Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1884-07-25
ISLAND POND VERMONT FRIDAY, JULY 25, 1884. NJ
landing signaling us, and ! think some

things wrong there
81 was on deck in a minute. Give
me the glass, said l, 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 white table-cloth from one of the
upper windows.
Very likely she wants to know if
her dear William got to Detroit safely
| grrmbled; but l suppose we'd better
round to-
'As the boat made the dock, the clerk
sprang ashore, and in few minutes we
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 hld 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 I to her darling,
Some of the lady passengers wrapped
the distracted mother in shawls, for she
would not delay moment, and VIC put
out into the lake.
followed the course of tho wind as
we'll as could, for knew well enough
that the little fellow had been blown out
into the lake, where there was a but a
small chance that we should find him,
for it 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
my mate, 'can yon make out what that
is on the starboard quarter2 Is it log
or boat2'
"'It's a log adrift, sir
"Tt's notl I'm sure it's not It's a
boatP shrieked 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 APP
peals to her to go below, she kept cry
ing:
"It is a boat it is a boat He is
saved!'
'Without glass to aid her vision, her
strong motherlove 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-
sentcd 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 soul could be seen
in her.
"'Tom, said I, nervously, for / 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 fellow as ever sailed the lakes.
eve 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 a mind to run it down. But of course
| wasn't quite foolish enough for that.
The mate and two of the deck hands put
of in the yawl, for our wash would have
capsized the skiff had we gone any
nearer. With listless eye l watched
them approach the boat, for felt a
lcaden weight at my heart, because l was
sure l should be obliged to tell the
young mother of her loss. saw Tom
get hold of the painter, and then spring
into the skiff. Then,-
"Safe safe The boy is heren
"It 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 ii
had begun to rain. The drizzling rain
did not wake him, and he lay in as sound
a slumber as if he was in his bed al
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 hel
heart, went straight down on her knees
and thanked God before them all fol
sparing his life. I don't think words
ever cane from minister's lips tina
went straighter up to the throne O.
grace than that young woman's prayes
"The family are living East now
William Warner is one of the few mel
l claim as personal friends, and as fo
his bright little wife, if she were m.
own child, couldn't have a deeper re
gard for her. And the presents the.
send mel There is no use in my try
ing TO choke off their gratitude. No
the least. And every parcel come
marked, With Willie's love. "-Y0uth'
: Companion.