The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1891-08-14

| V y
''TAKE IT AWAY, DESTROY ITr' HoARsELY
CRIED TRAvE ARMoR.
/ had died, and was in that wild, awful
after-life which was only fit for the
like of me.
II kent tell We, Lucy, what 1 suf-
fered after that; l amt got no words to
make We see it with, an it would only
hurt We to hear it, but / know that
morning come at last after that awful
/ night, an / was all afire, an fearful
sights and shapes was all about me, an
1 don't know why didn't distroy N.Y.
1 self to end my misery. Then that day
went by, an it was like years an years
| of torture, an the night come again,
an 1 think another day, an then it
seemed like my reason come back. But
the boat had no oars. an was SO weak
from havin' no food an from strug-
| glin' an fghtin' with the fearful things
that seemed pursuin me, jest laid
| like dead man in the bottom of the
boat as it went plungin' / don't know
| where.
''But the thirst was killed in me,
Lucy; it was burned out! The sufferin'
| I'd gone through had set me free! But
when night come again seemed a-freez-
/ in an then miserable sickness set in,
an my head seemed goin' round an
round, an everything l ever seen or
done in the world KEEP comm an goin'
afore me, seeming big an clear, but
kind of strange as if it was dream.
Then I knowed the daylight come
again, but l couldn't get up, an the
sights KEEP comm an goin', an some
times seemed drownin, when all of
suddent see our poor boys face over
me.
81 hardly knowed it, Lucy, it was so
changed. 1t looked almost like little
Breeze's face when she laid in her cof-
fin, an thought it was part of my
dreams. Then it said: Father, I've
come! I've come to save ye! Don't ye
know me?' an l reused myself an see
it was him. Then he tried to get into
the boat with me, but he was SO weak
it seemed like he couldn't stand, and
the boats plunged as if they would
swamp, but he held 'em together, an
d-when they lunged forred he fell into the
boat with me. In q minute he got onto
his knees an cried out wild like: 'Oh!
father, I can't save ye! can't save ye!
the oars are in the other boatg an
away it drifted an we was helpless.
"After awhile he said, sort of slow
like: Father, I've done my best.
couldn't use the oars if l had 'em, my
hands are SO bad. Mebby we ken steer
onto some island an get saved Then
I see his poor hands was swelled to the
shoulders from rowin', an worn raw
an bleedin', an kissed 'em an cried
over 'em, an we talked an forgive one
another.
''Then he tried to steer the boat, but
he couldn't set up, an for a long time
we laid at the bottom of the boat Like
dead men. But about night he strug-
gled up an said: Father, there's is
land ahead, an 1 guess I'll steer onto it,
caise the sea has been gettin' worse for
three days, an we can't keep afloat
much longer So he managed to steer
for the island, an when we got nigh,
he said again: 4 am 'feard, father,
the currents goin' to carry us by And
he set the helm to port an tied it. Then
he got me forred into the PROV, an
when we was about to strike he held
me up with his knees an teeth, an
what he could with his poor hands, an
when we struck he lifted an throwed
me ahead, an fell onto the shore. But
it was solid rock where we hit, an the
boat sprung back an glanced off, an he
fell in the PROV an laid still. He'd
tainted, Lucy, his last drop of strength
was gone. / got upon my knees an
hollered with all my might to rouse
him, but he had no strength, Lucy;
he'd give it all to me!' and tears ran
down the big mans checks, while the
mother sobbed with her face pressed
against the pillow.
"Then the boat lurched," the man
vent on, huslzily, '.an' it followed the
current past the island, and / see him
struggle up an heard him calm: oh,
,ather! done my best! l tried to
oring we back! Mebby some ship'll
save ye, an if ye ever reach home an
never come, tell mother / died inner
,ent-I died innercentr Then 1 couldn't
hear him no more, an / watched the
boat go further an further, an l sec
another island way off to the west, but
Jest afore he reached it the boat struck
something-a bar, l guess-an' sunk,
an l fell forred an didn't know no
more, only a sort of dreamin' move
ment of sights and faces, till Eric laid
me down there on the sand an your
calm reused me to life again."
His voice failed, and they sat long
time weeping together in silence; and
oil that might ever have been said of
praise or blame, of sorrow and love, of
regret and new resolve, was spoken in
that sound of falling tears.
The next day was Sabbath and all
was quiet in Redwood town. The
saws rested from their snarling hum,
the millmen. clad in fresh clothing, sat
on the doorsills of the cottages smok-
ing their pipes and looking idly out at
the blue fields of the sea, or down
among the fragrant stacks of lumber
sat whiting ana talking. Some, when
the little cracked bell in the steeple of
the church upon the shady hillside
called them, had gone with the chill
dreu to hear what love couId do in