The morning call., 1893-01-08

CHAPTER HER FATHERS DEATH
was in my twenty-fourth year when l
underwent the tragic aud amazing expert
ence which, with the help OF a trlend'
propose to relate In these pages. am now
", but am in good health aud enjoy all
nv faculties saving my hearing; my men,
ory is brisk, and my friends hnd 1t very
faithful. and what is here set down you
may accept as the truth.
It is long ago since the last convict ship
sailed away from these shores with her
borrid burden Of guilt and grief and pas
sions Of a hundred devilish sorts. don't
know how long it is since the last of the
convict ships passed down the channel on
her way to the colonies. which were like to
become e soTt of shambles-for they
were hanging half score OF men
a day for murder in those times-if
this horrid commerce IN fel0ns had not
ended when that ship weighed and sailed
she passed away to return no more as
prison craft When she faded out Of sight
she was a vanished type, and when she
climbed mOOnlke above the horizon under
full breasts Of shining canvas she was an
honest ship sgain. never more to be de-
bauched by opportunities TO tender 1or the
transport Of criminals.
Before / lift the curtain upon nv snip,
the convict ship in which l sailed, must
hold you in tax concerning some matters
which 90 before tie sailing OF the vessel,
for | have 10 explain how 1t came about
that J, woman, was on board OF convict
ship full Of male malefaet0rs.
l was born in the parish of Stepnev in the
year 1914 My father was MIR. Benjamin
tombstone. a weil-knOwn man, locally l
mean, in his day. tie had been put 10 sea
as a boy very young; had risen STEADILY and
made his way TO command, saved money
with liberal thrftiness that enabled him
20 enjoy life mOdestly and to hold the
respect Of his friends. lie built little ship
for venture. did we'll, bought or built
second and at the age of 10 owned feet ot
four or i've coasters all trading out Of the
Thames He purchased house at Stepney
that be might be near the docks and the
river.
At Stepney in my young days lived many
respectable families. and don't doubt that
many respectable families still live at Step
ney; but it is true that all that part of Lon
don has sunk since | was a little girl, and the
sort of people who fOurished in the east
In the beginning of the century have now
gone west with the jerry trowel and the six
inch wall. My fathers house in Stepney
might have been a lords 10 its time. twas
strong as fortress. coy and h0mely. rich
within doors with the cOl0rIng OF age 1t
still stands. / visited il last year, but 1t is
no longer private house.
! was about y years old when my father
died The manner Of his going was very
sudden and fearful, and, old as l am, when
l think Of it l feel afraid. so haunting is
youthful impression, the shock Of 1t often
trembling through the longest years
into the last beats of ones heart.
My cousin. VIII tombstone. had been
the Tower 10 spend the afternoon
with me- He was between six and
seven years OF age. fine little manly boy.
the only son of nv fathers brother. VIII
liam tombstone, lawyer whose house and
Office we're near the Tower. This little
VIII and l sat at the table in the parlor,
playing al some game, and very noisy.
Ii was a November afternoon, the atmos
phere OF a true London sullenness the fire
burnt heartily, and the walls were merry
with the dance OF the flames. and the
candles stood unlighted upon the mantel-
piece. Ny father sat in an armchair close
20 the FIRE. he smoked long clay pipe,
and his eyes were fixed upon the glowing
Goals. He was a handsome man. l have
his image before me-. He had the c0mplet-
est air of a sailor that is 10 be figured. /
seldom see such faces as his DOW. But
those faces belong to time. My fathers
belonged to his age, and you would seek
for il there, and not before nor after.
lie sat with his legs crossed and his eyes
upon the FIRE. Suddenly looking round he
cried out with some temper. Not so much
noise, little uns, not So much noise. or you'll
have to 90 to bedW Then his face relaxed,
and with my child eyes saw that he was
sorry fer having spoken sharply. Little
ones" said he, softly, Tets have game.
Let's see who can 20 TO sleep first and keep
asleep longest" and dropping his hand so
as to bring the pipe from bis mouth, he sank
his chin and shut his eyes and sn0red once
or twice as make believe.
/ sank my head and closed my eyes, as
father hal. and little WIN slammed TO be
asleep. We were silent minute or more.
Tie pipe then fell from my fathers hand
and lay in two halves upon the floor. There
was nothing in this. II was a common clay
pipe, and ia her would break such things
pretty nearly as often as he smoked them.
now DeeDed at viii; he was peering at me.
The child giggled and burst into a little
half-suffocated laugh.
''Hush!" said /, and now, being weary Of
this sort Of sport, / looked at father and
cried out. 81 can't sleep any longer"
He never answered, so l stepped round
The table 70 his chair 90 wake him up, and
pulled him by the arm, and still he would
not answer. | climbed upon his knee, and
Just then q bright gas fame spurted out Of
q lump Of coal and / could see his face very
closely. WHAT was there in it to acquaint
my childish sight with the thing that had
come TO him? fell from his knee and ran
0 tie door, end shrleked for mother. She