Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1886-11-12
THE STORMS OF '73.


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THE STORMS OF '73.
Tho Story Told by Gloucester Girl.
A correspondent of the New York
Evening Post on g. visit to Gloucester,
Mass, heard from a young lady the
pathetic story Of the storms OF 1878,
which is related as follows:
ri was child then, but can dis
tinctly bring to mind the dreadful
gloom and depression there was all
through the town. I thought the
whole world was under cloud. Moth
er cried half the time, for father was
OH, too. 1t seemed as if half our fish
ermen were drowned that season. Sto-
ry after story Of disaster and loss
kept coming every day. When the
boats from the Banks came into the
harbor-that is, those that ever did
como back-the wharves would be
crowded with mon and women with
eager, drawn faces waiting to hear. I
will not try to say how many schoor-
ers never came home at all. My moth
er will tell you OF every man and every
boat that was lost. It's a horrible
calling!"
Evangeline Romer sat silent a mo-
ment, mechanically moving back and
forth in her hands some cav pebbles
she had picked up. Her face was set
in such sombre curves that did not
wish to speak to her. But she went
on directly:
"Cousin Mary had married Matthew
Bruce tho year before. Everybody
tells that she was the gayest, liehtest-
hearted girl in Gloucester. All her
folks went to the Banks-her husband,
her father, and her two brothers. Her
mother was dead long before. The
one scene of that time that I can re-
call with most plainness, and that /
could not forget no matter how longI
lived, is the scene on the wharf one
afternoon. My father had been one of
the lucky ones. Hehad come home two
days before. Father and mother both
cried great deal, and l wondered at
it. and why he said, It's those that
are the least worthy that come home
On this particular day the sun was
very bright, and there was q brisk
wind blowing. We all went over in q
boat and hurried on to the wharf,
where there was a crowd of people,
for there were three fishing schooners
in sight and sailing in fast. Cousin
Mary Bruce was there, and she came
to us. I've heard mother tell a hum
dred times what she said. She was
cheerful apd hopeful. I was born un-
der lucky STAR she told mother.
I'm just positive that my folks are
all right. Something tells me l shall
see them to-day. It seems wicked for
me to be so happy, but I know they
are coming
Mother said she shuddered to hear
her. From the first schooner that
reached the wharf Skipper Royse
came toward our group. He was look.
ing at Cousin Mary, and his rough
face worked and his lips trembled.
He acted as if he must tell her some.
thing, but as if he could not.
AS he walked along q great silence
fell on all the people about us. There
was only the sound of the tapping Of
an outgoing tide on the posts of the
wharf. Hooked at Cousin Mary. Her
face was utterly white, and her eyes
seemed to dive into the eyes of Skip
per Royse. The mans eyelids drop.
ped. He stopped close to her, and his
dry lips began to move without sound.
Finally he threw up his hands and
cried out harshly: Good God! Ican't
do it,! saw my father step behind
Mary and put his arms about her, but
she did not know it,. She was looking
at Mr.. Royse, who finally said in a
whisper: Mary Bruce, they are all
drowned-your husband, your broth
ers and your father, and we couldn't
help it.
skipper Royse suddenly sat down
on the wharf and covered his face with
his hands. Mary stood stiffly in my
fathers arms, looking at Royse. All
at once she darted forward and shook
his shoulder. Matt isn't dead!' she
said very softly. 'Hetold me the last
thing that he loved me so that God
would surely let him come back. You
are lying to me. Matt will come
She faced around on us all. Won't
somebody tell me the TRUTH she
shouted, and then she laughed. The
next moment she would have fallen,
but my father held her. She. was not |
Ill. She went about her work the next !
day, and has never stopped work since,
1t seems to me. She put on those