Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1886-08-28
'THE RIBS on DEATH"

fathers boat went down In a sudden
Bquall, within sight OF home and Of my
mother, who, with the rest Of the fisher
mems wives, awaited the landing Of the
little fleet. Perhaps this was the reason
] had such an instructive horror and
dread Of the sea. even while 1t fascinated
and drew me 10 II In It's stormiest moods.
1t was queer feeling that possessed mo.
When away from the sight and sound of
the breakers I was restless and unquiet,
near them / was awed and melancholy,
but some craving of my nature was satis-
fled, and was comparatively calm. l
believe many OF our people, who are in
tensely superstitious, looked upon me as
doomed in consequence of this. @The
Tea always swallows what 1t gets hold
off, they said amongst themselves with
eorrowful fabalism. We can hardly help
being superstitious and gloomy-we who
are born and reared In Callermouth.
Nature is 50 stern Ia her moods, and SO
csuel in her way OF expressing them.
Callermouth Ia only cluster Of oot-
tages around q little harbor, with pier
and hfe-boat house below. About mile
tothe north Is the ugly sharp ridge OF
rocks which bears the significant name
of the "Ribs o. DEATH Many fine
vessel has struck, aid ground her tim
hers TO matohwood, many poor cling
ing hfe has been washed off those fatal
ribs. They do say that in the old times
many ship was lured there 10 it's do.
strurtion too; but / can scarce believe
thegrandfathers Of our brave fellows,
who lived by and on the waters Just as
nov, could be inhuman enough to trade
upon the danger and the deaths Of fel-
lot-mariners. Only ] must say that
oven yet, while any one Of our men
would risk his lffe without thinking
twice about It 30 save another, he
wuuidn's have any very definite ideas
on the laws OF salvage.
Spite Of my want of beauty, had two
lads came cour<ing me, and Willie Lisle
was the one favored. Edam (AdanA
Carr was too much OF my own temper
for me, too gloomy; ] was afraid Of him,
had the same sort OF mistrust OF him that
had Of the sea. and perhaps little Of
the same idea Of his possible power over
me
But Willie, with his bonnie yellow
curis,and his blue eyes and his sonny
smile, what gtrl could have resisted
him? He brought his brightness into my
Liza end it seemed 10 go out like the sun
beneath cloud on the day he sailed In
the ~Rowena," bound for China and the
East Indies, from the Tyne
Al cur most energetic and enterprising
young men become sailors, If they do not
feel satisfied 30 be fishermen as their
fathers before them. It never seems 10
enter into any Of their heads that there
are other means Of livelihood than these
two callings. They cannot tear them
selves away from the sea sltogether, how
ever they may abuse IT. They inhale fts
salt breeze with their earliest breathe, its
foam and spsay beat on them. until 4 be-
cuzfcs part Of them as It were, and they
are as much creatures OF the waves as the
fishes that swim beneath or the gulls that
f1oat above. So It was that when While
grew Disconnected with his earnings as q
fisherman, he veo& 30 sea 10 make more
nncney, In the hope Of wedding me the
sooner.
4 was not strong enough for fisher.
mars wife, he said, and he hoped DC
be able 10 keep me like hdyf" Just as
II cared!
One afternoon was wandering rathes
dhconsolateiy On the beach, feeling low
and hopeless, Wishing for Willie and bet
ter days, when Edam, who was busy II
his boat, called TO me as past by.
ARlsie, come here and tell me whaI
yun think o my boatT he cried IN NOR
CHEEKY voice than usual and glad 10 b
goodnatured when / could, / stoppot
and admired the fine new boat he hat
just bought with themoney an uncle has
Left him.
4But you've got no name for hes"
said at last; what are you going to Cal
her9"
shat depends ON yoea" he replied
hooking up quickly; ~ we don't object
wchld name her The Bonnie Elsie"
That would never do. thought in
minute, 1t would be all over the place a
once that Edam Carr had called his boa
after Elsie Wilson, and that she was Sof
with the old love and ON with the new.
"You mustn't do that 1demurred a
gently as could; there's prettier name
and lasses too, for that matter, IN tn,
hacel"
His FACE changed for the worse |,
moment, and an angry light blaxed il
his eyes.
@i'm not TO hev yer name then, forby
yer@lf"
1T wouldn't 90, Edam; folks woul
talk, and--and Willie might be vexed,
] went on hesitatingly. What cowar
was to be surel 1t was with the great
est difficulty in the world | managed t
bring out my real objection, And yet
was so pround Of being Willie's sweet
heart.
"He'snot yer man yet that he shout
mipd," Edam replied sulkily; and the
under his breath, Maybe he never wi
be &her."
heard the end Of the sentence, 10,
as it was muttered.
San what's 10 hinder, if we're both G
one. mind about it2@ i said sharply
losibg my temper bat ct his obstinacJ