Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1885-08-20

began TO DuliQ tnlS All the
neighbors thought my good fortune
had turned my brain, for l fitted it
up and furnished it for a lady, down
to a little rocking chair by my study
table, and a tiny work basket with a
tiny gold thimble in it, And when
all was finished l took the first ship
for Liverpool
Ten years builds a city over here.
1t doesn't make much change in a
Devonshlre village. The very gates
we're still half off their hinges, as /
left them, only the people were a little
older and a trife more stupid, and
there was q new vicar. Old Mr..
Branscome had been dead six months
died very poor, they told me; there
was nothing left for Miss Winny. Ny
heart gave one geat leap when | heard
that. Ara Miss WinnyY She had
gone governessing with some people
who were just off to Canada, and the
ship sailed tomorrow from Liver
pool.
The Liverpool express never seemed
to crawl so slowly before. / got there
to find every berth taken or board the
Antarctic, and the captain raging at
the non-appearance of two of the
crew. Without a seconds pause, /
offered for one OF the vacant places.
| was as strong as a horse and active
enough, and though the captain eyed
me rather askance-I had been to a
West.end tailor on my way through
London-he was too glad to get me TO
ask any questions, so | sailed on the
ship with my girl, little as she knew
it. | saw her the first day or two,
looking so pale and thin that she was
like the ghost of her own self, and
vet sweeter to my eyes than ever be-
fore. The children she had charge of
were troublesome little creatures, who
worried and badgered her till Ilonged
to cuff them well. But there was a
gentleness and patience about her
quite new TO my idea of Miss Winny,
and l only loved her the more for 1t.
After the second day cut the wind
still freshened. and ] saw no more of
her.
We had an awful passage. 1t was
late in November - an early winter,
and the cold was intense. The wind
blew one continuous gale, and some
of our machinery was broKen-the
screw damaged - and we could not
keep our course. AS we drew near
the other side of the Atlantic, we got
more and more out of our bearings,
and at last the fogs told us we were
somewhere off the banks of News
fouAdland, but where, no one was
quite sure. L seemed to me it had all
happened before, or | had read it, or
dreamed it. At all events, it was
hardly 8 surprise to me when, on the
tenth night, just after midnigt, the
awful crash and shock took place "a
sensation which no one who has not
felt it can imagine In the least - and
we knew that the Antarctic had
struck.
It's a fearful thing, if you come to
think of it, a great steamer filled with
living souls in the full flow of life and
health, and in one moment the call
coming TO each of them TO die. Before
you could have struck a match the
whole ship was in a p9nic-cries, ter
ror, confusion, agony-Oh, 1t was
aWfuI2 ! trust neve to see such a
scene again. | made my way through
it all as if | had neither eyes nor ears,
and got to the state room l had long
ago found out was the one which be-
longed to my girl. | knocked at the
door with a heavy hand; even at that
awful moment a thrill ran through
me at the thought of standing face to
face with her again.
"Winnyl' | cried, "come eutl
make haste there is not a moment to
loser
The door opened as Ispoke, and she
stood just within, ready dressed, even
to the 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.
"Dlckl' she cried-"Oh, Dick,
Dickl' and she fell forward in a dead
faint on my shoulder,
All my senses came back 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 as | ran. l snatched
it UP and carried it with me.
Up above, all was in the widest
chaos; the boats o~verilled, and push.
ing off the ship settling rapidly PEG.
pie shouting, crying, swearing. One
hears tales of calmness and courage
aften enough at such times, which
makes ones heart glow as one reads
them; bur there was not much heroism
shown in the wreck of the Antartic
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.
l saw there was not a chance for
the over crowded boats in that sea,
and l sprang for the rigging. l was
not a second too soon; a score of
others followed my example, and with
my precious burden | should not have
a chance two minutes later. AS /