Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1885-07-14
Learning to Love.
BIZ MARY JANE PHELPS.

captain Vaughn went down with
the ship"
That was the report that reached
home when the news came Of the loss oi
the ship Beatrice off the Sandwich Is
lands in great storm.
s0The life-boat was lowered and filed,
and while the captain stood upon the
quarterback, commanding the loading
Of the boats, the ship sank.
There was much more description In
the papers that had obtained for an
hour or two from a file of three years
back. Three years, passed in sickness,
exile and sore poverty, before obtained
passage upon homeward- bound vessel.
and landed in Boston.
For / am captain Richard VAUGHN.
who went down with the good shin
Beatrice. The rush of the storm came
20 me in my sleep, as it came to me when
I sank with Clara's name upon my lips.
never hoping to rise again.
But rise / did in the blackness OF
night, and catching floating spar, kept
above the angry waves until the storm
1uiled and daylight crept over the waters.
It was many hours later when was
picked up by disabled French vessel
With the ship fever raging aboard, and
short of hands from its fatal ravages.
1gave willing work there, until the fever
fastened its cruel grip upon me, and
tossed into delirium while we took in a
cargo Of gums and spices, had the YES
esl repaired and / was still unconscious
OF all around me when she sailed away.
leavingme.
All my savings were invested In the
Beatrice, and although she was we'll in
sured In Boston could not well draw
the money in the Sandwich Islands.
It would be two long q story to de-
tail all the miseries and hardships of
those three years until landed in Boston.
and sat in newspaper Office reading an
account Of the wreck of the Beatrice,
and my own obituary.
had worked my passage from my
last port, and had my wages in the
pocket of my coarse sailors suit, and I
was waiting for train to take me to the
New England village that was my home.
Homel ClaraI
Those were the words that braced nv
heart for all the rough encounters Of the
past three years, and yet, within few
hours ride of them my courage was fall
ing me. What might not have hap
2ened In three years Death might
ave come-sickness, poverty.
/ was not young man, having reached
my hstieth year; my beard and whiskers
were dap. ed with gray. and my face
was bronzed by exposure. In my youth
they called me handsome, and my form
Tas still straight, my teeth firm and
white, my eyes large and bright in spite
of the snow on my hair and the fifty
years scored in my life. Clara was much
younger. Five years before the day
when landed in Boston, married her
Tor true loves sake-mY first love and
my last. She was the daughter of q
fellow-townsman, who was my true
friend for years, and from the time she
was toddling baby, Clara had been
called my little wife Every time I
returned from 9 voyage my cabin was
stored with presents for Clara, till her
fathers cottage was q perfect museum Of
1oreig> curiosities, and her wardrobe
vas the envy Of all the village girls.
When she was nineteen / asked her to
Be my wife in truth, as she had been so
long in name. She looked frightened
It first, but few days later she put her
little hand in mine and promised to be
my true, faithful wife. We took a wears
cruise on the Beatrice for q wedding
"trip, and two months after we came
home blue-eyed babe lay upon Clara's
breast.
I loitered at home for nearly six
months, and then, kissing wife and
shild for farewell, wringine my father
m-law's hand hard, / left once more to
start on that in-fated voyage when the
.eatrice was wrecked, and ssCaptaan
Vaughn went down with the ship. y
After reading the whole report Of the
wreck, came to the conclusion that
/ had no business to be alive. No one.
with the tales Of witnesses, the letters
from the few who were saved, the evi-
dence on ell sides, could ever believe
that ], Dick Vaughn, captain Of the
Beatrice, could be still In existence. But
there 1 was, and q few hours later /
would be at home
But il seemed as ii the chapter of nv
nisfOTtunes was never to Sc finished.
Scr the train met with an accident. and
We were kept al night upon the road.
So It happened that the church bells
NeEe ringing Cor Sunday morning service
WAen ut last after q two-mile walk. i
sntered the village Of nv horne.
s. occurred to me IS once that il I FIJI
lowed the little stream Of people enter
ING the church, could see Il nv vile
and her father were alive. They would
De III church probably.
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