The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1886-08-11
" THE RIBS OF DEATH" "
Elsie's Narrow Escape from Them
and a Mad Lover.

Three months before I was born my
fathers boat went down in a squall within
sight Of home and Of my mother, who, with
tho rest of the fishermen's wives, awaited
the landing of the little feet
Perhaps this was the reason why had
such an instructive horror and dread of
the sea, even while it fascinated and drew
me to it in its stormiest moods. II was q
queer feeling that possessed me. When
away from the sight aud the sound OF
the breakers l was restless and unquiet
near them was awed and melancholy,
but some craving of my nature was salts
fed, and l was comparatively calm. /
believe many of our people, who are in.
tensely superstitious, looked upon me as
doomed in consequence Of this ''The sea
always swallows what it gets a hold of,
they said among themselves with sorrow
full fatalism. We can hardly help being
superstitious and gloomy-we who are born
and rearad in Callernouth. Nature is SO
stern in her moods and SO cruel in her way
Miss Ashford, our wears daughter, is
very cross with me for saying things like
this, but / can not help thinking that even
she feels them to be true sometimes during
the long and stormy winters on this north;
east coas. Of ours. She is very kind and
good, and as she Is always busy working
among us perhaps that helps her through.
1t was she who taught me how TO write and
put sentences together SO as To make this
story intelligible, and it was she who
wished NE to write it, Why, do not
know. When told it to her first hardly
expected her to believe it, bat she did, and
helped me through the bad time which
had after--but that must bide until come
toit .
around q little harbor, with pier and life
boat house below. About a mile to the
north is the ugly sharp ridge Of rocks which
bears the significant name OF the cribs o.
Death" Many fine vessel has struck and
many a poor, clinging life has been washed
of those fatal ribs. They do say that in
the old times many ship was lured there
TO its destruction, TOD; but can scarce be-
heve the grandfathefs of our brave fellows,
who lived by and on the waters Just as now,
the danger and deaths OF fellOw-mariners.
Only must say that even yet, while any
one OF our men would risk his life without
thinking twice about it to save another, he
10 oIiidn,t =, nave .y sny very definite ideas on
: 4 was not comely lass in the estimation
OF the village critics. In fact, when saw
my little white face, with its big dark eyes,
In the dim old lookinggla which hung
and compared it with that of Bell Carr, our
highest and best-looking girl. used to feel
very small and insignifcant. She was Q
true fisher lass, tall and strongly made,
with swinging walk and saucy smile, and
. ready word for every one, gentle or sim
pie. The artists who came here sometimes
to paint US in our characteristic blue dam
nels always selected her and passed me
over. was not "type, and she was they
said: Well, ! was glad Of 1t, for Willie
wouldn't have liked me to act as model.
Spite Of my want Of beauty had two lads
cDme counting me, and Willie Lisle was the
one favored. Edam (Adam) Carr was too
much Of my own temper for me, too gloomy I:
was afraid of him, had the same sort of
Enistrust of him that had of the see, and
perhaps little Of the same idea of his pos
sible power over me. But Willie, with his
bonnie yellow curls, and his blue eyes, and
his sunny smile, what girl could have re-
6ked hint He brought his brightness into
my life, and IL seemed to 60 out like the
.san bsneath . cloud the day he sailed in
ne Rcwsna. bound for China and the East
ladies, from the Tyne. t53lF M NJ.
All onr most energetic and enterprising
Hpgng msn become sailors. II they do not
Heal satisfied to be aldermen - their
HAthera before them. IL never seems to
ssntsr into any Of their beads that there ere