Richland beacon., 1888-03-24

taking off little trinkets for them to play
with. And how those children played
on the verge of eternity. They we're
not terrified, the majority of them; and
if they were, Little Wasp with her
gentle voice, which had no sting now
for any one, coaxed them into happiness,
and hid away in her own great tender
heart all she must have been feeling
then.
"Haye you no fear" | said to her, as
liieboat Was launched and was seen
to go to pieces instantly in that terrible
sea.
She was standing with her husbands y
arm about her as ! spoke.
Jack is here" was all her reply.
The battered crew of the lifeboat. res
cucd all but one, persisted that they
would make 10 further attempt. They
resisted the captains command to launch
the iron pinnace, which would hold fifty
souls. No, they would go down with the
old craft, they said doggedly.
And now, to make matters worse, half
the crew, who were Malays, refused to
do anything, and went to their berths,
and it became necessary for the passen-
gers to take their places. Jack and
were strong, and we went to the pumps.
The storm continued with redoubled
fury. The water was rising rapidly in
the cabin, and there the stewarlcss
helped the parents to place their children
higher than the water, thus putting of
by so little the inevitable.
1t was now resolved that the pinnace
should be lowered by means of the
dayits. But only three of the passen-
gers were willing to enter it when
launched They had been terrified by
the fate of the lifeboat. l was one of the
passengers, and l almost feel guilty in
writing it, seeing they were not the other
two.
Few will believe how great sacrifice
| made for the old mother at home de.
pending on me. To have died with her
as he did would have seemed bliss to
me. But my life belonged to my old
mother ut home.
''There is little chance for you in the
boat, said the captain to the first mate;
''here there is none. You have done
your duty, God speed you. Do what
you can for the little craft" and the two
shook hands as Tor eternity.
The pumps had been abandoned, and
Jack with his arm around his wife stood
near and heard. "You will go, Tom,"
said Jack, you have your mother.
We he said, glancing with a kind of
rapture at the wistful little face leaning
against his pea -jacket-"we will not be
separated.
| still hoped, as l said "Good-by,"
that they would join us; but the crew,
finding the passengers held back, had
come on to the boat and taken their
places, at which the captain Smiled
grimly. He smiled even more. as one
of the passengers went over the side of
the vessel with black bag carefully
held, to think he should care for his
possessions at q moment like this. There
was no time to lose. for the good ship
was settling fast. We had some biscuits
and a compass, but no water.
"There is room for one more. Fetch
n lady said the mate as we were about
to cut ourselves free of the ship.
l Immediately regained the ship to
is room for one lady, l said hurricdly.
"Go both of you and care for my mother
for me-
They shook their heads, both of them,
and Jack said, 81 could never face your
mother with such tale: but, he added
with a sudden heroism, sit is the mo.
ment to tell the truth. Tom loves you,
Ellen, have seen it all along. Take
her." he said to me, "marry her and
make her happy. 1t is SO dreadfl for
such sweet young life to be broken
off"
l felt myself choking, but l needed
not to speak word. She laid her soft
check against his, and clung to him so
desperately, with face so full of radi.
ant love, it was answer enough.
Jack looked at me with happiness 1
can never describe. "You see coquette
can be true" he said, and these were his
last words to me.
The moments were so precious, i had
only time to fling myself over the side
and into the boat. for the ship was set
tling down so fast that the boat if not
cut away Immediately would be sucked
down.
Ellen Percival l see now as l last saw
her, standing on the deck of that DOOM
ell vessel. cheerful and like herself even
in such an hour, sometime peering for
ward through the gloom to anxiously
watch our venture through the dashing
foam and spray, sometime gazing at her
husband in a sweet, cOntented way; and
that L might see her more plainly, the
sun shone ont for brief moment amid
angry banks of black cloud, and lit her
face with a sort of chastened glory. 1t
may sound strange, but 1 never saw
more perfect happiness than was in the