The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1886-08-25


man, VINO. the instant sne saw Madenae.
sprung toward her and kneit BY her side.
Historically sobbing, and kissing her hands.
Madeline bent over her and addressed her
/ In some foreign tongue Portuguese. after
ward discovered. She answered yoiubly in
/ the same speech. ! suspected the truth. that
| this black girl was an attendant or waiting
maid of some sort. and that Madeline was
| her mistress.
| Turning to one OF the rescued sailors. who
had now approached and was phIegmaticaily
chewing Quid as if he had just been com
foTfabiy landed from passing boat, | ques-
toned him concerning the lost vessel. She
was large trading steamer. he said. bound
nom Demerara to the port of London; her
name. the Valparaiso; her captain one John
| Stetson, good sailor, who hs.i been killed
BY the falling of the foremast and swept
overheard. Her passage across the Atlantic
had been smooth and pleasant: but the night
before she had experienced all the strength
of the great gale. and while eontending with
it had broken her propeller. After that, she
had tiled to lie to under sail. and had she
found sea-room would doubtless have been
able 10 weather the storm; but, as ill-Iuck
would have il. the rocks of Cornwall were
right under her lee, and the wind and sea
swept her down upon them.
questioned him concerning that episode
OF the boat He explained that two OF the
boats had been smashed into fragments
when the ship hTst struck. The long-boat
remained. and at daN break, after the cap
tain persisted, the first officer, faneying that
the ship was doomed. determined to make
for shore. All the crew followed him but
my informant and two Others. who preferred
sticking by the steamer 10 facing certain
death. The men, in fact, were mad with
fright and drink combined. and for this rea-
son. perhaps, altogether forgot 10 wait for
Madeline, who had gone below
So the last boat left the ship. Ii had not
gone far when Madeline resppeared She
would have been swept away but for the as
sistanee of the sailors, who strapped her to
the mast as the only chance of safety; and
as she stood there terror-strieken, she saw
the boat ingulfed with all its crew. the same
sad sight which we had seen from land
1t turned out, on further questioning. that
Miss Graham was the only passenger, and
occupied, with her eOiOTed maid the cap
tain's OWN cabin. Her father a rich DE.
meEara planter, had died some months be-
fore she took passage. leaving her great in
heritanee. ! hasl Ha time te answer for my
self the many questions which crowded upon
my mind-Why Madeline had come to En-
gland? Whether she had any relations sur
yiying in the old country? Whether any
living person. lover or friend. had the right
TO protect her? But | looked at her again.
and thought how different she was from all
the other women / had known, IN her queen
ly grace and warmth of beauty. Beside her,
even my cousin Annie would have looked
coarse and common.
But there was no time 10 be lost if she
was 10 escape the consequences of that
nights exposure. She was still dripping
wet and the morning air was bitterly cold.
"You must not stay here, [ said ap-
preaching her, "or you Will catch your death.
Do you think you can ascend the cliffs9 My
aunt'S cottage is close by, and should like
to take you there at once
She rose at once, shivering and took nv
arm. Half leading. half supporting her.
guided her out of the boat-house and up the
steep ascent leading to the summit of the
erag, my uncle helping her upon the other
side. Some of the Others followed, leading
the colored girl.
Ii was steep climb; and before we had
gone far we found that her strength was fail
ing her, so that we were compelled to raise
her bodily in our arms: but she was light and
fragile enough, and, for my own part. could
have carried her like child.
Once on the summit, we rested again,
while some of the men went in chase of
moor pony, one of several grazing on the
moor hard by. When it was secured, and
bridled and bitted with a stout rope, | lifted
her upon it. and placed the black girl by her
side; and thus, still holding her and walking
by her side, while the men followed behind
like procession, conducted her TO our cot
tage and handed her over TO the care of my
kind aunt.
Thus God, in a mysterious fashion, had re-
stored to me the being who had been to me
for so many years a sweet memory and de-
lightful vision. | felt strangely happy, yet
troubled; unable yet to realize what had
taken place. When my aunt had led Made
line to chamber upstairs where she tend
ed her with motherly sympathy and tender
ness | sat in the kitchen, waiting and Won
dering, like one In dream.