The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-03-25
for the CHILDREN.
A Storm at Seattle Rescue.
" Mother, will you let me go?"

A terrible storm is sweeping along
the wild coast of North Devonshire
The plymouth life-boat is prepared to
make its way to foreign vessel which,
at some distance from the land, is show
ing signs of dire distress. The life-boat
crew is complete, with the exception of
one man. Young Will Carew, Dyn-
mouth fisher-lad and an expert sailor,
is offering to fill the vacant place. AT
first he bends down gently to woman,
who stands beside him on the dreary
shore, and it is his clear, brave voice
that we hear above the raging of the
storm:
Mother, will you let me go?"
The mother had been a widow only
six short months. Her husband was a
fisherman; he put out one bright day
last spring, for the last time, in fish
ing-boat, upon a delusively calm sea.
A sudden squall came on; broken frag-
ments of the boat were seen next morn
ing on the beach, but the fisherman
returned no more to home and love.
And now the son asks permission to
brave the horrors of the sea, which his
father found so pitiless.
A fierce, passionate refusal rises to
the woman's lips. But her sad eyes
move slowly toward the distressed YES
sci; she thinks of the many loved lives
in jeopardy within it; thinks, with a
sudden pang of agonized pity, of many
distant, dear homes in peril of bereave-
ment; she turns to her boy, and her
voice is calm and courageous as his own
" Go, my son. And may God go with
you and bring you safe back to your
mothers heart"
Hurriedly she leaves the beach, hur-
riedly seeks her desolate home, and
alone she wrestles with the pain of her
old sorrow and her new fear.
Morning dawns again. The storm
has spent itself Sullenly the waves
are tossing their naughty heads, but
the seas worst fury is over at last. A
gallant vessel has gone down upon the
waters, but the plymouth lfe-boat has
nobly fulfilled its noble task, and all
hands on board the vessel have been
saved.
Why does Will Carew linger in hes
itation outside his mothers door?
harvest of the brave he has shown him
self throughout the night. Why does
he shrink from the proud welcome that
awaits him from the heart nearest to
his own.
Beside him stands tall worn man
a man whom he has rescued from a
watery grave. Around the two throng
plymouth villagers; many hands are
thrust towards the man in happy recog-
milton.
A fearful storm had overtaken him
upon the sea one day, not many months
ago. He was observed and saved by q
foreign vessel. The vessel was out
ward bound. Away from home, from
wife and kindred, the man was forced
to sail; and by wife and kindred he
was mourned as dead. He arrived al
the vessels destined port, only to SCI
sail again with the first ship bound fol
England. Last night he found himself
within sight of home; but wild storm
was raging on land and sea, and once
more the man stood face to face with ;
terrible death. Help came in his need
help, God-sent, God-directed.
Who will tell the wife and mother
Her boy clasps her hands convulsivel,
in his, and his voice comes only through
his thick sobs:
" Mother, darling, try to bear tn,
happy truth. When your brave heart
a heart which, in the midst of its owl
sorrow could feel for the sorrows o
others, sent me forth last night to tn
succor of the distressed, you knew
not-how should you know?-that yo,
sent me to the rescue of my own dea
fathers life. God gave him to me
God has given him, mother, back t.
our grateful love-"
A step is heard; the rescued MAJ
stands by his own fireside, remember
I ing, with deep emotion, that his pac
there has been won for him by the skill
and courage of his son.
With cry of wild joy, the mothe
. rushes forward, and her head finds it
long lost place upon her husband
= breast.-Selected