Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1885-07-09
Mechancsbwn Frederick County, Maryland Thursday July g. 1885,

patched up, unseaworthy old hulk she
looks, through all her three coats O.
paint. TO catch sight Of the line where
now the PlimsoIl mark would be, the
! observer, it was averred, would have
to station himself couple Of boats
lengths Off her weather. beam; and ever
then it would he necessary for Il good
stiff breeze to lay her over at an angle
of forty five degrees to her headline
before his curiosity could be assuaged
Such is the vessel in which Harry
Reed has shipped as mate, and which
with her foremast gone by the board
her $50 tons dead weight of granite
shifting in her hole, and her rotten
rails blown down to rags-is stagscr-
ing along in the inky darkness before
the awful fury of the equinox. Like
many another coninship before her she
is allowed short shrift In a few min
utcs a terrific sea-eager as it were to
Put her out of her miscry-tAkns her
on the counter and ma kcs clean
sweep Of deck; and ut the same mo-
mcnt she reefs, shudders and finally
plunecs down hcadlong into the yawn'
ing gulf which opens to receive her.
And Harry Reel? In this instance
vigorous young life, sustained by might
Of purpose, does not succumb quite SO
readily as rotten old timber. For two
nights and two days awful privation
and sulftrinss are his; but at length -
numbed, bruised, laceratcd, and with
the death stupor stealing upon him
he is observed and picked UP by an
outwar,lbounl vessel.
In due course he RECEIVERS, and en-
rolled US one Of the hands proceeds
with the ship to Valparaiso, whittier
she is bound direct There. with the
present of Il silver coin and m my clab-
crate directions, he intrusts to Il hang
er on of the hlrbor an English letter.
a wild outpouring Of all the pcnt-up
passion Of his heart ito be posted in
the town. What eventually became OF
that poor, paintully-proluced sheet, no
one living knows Possibly the drunk
en- tatter,lrmalon to whom it WAS
handcd-a Spanish half-caste-put it
to practical use as q cigarette paper,
and its rhapsoaies, driftel away in
smoke; more probably it lies hidden in
the greasy lining Of his jacket t" this
dav. One thing is certain, that it rev.
er reached the suppliant hand stretch
ed forth to receive it, or brought re-
lief to the soul furnishing for news in
the little old world village beyond the
Atlantic
From Valparaiso the ship at length
returns to Lisbon with copper ore, and
and from Lisbon she starts with gen
eral cargo for-word most musical to
one. at least of the crew-lpswich.-
Once more in the Downs, where she
lies three davs windbounG, English
newspapers are received abroad, and IN
one os these. in column devoted to
local intelligence, Il Young sailor spells
out, among other items, that Il mar
rage has been solclnnizcd, just three
weeks previously, between one Thomas
Gordon and one Rachel Chcal.
And the fair maid Of Chcrbury-
what of her? Verify she too, like her
lover passed through the valley Of the
shadow of death, as her wasted face
and her great lustrous eyes bear rec
ord. Day in, day ont, fair weather or
foul, she must needs stray aimlcssly to
the beach where the last kiss fingered
upon her check and he last goodbye
was whispered. She is never alone
Honest Humphrcy-broken in spirit
now, and bowed with grief, yet loving
his poor shorn lamb still more tenderly
than Of yorc-is ever at her side, and
to murmure,. qucstions-thc expression
of the passionate yearning that is with
in her as she gazes beyond the waters
of the bay, and Beyond the horizon
will give answer in softened words,
hopeless himself, yet reluctant to crush
the last flutterlng vcstise of hope.
1t is in the gladstone sunshine of a
Young May mornins that gallant
ship, which has voyaged from atar,
bears up in Harwich roadstead and sig
nails for a pilot. A trim little craft
comes dancing over tie waves like Il
winged gull, ard swings up gay
" alongside. In another lnlnute
George Cheal has swung himselfabroad
and htte Jim prepares to- put ABOUT
and return.
But on the deck Of that gallant ship
it wouId seem, in good sooth, that the
- ..:,.,. Nv, E,, Land. Cor cf :, Iva rt