The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1885-11-13

nc more. The rigging was pretty
full, at least in the upper part; down
below the sea was too strong. The
Captain was near me. | felt glad 10
think hehad been saved-he was not
acoward like some of the others.
How long was the longest night You
ever knew? Multiply that by a
thousand, and YOU will have some
idea of that nights length. The cold
was awful. The spray froze on the
sheets where it fell; the yards were
slippery with ice. stamped ON VIM
ny'S feet to keep them from freezing.
Did YOU notice that | limp Il little? |
shall walk lame as long as | live.
Sometimes there was a splash III the
black water below, as some poor tel
lows stitfened hold relaxed and he fell
from his place in the rigging. There
WAS not a breath OF wind-nOthing
but the bitter. bitter fog. How long
could we hold out? Where were we?
How long would the ship be before she
broke up? Would it be by drowning
or bv freezing? We asked ourselves
these questions again and again, but
there was no answer. Death stared
us in the face: we seemed to live ages
of agony in every minute. And yet
will YOU believe me, that all seemed
little in comparison to the thought
that after all the struggles and the
sorrows afterall these ten long weary
years, | held my girl in my arms at
last.
She had pulled one corner OF the
cloak around my neck Il stood on a
level just below herr, and her handlay
there with tit was the hand that
warmed me more than the ClOak-and
her cheek rested against my own. VI
ten | thought its GOODNESS was the
GOODNESS of death, and almost eXulted
IN the thought that we should die TO-
gether. And then | would catch the
murmur of the prayers she was utter
ing for us both, and know that life
was there still, and hope livedtoo.
Well, well! Why should dwell on
such horrors, except to thankthem er-
cy that brought us through them all?
Day dawned at last; andthere wasthe
shore near by, and soon rockets were
fired, and ropes secured, and n by
one the half-dead living were drawn
from their awful suspension between
sky and sea, ndlanded save on shore.
They had to take Winny and me
together just as we were, and
even then they had work to
undo the clasp of my stiffened
arms about her. I knew nothing
then, nor for long after; and it is won
derful that Winnie was the first to re-
cover, and that it IA she who nursed
me back to life and treason.
And how did l ask her to marry me?
Upon my word, now you ask, | can't
remember that Ieverdid. Thatseemed
utterly unnecessary, somehow. Caste
distinctions look small enough when
you have been staring death In the
face for a few hours; and words were
not much needed after we had been
together in the rigging that night.
Somehow | was glad it was so; glad
my girl had taken me, In my cap and
jersey, for q common sailor, and yet
loved the old Dick through it all;
glad she never dreamed | was owner
of Indian Creek farm, and the richest
man in that end of Ontario, and had
wealth and position higher than Mr..
Lotus, the young squire at home.
The people she was with had all gone
down on that awful night; she had no
one In the world but me. We were
married at Montreal-the Captain OF
the Antarctic e her away-andthe
/ brought her home to Indian Creek.
To see her face when she saw the rock
ing-chair, and the work-basket and
the thimblel Heaven bless her.
There she comes, with her baby on
her shoulder. Come into dinner,
friend, and you shall see the sweetest
wife in the new country or the old;
the girl | won amid the ocean surges.
Bright Days.