Beverly banner. [volume] (Beverly, N.J.) 1877-1964, 1885-01-10
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.IHE STORY OF THE GHAIN .PIER,

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sstss Il q CHA PIER Va 81 4isa
Our little life in this world seems Of
little count. Throw a stone into the
sea-42it7 makes a splash that lasts for
one second, then it is all over thewayes
roll on just as thoughait had not been
dropped. ess9asfaps sis-
The death of this one little child,
whom no one knew, and for whom no
one cared, was of less than no account
it made small paragraph in the news
papers,-it had caused some little COM
motion, ON the piers-Tjgst little hurry
at the wofkhoase, and then it was for
gotten. What was such a little wait
and stray such a small, fair, tender
/, little creature to. the gay crowd?a
siitAA child found drowned by the Chain
& Pier.1 Kind-hearted motherly women
shrugged their shoulders with a sigh.
The finding or the death of such hapless
little ones Is, alas not rare. / do not
think, of the hundreds who careleSsly
heard the words that morning, there
was one who stopped to- think of the
possible suffering OF the child. 1t is a
wide step from the warmth of moth
er's arms to the chill of the deep sea
water. The gay tide of fashion ebbed
and flowed just the same; the band
played on the Chain Pier the morning
following; the sunbeams danced on the
water There was nothing to remind
cone of the little life 30 suddenly and
terribly closed Sn
Z There was not much more to tell.
There was an inquest, but,it was not OF
much use. "a Everyone knew that the
/ child had been drowned; the doctor
thought twas drugged before it was
drowned; there was very little to b.
the hnding OF ia The coronk said :
few )ciVif words when be heard that onl
OF the visitors of the town, out of sheer
) pity, had offered to defray the expenses
of the little funeral. ss
II The little unknown babeS who had
spent the nightaiIlI the deepRsea was
lbdfiediin tile cemetery ION the LeWes
Road. / bought a grave for her under
the spreading boughs of a tree; she had
q white pail and quantity of white
flowers. The matron from the work
house went, and it was not at all like a
pauper'S funeral. The sun was Shin
ing, and the balrny air was filled with.
the song Of birds. but then. the sun
does shine, and the birds will sing, for
pauperS. bkfxse
ordered a small white marble cross,
it stands under the trees at the head Of
the little green grave. When the head;
mason asked me what name waSi to be
put upon it, was puzzled. Only Heav-
en- knew whether the helpless little
ecf1jld JfEsd a claim tor any name, and, If
So, what that name was. l. bethought
myselfl0f one name, it meant bitter
ness, and the bitterness of deep waters.
: . II will call it sMarah, '"I said, and
the name stands there on the marble
cross. u
7 k.Marah, aged three weeks. found
drowned in the sea, September, 49, q
ia Only one small grave amongst many,
but grave over which no mother has
shed a tear. Then, after a few days
more forgot almost all aboutit; yet at
that time was so lonely, !. so utterly
desoEate, that u felt some kind of tie!
bound me to the little grave, and made
me love the spot. 1t was soon all for
gotten, but meyer forgot the tbeauti-
full, despairmg face | had seen on the
pier that night The face that seemed
to have passed me with the quickness
pressed on my brain for
~ / have been writing to you, reader,
behind veil, let me draw it aside. N.Y.
name is John Ford-by no means TO-
mantle name-butI come of good
family. 1 am one of the worlds un-H
fortunates. Il had neither brother nor
sister my father and mother died
while L was quite young; they left me a
large fortune, but no relationship one
to loyeme. Ny guardian was a stern,
grave, elderly man; my youth was lone-
", my manhood more lonely still. i
found fair and dainty love, but she
proved false; she left me for one who
had more gold and title to give her.
When I lost her, all my happiness died.
the only consolation found was going
about from place to place trying to do
good where I could, This little Incl
dent on the Chain Pier reused me more
than anything had done for some time.
/ had one comfort in life--a friend
whom I loved, dearer than brother,
Lanpelet' Fleming. and lately he had
come into possession of very nice es-
tate called button Manor, q fine old
mansion, standing IN the midst of an
extensive park, and with it an income
of three thousand per annum. Lance
Fleming had been brought up to the
bar, but he never cared much for his
profession, and was much pleased when