healthy. But what we have to do
with this baby say I. IS to feed him
and get him warm at once. '-.-
. Then take him below-take him
below, Mr.. Roland cried the Captain
n tremulous voice. Give him your
sir, and never mind about
your duties until you've got this poor
little creature into ship-shape condi-
ion
''Well, carried him to my cabin
md sung out to the steward to help me
Indress him. for the thought of hand
ling this frail and delicate object alone
me. I'd any day rather have
lhe job of taking in the masts of a
J, O00-ton ship than the handling of a
baby for ten minutes. Both the stew
lrd s and my fingers were square-end-
I'd. and we had TO be very careful in
hauling out the safety-pins and clearing
he little chap of the things he was
ireSsed in. He cried so that was in
IN agony, making sure we were hurt
NC him; but the steward said: No,
know the nature of infants; it would be
if they didn' t cry; it's fash
on their lungs have of growing. Are
'ou sure?' says 1. Uock-sure,' says
lie; haven't l seven of my own, Mr..
a-retr-. >
when the baby was wrapped up IN |
ne of my flannel shirts, that being |
otter than any blanket we had aboard, |
he steward went and warmed some
swiss milk at the galley fire; and while
was sitting waiting for the steward,
Nth the baby lying on my knee, the
;aptain comes in. +f-a
- God help this poor little oner' says
e; what age do you take him to be,
fr. Robands' ~ ttEt 4 N- "a
"'Not year Old says.L T-gv .,-
"'Not year old! he cried; how
Tonderful are the ways of Providence
hat a tiny bubble of humanity Ike |
his should be left unframed by storm |
hat. maybe, has drowned all the rough |
nd sturdy fellows who filled that yes
Ell. It's like seeing an iron ship beaten
0 pieces by seas amid whose hollows
-ou observe the little stormy petrol |
ecurely flying
The steward arrived with the warm |
milk and a spoon, and we turned to |