Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1885-09-10

iul! / trust never 10 see such scene
again. made my way through it all
as if had neither eyes nor ears, and
got to the state-room | had long ago
found out was the one which belonged
to my girl. | knocked at the door
with heavy hand; even at that awful
moment thrill ran through me at the
thought of standing face to face with
her again.
''Winny" / cried. '.come Quit make
haste! there is not moment to lose!"
The door opened as | spoke, aud she
stood just within. ready dressed. even
to her little black hat. The cabin light
had been left burning. by the doctors
orders, and it fell full on me as | stood
there in my sailors jersey and cap |
wondered if she would know me- |
forgot the danger we were in-forgot
that death was waiting close at hand
forgot that the world held any one but
| just her and me.
Dick" she cried "Oh, Dick,
Dick!' and she fell forward in dead
faint on my shoulder.
All my senses came back to me then,
and | threw her over my arm and ran
for the deck. A great fur-lined cloak
had been dropped by the door of the
ladies cabin. There was no light, but
stumbled over it rs ran. | snatched
it up and carried it with me.
Up above, all was in the widest
chaos; the boats oYerlilled. and push
ing off; the ship settling rapidly; peo-
pie shouting, crying, swearing. One
hears tales of calmness and COURAGE
often enough at such times. which
make ones heart glow as one reads
them; but there was not much heroism
shown in the wreck of the Antarctic.
The captain behaved splendidly, and
so did some of the passengers, but the
majority of them and the crew were
mad with terror. and lost their heads
altogether.
saw there was not chance for the
oyer-crowded boats in that sea. and
sprang for the rigging | was not
second too soon; a score of others fol-
lowed my example. and with my pre-
cious burden | should not have had a
chance two minutes later. As it was.
L scrambled to the topmast. and got
firm hold there. Winny was Just COM
ing to herself | had wrapped her
round like baby in the fur cloak, and
with my teeth | opened my knife to
cut rope which hung loose within
reach. With this dashed her to me,
and fastened us both to the topmast.
The ship sank gradually; she did not
keel over. or should not be telling
you the story; she settled down, lust
her deck above water, but the great
seas washed over it every second and
swept it clean. The boats had gone!
One or two of the crew, floating on
loose spars, were picked up aftorward
no more. The rigging was pretty
full, at least in the upper part; down
below, the sea was too strong. The
captain was near me. l felt glad to
think he had been savcd-he was not a
coward like some of the others.
How long was the longest night YOU
ever knew? Multiply that by II thous-
and, and you will have some idea of
that nights length. The cold was aw-
full. The spray froze on the sheets us
it fell; the yards were slippery with
ice. / stamped on Winny's feet to
keep them from freezing. Did you
notice that | limp little? | shall
walk lame rs long rs l live Some
times there was "a splash in the black
water below, as some poor fellows
stiflened hold relaxed, and he fell from
his place in the rigging. There was
not breath of wind, nothing but the
bitter, bitter fog. How long could we
hold out? Where were we? How long
would the ship last before She broke
up? Would it be by drowning or by
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 vet will
you believe ne, that nil seemed little
in comparison 10 the thought that
after all the struggles and the sorrows,
after all those II .ong weary years, |
held my girl III my arms at last!
She had pdtlGd one corner of the
cloak arounl my neck CT stood on a
level just below her), and her hand lay
there with tit was tho hand that
warmed me moro than the cloak-and
her cheek rested against my own. Oft
en- | thought its GOODNESS was the cold
ness of death, and almost exulted in
the thought that we should die togeth-
en- And then | would catch the muir
muir of the prayers She was uttering
for us both, and know that life was
there still, and hope lived too.
Well well! Why should dwell on
such horrors, except To thank the mer-
cy that brought Us through them all?
Day dawnct ut last; and there was the
shore near by, and soon rockets were
fired, and ropes were secured. and one
by one the half dead living were drawn
from their awful suspension between
sky and sea. and landed safe on shore.
They had to take Winny and me to-
gether, just us we We're, and even then
they had hard work to undo the clasp
OF my stiffcnrd arms about her. knew
nothing then. or for long after; and it
is wonderful that Winny was the first
to recover, and that it WAS she who
nursed me back to life and reason.
And how did ask her to marry me?
Upon my word, now you ask, l can't
remember that | ever did. That SEEM
ed utterly unnecessary, somehow.
Caste distinctions look small enough
when you have been staring death in
the face for few hours; and words
were not much needed after we had
been together in the rigging over that
night. Somehow was glad it was so;
glad that my girl had taken me, in my
cap and jersey, for common sailor,
and yet loved the old Dick through it
all; glad she never dreamed was own
err of Indian Greek farm, and the rich
est 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 Montrcal-the captain of
the Antarctic gave her away-and then
| brought her home TO Indian Creek.
To sec her face when she saw the rock
ing-chair. and the work basket and the
thimblc! Heaven bless her!
There she comes, with her baby on
her shoulder. Come in to dinner,
friend. and you shall see the sweetest
wife in the new country or the old; the
| girl won amid the oceans surges. -
Lright Days.
| An Abscnt- Minded Barber.
1 ~ i