Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-03-03

was the one which belonged TO my girl.
[ knocked at the door with heavy hand !;
through me at the thought of standing
face to face with her again.
Winny!" | cried, "come out! make
haste there is not moment lose!'
The door opened as | spoke, AMI she
stood just within, ready dressed. eve, t,
her little black hat The cabin Eg 1t IA !
been left burning by the doctors orders,
and it fell full on me As ! stood there Ia
my sailors Jersey and cap. wondered
if she would know me. ! forgot the dam
ger we were in-forgot that death was
waiting close at hand-torgot that the
world held anyone 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 then; and
threw her over my arm and ran tor the
deck. A great fur lined cloak had been
dropped by the door OF the ladies cabin.
There was no light, but I stumbled over
it as ran. | snatched it up and carried
it with me.
Up above, all was in the widest chaos !;
the boats over filled. and pushing off; the
ship settling rapidly; people 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 splendid
ly, and so did some of the passengers, but
the majority of them and the crew were
mad with terror and lost their heads al
together.
saw there was not a chance for the
overcrowded boats in that sea and
sprang for the rigging. was not second
too soon; a score of others followed my
example and with my precious burden
should not have had chance two min
utes later AS it was, scrambled to the
topmast and got firm hold there. Win
ney was Just coming to herself. I had
wrapped her round like baby in the fur
cloak. and with my teeth | opened my
knife to cut a rope which hung loose with
in reach. With this | lashed her to me
and fastened us both to the topmast The
ship sank gradually; she did not kneel
over, or should not be telling you the
story now; she settled down, Just 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 afterward-
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. felt glad to think he had been
saved-he was not coward like some of
the others.
How long was the longest night you
ever knewP Multiply that by thousand
and you will have some idea of that nj ght 8
length. The cold was awful. The spray
froze on the sheets as it fell. the yards
were slippery with ice. stamped on
Winny's feet to keep them from freezing.
Did you notice that limp little sha
walk lame as long as live. Sometimes
there was splash in the black water be-
low, as some poor fellows stifened 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 be 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 yet. will you believe me,
that all seemed little in comparison to the
thought that after all the struggles and
the sorrows, after all those ten long weary
years, held my girl in my arms at last
She had pulled one corner of the cloak
around my neck q stood on level lust
below herr and her hand lay there with
tit was the hand that warmed me more
than the clOak-and her cheek rested
against my own. Often thought its cold.
ness was the GOODNESS OF death.
and almost exulted in the thought
that we should die together. And
then | would catch the murmur of the
prayers she was uttering for US BOTH and
knew that life was there still, and hope
lived too.
Well, well Why should | dwell on
such sorrows. except to thank the mercy
that brought us through them all ? Day
dawned at last; and there was the shore
near by, and soon rockets were fired and
ropes 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 together. just as we were.
and even then they had hard work to un-
do the clasp of my stiffened arms about
her. knew nothing then, nor 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 rea-
son.
And how did ask her to marry me ?
Upon my word. now you ask. can't re-
member that ever did. That seemed
utterly unnecessary. somehow. Caste
distinctions looked 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 that night. Somehow was
glad it was so; glad my girl had taken
me in my cap and jersey, for a common
sailor, and yet loved the old Dick through
u il all Glad aha never draamad I u.a axsn