The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-02-21

came from the upper bunk, and, on
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 1--WE
drew close and saw the signs plain.
She was a young woman, not more
than t'Tenty-six or twenty-seven. her
hair yellow. and in life / don't doubt
she had been pretty enough, but now
her face was SO strangely white that she
might have passed for figure worked
in plaster of Paris. The baby was too
young to sit up; he lay-it was a bog,
sir-he lay on his dead mothers arm.
giving now and then the queer cry we
had heard, the wall an infant utters af-
ter it has exhausted itself in crying for
hours. / 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 herr cabin and had lain
down to die there
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,
1 said and gave the baby to one of
the men named Nipper to hold whilst l
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 hurriedly
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. | don't say as |
didn't humble prayer rs | came away
holding the little chap. 1t was an az
fecting sight to see that young woman
living there-quite recently dead, as we
might suppose by her little one being
alive: and when | took last peep at
her almost felt as if she knew that 1
was taking her baby away from her.
We handed the infant into the boat,
and showed OF for the bark that lay
hove to waiting for us about half mile
to leeward.
"'What have YOU there, Mr. Robapd?'
sings out Captain Blackett, Leaning
over the rail.
a baby, SIR answers. and pulled
my coat q 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 a deal of hoarse whispering
among the men As they pressed forward
to see the waif. | carried him to the
Captain-the wOrthiest. man. sir, with
the tcnderest heart that ever sailed
ship; he pulled off his cap rs 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.
land the mother lies dead yonder,
Mr.. Roband?' says he, pointing to the
wreck.
LAY. sir says I.
Z" God receive herr SAYS he. 'D'ye
the management of babies,
Mr.. Roband?n
"'Why. [ have two of my own,' [
answered.; 'but [ was so much away at
sea when they were little ones that
can't say | ever had n chance OF watch
inc what my wife did TO EN- to keep
'em healthy. But what we have to do
with this baby say |. SIS to feed him
and get him warm at once
" Then take him belOw-take him
below, Mr.. Roland cried the Captain
in q tremulous voice. Give him your
sir, and never mind about
your duties until you've got this poor
little creature into ship-shape condi-
ton
well, carried him to my cabin
and sung out to the steward to help me
undress him, for the thought of hand
ling this frail and delicate object alone
me. I'd any day rather have
the Job of taking in the masts of a
:. 000-ton ship than the handling of a
baby for ten minutes. Both the stew
ard 5 and my fingers were square-end-
ed, and we had to be very careful in
hauling out the safety-pins and clearing
the little chap of the things he was
dressed in. He cried so that was in
an agony, making sure we were hurt
inc him; but the steward said: No, l
know the nature of infants; it would be
unnatural if they didn't cry; it's fash
ion their lungs have of growing Are
you sure? says l. 'Cock-sure,' says
he; haven't seven of my own, Mr..
when the baby was wrapped up IN
one of my flannel shirts, that being
softer than any blanket we had aboard,
the steward went and warmed some
Swiss milk at the galley fire; and while
| was sitting waiting for the steward,
with the baby lying on my knee, the
Captain comes in.
'.'God help this poorlittle oner' says
he; what age do you take him to be,
Mr.. Roband3' t'-|-
'''Not year old says l.
"'Not year old. he cried; how
are the ways of Providence
that a tiny bubble of humanity like
this should be left unframed by storm
that. maybe, has drowned all the rough
and sturdy fellows who filled that YES
sci. It's like seeing an iron ship beaten
to pieces by seas amid whose hollows
you observe the little stormy petrol
securely flying g8 IL Ed