Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1891-01-01

on the yellow and extended plain too
gigantic proportions. She lay upon on
side, split, broken, showing like the rib
Of an animal her broken bones, her bone
Of tarred wood pierced with immens
nails. The sand had invaded her an
held and possessed her, and would neve
let her go. She appeared to have talSel
root IN the sand. The bow was deepl,
imbedded in the soft and treacherou
bottom, while the stern seemed to throw
against the sky, like despairing cry 70
help, the words Marie Joseph written il
white on dark ground.
Iolimbed on this corpse Of a ship OF
the lowest side, and, once on deck, wen
inside. The sun, entering through tn,
open portfolios and cracks in her side
hghtened sadly those long, dark cavern
filled with broken woodwork.
commenced taking notes upon th,
condition of the vessel. sat upon az
empty, broken barrel and wrote by thu
light entering slit, through which
saw the limitless extension of beach. A
shuddor, born of the cold and solitude
ran through me from time to time, and
l stopped writing occasionally to lister
to the vague noises Of the wreck, the
noise Of the crabs scratching the cordagt
with their crooked claws; Of the numer
Gus tiny animals of the sea already de-
vouring this dead body; TO the soft and
regular sound ofthe ship worm gnawing
the woodwork.
Suddenly I heard voices near me. !
started up. / thought for an instant
was In tho presence Of some drowned
wretch who wanted to tell me Of his
death. Iquiekly climbed on deck and
saw q tan gentleman with three ladies.
They wero even moro startled than at
seeing me emerge upon the deck of the
abandoned vessel. Tho youngest of the
three rushed off; tho others caught their
fathers arm; as to him, he opened his
mouth. ths emily sign Of emotion he
showed. After second he spoke.
"YoN must be the owner Of this ship?'
"Yes." "Caa visit herr eyes" He
murmured q few words Of thanks, and
seeing he was looking for a place to
climb / showed him the easiest, and as
sisted him up. He joined me and then
we helped the young girls.
They wero charming, particularly.the
eldest, blonde Of eighteen, as fresh as
a rose; 50 delicate, 30 dainty. Really
English we1nen are like sea fruits. That
one looked az IL she might have sprung
from tAs saAd, and her hair had retained
its color. They remind one, with their
exquisite freshness, of delicate pink
shells Of mother of pearl, beautiful and
mysterious, born in the depths Of the
ocean.
She spoke French more fuentIy than
her father aAd acted as interpreter. /
had 10 give the history of the wreck;
many 81 shs details I invented as if /
had swSisted at the catastrophe. Then
the whole fasnily went below. When
they rcaehed the gloomy gallery they
took eat thuir sketch books and began to
draw Ehs sseae.
The sfteet daughter while working
spoke 10 ne, and I learned that they had
come frua Narritz expressly to see the
wreck. They had none Of the English
haughtiness. They were simple enthu-
siasts; sonae Of those eternal wanderers
with which England covers the globe.
The father, tall and wiry, his red face
framed in white whiskers, a living sand
wieh, slice of ham fashioned into a
face between two pads of hair. The
daughters little growing stills, thin also,
except tho eldest; pretty all three, par
ticularly the eldest. She had such a
quaint way of speaking, of laughing, of
understanding and not understanding,
Of raising her eyes to question me, eyes
as blue as deep water; of interrupting
her drawing to guess, of resuming her
work, of saying yes and no, that I could
have staid there forever listening and
looking.
After awhile she exclaimed, 81 hear
q noise" listened and distinguished a
slight sound, unusual and continuous.
What was it? I rese to look through a
crack and gave loud cry. Tho sea was
upon us, In no time we would be sur
We were ON deck in an in
'tant. It was too late. The water en-
us and was rushing toward
shore with great rapidity. The English
man wished to rush forward. I held
1im back; fight was impossible on ac-
,ount Of the deep pools that we had to
lveid IN coming. and into which we
would probably fall in attempting to re-
urn. It was moment Of horrible ag-
my. Then the young English girl ex-
;laimed, we are the ones who are
wanted to laugh. but I was
trsngiea by fright; a cowardly, awful
right, low and treacherous. And this
ide. I realized all the danger of our
'osition and wanted to cry for help. To
vhomp
The youngest girls covered against
heir father, who in CONSERVATION watch
d the boundless sea around US.
And night was coming as rapidly as
he tide; a heavy, damp darkness. We
emained there half an hour, an hour,
lardly know how long, looking at the
'ellow water which thickened and boiled |
nd played upon the reconquered beach.
One Of the girls complained Of the
old, and we thought we would 40 in
or protection against the light but cold |
reeze which stung our faces. leaned
yer the trap door. The ship was full of
Tater and we were obliged to crouch
gainst the stern, which gave us some
Night was now upon us and