The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-12-25
THE MATE OF
THE PETREL.
A CHRISTMAS STORY.
lBy Flora Haines Loughead. ]

by Flora Haines Loughead.1
A flash of light on the darking waters,
column of flame leaping into the air, cries
for help that were never heard, mad effort
to subdue the ire, choice between death
in a fiery furnace or in the angry waters.
That was the story of the burning of the
Petrol, little coast steamer that had sailed
gayly out of San Francisco but few hours
before. Long ere the litebOats could cross
tile leagues of tossing sea that lay between;
before & pilot boat lying in wait near the
Heads could reach the scene of the disaster,
their beacon light had failed, and only
few chaTred timbers drifting in mid-ocean
were left to tell Of as dire tragedy as ever
occurred off the California coast.
In little cottage Overhung with vines, in
the neighborhood of the old Mission, the
wife of the Petrel's first officer arose the
next morning with sense of great weari-
ness, for she had scarcely closed her eyes
during the night
Il am not lit to be sailors wife" she
said, Gliding herself for her uneasy sense of
wrong 1T is less than a weeks trip to the
sound. David promised Inc lie would be
back before Christmas. / must give the
children their breakfast and forget this alb
surd worry
But even while she upbraided herself,
staring headline in the morning paper
caught her eye, and hope and happiness
were slain.
As Helen Heating came slowly back to
life and health, after long weeks OF sick
ness, she found serious problems 10 meet
Three little children, the youngest not yet
years old, were to be housed and cloth ed
and fed. The bills that had accumulated
during her sickness, rent, household eX-
penses and nurses hire and the pay and
waste Of domestic help, exhausted her small
a SAVINGS and lpfr har with oil
that the sale of her furniture would barely
suffice to discharge.
In this extremity she turned to her physi-
clan, the friend of q lifetime, and, as it
happily CHANGED, member Of the School
Board.
DIR Arnold, I must try to secure my old
place in the schools. Fortunately, l have
the State diploma l had before l was mar
ried."
81 will do what l can" said the doctor.
The only vacancy that could be secured
was in the primary department at a salary
OF $40 month. The young mother made
caIeful calculation. So much for rent; so
much for the hire of nelp 10 perform the
b0usewoTk and care for the children during
the hours when she was away. So much
for fuel; so much for meat and milk, and
other essentials of the meliest fare. But
long before she had reached This point her
prospective salary was exhausted.
81 viii tell you what | should do were
III hul pldACs edlu O tGlU VI DcllST udNs.
Il should board the children in our orphan
age-y0u know we receive half orphans as
well. You would have TO swallow your
pride, Of course"
Pride" said the young mother. pride
is too expensive a luxury for me now. am
only worried about the baby. She seems
TO lie aiiug, and needs the most intelligent
care"
Then send her to the orphanage. by all
means" urged the lady Director. I'VE
have the healthiest location in the CITY and
trained nurses for the Sick. You have only
to examine cur reports to see that ourdeath-
rae is far below the average in private FAM
HES"
So the babies found home in the orphan
sge, where the mother preserved her self
respect by paying full rates for their board.
while she began tile moHOtonous drudgery
OF school-work in primary department.
She was only permitted TO see her children
once week, for single hour, on visitors
day."
At first these visits were a comfort IN ber
for she found the baby growing rosy and
strong, aud her anxiety lest The children
might be corrupted by association with So
many waits Of all classes many of them
rescued from the slums of the city, vanished
as she observed the care bestowed unon
their manners and morals. But she always
departed from these visits with starved
sensation, and cried herself TO sleen at nicbt
with love and longing for the little clingipg
arms from which she had been obliged to
tear herself away.
Time brought with II an exnerienca
mere terrible than this. One day when
she had hurried away from school
and walked hurriedly out to the or
phanage-she could not afford car-fare
in those days. but jealousy garnered
every one Of the precious moments allotted
her-the two older children met her with
their usual feryor, but the baby was now here
to be seen.
"Where is little sister?" she asked them
in alarm. her face paing and her breath
coming In quick gasps as she awaited their
reply. Could the lady managers have been
so cruel as to conceal the child'S sickness
from her? They were all out in the yard,
under the shadow of large acacia. near tile
sunny playground.
ION, she's over there" explained Ralph,
the boy pointing to group OF little folk
engaged IN some childish play. " She ran off
when she saw you coming. She's getting
shy, you know. She acted Just the same
when some ladies' were here the other day"
a pain that was like physical anguish
pierced Helen Keating's heart Her baby
the loving child who had from her earliest
infancy been So passiOnately attached to
the little mother. 1t had been the Jest of
the household that the baby could neither
laugh nor play when parted from her for
single hour. The coy kiss that the child
bestowed uDon her at parting did not relieve
the young mothers agony
Instead of going back to her boarding
house for her dinner. she went straight TO
her physicians house, and found him in the
act of closing the door, to betake himself
to the club for his bachelor dinner
Why, Helen, what is the matter? You
are overworking-yOur nerves are all I'M
strung" he exclaimed, taking her small,
trembling hand, as he led her back into his
study.
She hnrst into tears ar tho avmno+ba.io
touch Of his hand, the sound Of his kind
voice.
My children are growing away from me,
forgetting me-"
He did not smile at her plant or make
light Of it, as some men might have done, for
he realized to the full the tragedy this
meant to the tender-hearted woman.
DO not borrow trouble" he said sooth-
lngly. ut will not be long before you will
be able TO make home for them again"
That is the worst of it. doctor. II takes
every penny of my salary to cover our liv-
70