The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1891-12-24

Lue iuOtueT tulneQ Win lace OF
ashes. stop! stopr' cried Sally.
"Oh, I knew it! knew it a'ceadyr'
and she snatched the glass that the
mother had nearly dropped and in her
turn leveled it and looked. "How
silly I ami" she cried. Its Joe, to
be sure! It's the boat see before I
was over to your house. he must
have great ioad-it's such heavy
| rowing. He hardly seems half mile
| nearer. Seems to me he don't lift the
| oars worth cent-oh!-ohI My
God!" For a sudden CLEAN from the
| west had struck full upon the harbor-
| mouth, and she saw that the boat with
| its moveless oars was cased in ice,
saw the upright figure in it, washed
with the spray, more CHASTITY and aw-
! full still could she have seen the dead
eyes staring straight ahead, the fig
ure sitting there erect and frozen stiff
/ and white within a coat of sleet!
The glass crashed from her hand
Death in person had filled its field;
death frozen and rigid. ooh, 1 sent
him out to it," she moaned. 81 have
destroyed him. He wouldn't have
gone to-day if I hadn't made him
| Adoo. vi, oOOJ luJ JUG! Auu lEcu
the world reeled away from her, and
she knew nothing more.
Men were already putting on: to
pull in the frozen figure, tossing stiffly
up and down just this side the bar
| But there was no time now to know or
think of that in the little house, with
the bitter-sweet and ground-pine in
the windows. Neighbors were running
in and out; lights were flashing to
and fro there; there was confusion
OF doctors and women, of hurrying up
and down, Of tears and ordinations,
Of presents and hot blankets 1t was
q long wild night OF storm without, of
Inconsistencies within.
| The dawn was Just at hand at last,
the wind had gone about to the west
The morning-star came out and looked
upon the world and found that it was
fair, and sank into the rack Of cloud
! blowing down the coast and out to sea.
/ There was a quick, bold step on the
broken flags Of the pathway and up
the steps; the door opened and shut
swiftly. "Sally!" cried a voice at
the foot Of the stairs.
Hush! hush!" murmured his
mother, leaning over the little rail-
ing above And Joe took the stairs at
a bound, and confronted his mother
and his sister and the doctor, who had
been just about to leave, and who all
started back with blanched faces.
"Why. what is it?" he cried with
his breezy, hearty voice. you're all
looking as ii you thought I was a
ghost! It's me. Iran my boat ashore
hard by the Life Saving Station, and
they KEEP me to dry my clothes-I was
wet to the skin, you see-and I've
walked up. 1 tell you it puts Teller
in glow to walk with seven league
boots! Poor Martin was out there
with me-he wouldn't beach his boat
they're jest carryin' him in-the
spray washed over him and froZe AID
sheeted him stiff-poor soul, poor
soul! What you here for?" as a
new thought struck him while he
was pulling off his REFER. "Wher's
Sally? What's the doctor Sally -!
Sally"
Joe" called a feeble voice from
the room within. 81 knew you was
safe. l shouldn't "a come to, ef I
hadn't. 1 heard your step ring out
way down by Plum Island draw.
Come here, Joe, DEAR" she murmured
more family. "Kneel down, dear,
and let's thank God for our lives,-
we're both been brought through
deep waters"
As he knelt there, with his arm over
her, great church bell began to
boom through the clear dusk Of dawn
its call to the early service. Sally put
out a weak little hand and turned
down the quilt, and then she lifted
Joe's hand and laid it on the little
thing that wrapped away in flannel,
rested inside her arm. 81 shall al
ways have to keep Christmas now"
she whispered. For it is my baby's
birthday. Joe, dear, this is our
Christmas present from God"