The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1891-01-02

vet felt touched, conquered. would
have given my life for hers. Strange
that the presence OF n woman can so up
set MS! Is it the power of beauty which
envelopes us? the allurements of youth
that like wine makes us drunk? Or is it
touch of Love, the mysterious, who
tries without cessation to unite two
people? that tries his power rs soon as
he has brought man and woman together
and pcnctrates them with an emotion,
subtle and profound, ~ one moistens the
earth to make flowers grow?
The silence of the darkness became
rrightful, AMI the silence of the heavens,
for we heard around rs the monotonous
wash of the seq against the side of the
ship. After awhile heard ~ sob, The
smallest of the girls was crying and her
father tried to console. They spoke in
English. turned to my neighbor.
Are you colJT' "Yes, very" want
cd her to take my cloak. She refused,
but had taken it off, and wrapped it
around her against her wish. In the
slight struggle her hand touched mine
and sent delightful thrill through me.
The wind had become sharper and the
waves now broke with greater force
against the sides Of the ship. l raised
myself up and felt rush of air against
my face. The wind was rising!
The Englishman noticed it ut the same
time and remarked, That is bad"
1t certainly wss bad; il meant certain
| death il the waves, no matter how small,
struck a.i shook the wreck, already 50
broken and disjointed that the first large
one would demclish it.
Then oar agony increased from second
to second with The rise of the wind.
Now the waves broke and saw in the
| darkness tho white line of foam appear
aud disappear, while every wave shook
tho franc of the Marie Joseph with
shudder that reached us.
felt the English girl tremble against
me. was conscious of wild impulse
| to take her in my arms
Before MS, to right, to left, behind us
| the lighthouses wcrp shining on the
coasts-wiite, red, yellow; revolving,
hike eyes of giants looking ut us, watch
ing eagerly for our destruction. One of
them in particular irritated me. That
one was perfect eye, opening and shut
ting its fiery pupil.
From time to time the Englishmsn
struck a match to look ut the hour; then
he would replace his watch in his pocket.
Suddenly he sid aloud and with per-
feet seriousness. "Sir, wish you a
happy New Ycar!" .
1t was midnight offered my hand,
| which he sho-k: tlrn he said something
in English to the girls, who began to sing
"God Save the Queen" At first felt
like laughing; then | was seized by
strong, quaint emotion. There was some
thing superb and sinister about this song
of these wrecked people; something of
| prayer and also greater and comparable to
the "Ave Caesar, morituri te salutamus."
When the song was ended asked my
| neighbor to sing alone, n ballad, anything
she pleased, to help us forget our situa-
ton. She consented. Her fresh, pure
! voice rose upon the night II was doubt
less something sad rs the notes fingered
and rose slowly, like wounded birds.
above the waves.
The sea had risen and now struck
against the wreck. thought of nothing
but the voice and Of the sirens. My tor
tured spirit was lost in Dreams Was she
not "a siren, this girl who had kept me on
| this rotten boat, and who in minute
would be ingulfed with me?
We all now rolled violently upon the
| deck. The Marie Joseph has turned upon
the other side. The English girl fell on
me, and seizing her - my arms, madly
and without knowing it, without under
| standing, believing this was our last Sec
ond of life, kissed her lips, her temples,
her hair. The vessel no longer moved
nor did we.
Her father called Kate, and she an
swered yes, and tried to free herself from
my arms. wanted the boat to open; ]
wanted to die with her.
rose slowly ana perceived a light near
us. called out and was answered. 1t
was boat hunting for us, the proprietor
of the hotel having guessed our predica-
ment.
We were saved. was in despair. We
left the wreck and returned to st. Mar
tin. The Englishman rubbed his hands
and exclaimed, what II supper we will
eat" And we did. was not gay.
regretted the Marie Joseph.
| The next morning we separated, with
many regrets and promises to write.
They returned to Biarritz and ! came
very near following them.
| was hard hit and was near asking
Kate in marriage. If we had remained
longer together certainly would have
done so. How weak and incomprehensi-
BIKE man is at times.
Two years passed without my hearing
anything of them; then received let
ter from New York. She was married,
and wrote to tell me. And since then
we write to each other once IL year, on
the lst of January. She speaks to me OF
her life, her children, her sisters, never
Of her husband. And l speak to her OF
the Marie Joseph. She is perhaps the
only woman ! ever loved-no-that
might have loved. Voila-does one ever