Wichita eagle., 1890-03-11

Robert and came up for breath Ike Hsoes,
| loi great and small fields before and round
us set upon tn sea like tho stones i tn spien-
did ring upon Lady Pickering's finger. But
alasl Hampton was now littel rimme OF a
| wurld Of water.
| Our home on the shoals was g close cham
! Der Of a miserable hut, our bed with its hang
| ing occupying half tn space. Onlie one pane
| i the easement, and that upon prospect, O.,
| doleeulle, of the deep seas. We all thinned
! for TIL swete, fresh ayre of Hampton, and tn
| cleanliness and th' quiet and TIL pleasant
smells. sights and sounds. Our mother satte
| ale day at her wheel and ct her feet hetch-
cling fax and tow. And tn puny babe be-
| tween us. minded too little sometimes Then
| would come in Robert with a great fish per-
chance or kettle of clans, and would take
| I'D tn precious mite into his leathern ierkin,
| not DER clean to touch, and kiss and hug her
| till tn tiny maids frocks were ale rumpled.
! Twas plain TO see this wild life suited Rob
ert. He liked tn sea. But tho the life
pleased him it harmed him, foul words begin
| ning TO stick in IS memory and fail from s
| tongue.
| Tie end came One night we we're stirred
! from sleep by q horrible face at our case
ment Twas of foul man, drunk ever and
| sprawled upon til rocks continUsllie in
drunkenness-'twas said he was to have been
| hanged on the land, and did never dare step
off the Shoals.
| 'Wate. wonlani'' beloved the harsh voice.
| ''Look, all of ye."
And as we huddled ct til easement he
pointed DER the heaving waters, rejecting n
| full moon to a fioc1 of canoes ike swimming
| birds. We could see darl. forms i them,
steering with arrowy paddles.
80, what shall dog shrieked cur mother.
go, what shall 1 dog"
'Do?n yelled the man; 'hide thee, Hars
| We! Hark We. There's no tine for boats,
but there's q cliff i the rocks back o. tn fish
house Thou'lt know it by the big balanced
roci, where the babes play with kiclshaws;
It's below that" And the face was with
drawn
''And thou?' I screamed after him.
sGod mercy, wench." cried he, as he ran
to other houses; ''there be forty lurking
| places on Star"
| How ghost ike were tn rocks; and the
booming sea was frightfullie neare this crew
ice to which we crep5 upon cure knees, letting
each the other down poinfullie therein. Our
mother drew herself in as far as a could,
| lying fat and face down upon III Shiny floor.
! next pressed close, and Robert valiant!y
near the mouthe OF the poor rift; twas soc
! small we were scarcely out of the moonlight.
| So we crouched and Guivered together till
awful sounds began to rise, somewhat dulled
| by the dasIling waves aue1tus. Then Robert
! did creep in more, and our mother pushed us
! both to tn farthest place. and she, with tn
! babe, did lie upon US, guarding US
| But now TIL poor babe, unable to move as
! legs, and half smOthered in our mothers
| kirtle, began to roar Justify. o, tn horror O
tn time Again and again our mother tried
TO feed it, but a. would not eat, and its cries
were shriller AID more slrill. We both
turned in an agonie TO look toward the uncon-
! scious little thing that was calling death our
way but our mother writhed herself out o.
TIL cave, went headlong forth into tn pit ats
mouth: then back anew upon us, trying with
more than mortal endeavor to still til child !;
then forth again. Then q sharp wall like q
| cats cry when a is grasped by tn legs for
! killing thud q shower of warm drops and
finty bits i our faces, and our mother drew
herself in alone.
l cannot tell what braid that night was!
BY times tn redskins went scampering and
yelling DER tn rocks, smells of smoke drift
ing down cen to US. Robert would put up a
cold hand, touching us for companionship.
/ But our mother replied naught in kind, as
| she lay upon us her whole length, making no
/ sound whether sigh or q groan; but draw
/ ing long breath ever and anon, like one that
! is coming back to life.
Twas light enow to see each the others
! face when she did draw herself out o. the
cave. All noise had long ceased. We chill
| dren following. stiff, sore and appalled,, came
upon her wordless, with q bloody covered
bundle i her lap.
Then up started she and darted out O. the
rift like a fame to the smoking town.
| Alac1. Our kind herslde had found no Turk
! ing place. Robert stumbled DER him in tn
ashes. Shooters were landing from other isl
ands, and to them our sad mother went
straightwaie with as story, sparing a'self not
/ at all. | have seen death, but Deer have |
/ seen anie sight so woefull as as drawn, tor
tured mouth and tn tale coming from lips
! that refused to close over her teeth.
There was silence; but twas dreadful to
see how all fell awaie from our httel mother
as though a were plague bearing.
When the tiny body was wrapped i my
kirtle waiting with tn other dead for tho
/ trench to be deep enow, she did look fearful
| lie upon il with Z lorg, shuddering, How
could = and then clasping us wildly, How
/ could | not?n
! 4 great armed dame from Smutty Nose
! opened wide her arms 10 our mothers little
/ figure, drawing her into them from our cling
! ing hands and kisses.
Thou poore soule,n saith she. "Twas
! human nature saith she ':By Gods body!'
! swore she, slapping a thigh roundly with as
/ mighty hand. There be not a mother on
/ Z islands who would not have done t same
! were she valiant enow; and yet-thou poor
! mousse and the big, mannish dame cried
/ over my mothers hidden pretty head. And
| when all'S DER, It's she who leads my mother
/ TO q boat.
Twas pitiful, or mothers meekenesse
amid universal blame; for when they did re-
build on Star nobody babe us return--day by
/ day tie DANES padding over from Smutty
/ Nose to watch tn progress of their new nuts,
and never a word to us-to our red faced
! DANES high and loud displeasure.
| SOC, as twas plain my mother was thought
s piece of i'll luck and dreaded upon TIL Shoals,
we came again into tn white curve of Hamp-
/ ton Bay, this time gearlesS as well as house
less, but by favor Of III Toppans getting into
| our small home again IN til calm inland. Nc
/ thinks | never knew how swete a picture is
! the country till | saw it then, after soc much
/ paine. Til sun shown with yellow light on
/ tn mown grass and men were threshing the
nut trees and children and women were put
/ ting the nuts into baskets And Mistress
! Toppan sent in honey i the comb and bread
/ hot O tn oven to our supper. She sent it
/ Good wife nor maiden came much 10 us then
nor thereafter.
Sis saith Robert one DAY. stretched ont