The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1886-07-29

old self, and yet sweeter to my eyes than
ever before. The children she had charge
OF were troublesome little creatures. and
worried and badgered her till longed tc
cuff them well. But there was a gentle
ness and patience about her quite new to
my idea of Miss Winny, and only loved
her the more for it. After the second
day out, the wind freshened and saw nc
more of her.
We had an awful passage 1t was late
in November, an early winter, and the
cold was intense. 1t blew one continu.
GUS gale, and some of our machinery was
broken, the screw damaged, and we could
not keep our course. As we drew near
this side of the Atlantic, we got more
and more out of our bearings, and at
last the fogs told us we were somewhere
off the banks of Newfoundland. but
where no one was quite sure. 1t seemed
to me that it had all happened before, or
| had read it or dreamed it. At all
events it was hardly surprise to me
when, on the tenth night, Just after mid
night, the awful crash and shock took
place-a sensation which no one who has
not felt it can imagine in he .least-and
we knew the Antarctic had struck
It's fearful thing, if you come to
think of it-a great steamer filled with
living souls in the full flow of life and
health, and in one moment the call COM
ing to each of them to die. Before you
could have struck match the whole
ship was in a panic-cries, terror, confu-
sion, agony-O, it was awful | trust
never to see such scene again. made
my way through it all as if had neither
eyes nor ears, and got to the stateroom l
had long ago found out was the one
which belonged to my girl. knocked
at the door with heavy hand; even at
that awful moment thrill ran through
me at the thought of standing face to
face with her again.
Winnyw l cried, "come out! Make
haste !. there is not moment to lose''
The door opened as l spoke, and she
stood just within, ready dressed, even to
her little black hat. The cabin light had
been left burning, by the doctors orders,
and it fell full on me as / stood there in
my sailors jersey and cap. l wondered
if she would know me. forgot the dan
ger we were in-forgot that death was
waiting close at hand-forgot that the
world held any one but just me and her.
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 for the
deck. A great fur-lined cloak had been
dropped by the door of the ladies' cabin.
There was no light now, but | stumbled
over 1t as / ran. | snatched it up and
carried it with me-
Up above, all was in widest chaos
the boats overfiled and pushing off, the
ship settling rapidly, people shouting,
crying, swearing. One hears tales of
calmness and courage often enough at
such times, which makes ones heart glow
as one reads them; but there was not
much hcroism shown in this wreck of the
Antarctic. The captain behaved splen-
didly, and so did some of the passengers,
but the majority of them and the crew
were mad with terror, and lost their heads
altogether.
l saw there was not chance for the
over crowded boats in that sea, and |
sprang for the rigging. | was not sec
ond too soon !; 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 a firm hold there.
Winny was just coming to herself. | had
wrapped her round like baby in the fur
cloak, and with my teeth l opened my
knife to cut rope which hung loose
within reach. With this lashed her to
me, and fastened us both to the topmast.
The ship sank gradually; she did not
keel 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 afterwards
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 a coward like some Of
the others.
How long was the longest night you
ever knew? Multiply that by a thous-
and, and you will have some idea of that
nights length. The cold was awful; the
spray froZe on the sheets as it fell; the
yards were slippery with ice. STAN ped'
on Winny's feet to keep them from freez-
ing. Did you notice that limp little
l shall walk lame as long as live. Some
times there was splash in the dark wa
ter below, az some poor fellows stiffened
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, all that seemed little in COM
parison to the thought that, after all the
struggles and the sorrows, after all those
ten weary years, | held my girl in my
arms at last
She had pulled one corner of the cloak
around my neck Il stood level Just be-
low her) and her hand lay there with it
it was the hand that warmed me more
than the cloak-and her cheek rested
against my own. Often / thought its
coldness was the coldness of death, and
almost exulted in the thought that we
should die together And then l would
catch the murmur of the prayers she was
utterng for us both, and knew that life
was there still and hope lived, too.