The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1893-12-29
THE MARY MELLUS.
Flapl lapl fapl

l thought l was in the orchard at home.
1t was late afternoon; the sunlight flicker
ing through the interlaced boughs shad-
owed the leaves upon my face. A soft air,
the breeze rising with the tide fecked
blades of grass across my cheek.
Flapl flapl Aapl That sheet might get
torn. Mother will think me careless if
don't take it down. 1t is late for the
clothes to be out anyway, but was so
drowsy Owl Some one pinched me; not
mother, for she is never cross.
"Motherl"
l start up wide awke, her name upon my
lips. am on a ledge. Before me a sheer
precipice breaks down to the dark and
heaving sea. Behind me slopes the briggs
deck-a steep incline washed by the waves.
The masts are jagged stumps, tangled in
cordage. Ny ears are deafened by the roar
of the sea, my clothing drenched with it's
spray.
On pole thrust in n crack in the wood
is white shirt. 1t flaps in the shrill wind
piping across the deck. know howl
am a wretched boy runaway from the
kindest mother and sister in the world-a
dying waif on shipwreck.
The love of the sea was BON in me. My
grandfather built ships and my father, a
sea captain, was drowned off Hatteras.
Mother wished to make me lawyer, and
l must begin by sweeping Judge Pages
Office.
| lie on the deck, shivering, and last
night comes to my remembrance. | was
sent below, and had crept up when the
gale was at its worst. Sea and sky were
black as ink, and the waves Missed flashes
of white rs they passed. Everything
whizzed-ropes, waves, the spray from the
sea. The rattle of masts and spars was like
thunder. We seemed to be flying through
awful space at lightning speed, in world
where there was neither sky nor ocean.
go belowl" yelled the captain, angry
at my disobedience, and | went. He was
annoyed when | crawled out of the hold,
three days from Portland, and threatened
to send me back, but relented and has
been like father ever since.
In the cabin, guided by the pale light of
the wildly swinging lamp, crawled up
the incline and found paper, pencil and an
empty bottle. My heart was sore. My
mother might never know from my lips
how sorry was.
We were in great danger. The livelong
night the captain had staid on deck, and
l could hear the sharp tones of his voice in
command high above the gale. l braced
myself against the table and began to
write.
"This is to certify" wrote, "that l,
Joel Holbrook, act. IN
Then | thought of the burying ground
at home, where the stone raised to my
grandfather bore the inscription, Captain
Joel Holbrook, act. 72, and the few lines
on one side, "In memory of Captain Joel
Holbrook, son of the above, drowned off
Cape Hatteras, act. 49," Would they put
on a new line in memory of the third Joel
Holbrook, also lost at sea?
bit my lips-I would not cry-and
went on with my last words:
-"Rt 10, cabin boy aboard the Mary
Mellus, timber laden, bound for Havre,
being of sound mind and body"-that
seemed sufficiently legal for Judge Pages
Office boy-"and hereby in danger of life
and limb, write these few lines that shall
put in bottle, hoping it will reach the
eye of some passing mariner.
81 wish to tell my mother, Mrs. Captain
Holbrook of Nequasset, Me-, that am sor
ry that ran away, though | have had a
nice time till now, but in danger of death
ones crimes seem more awful, and being
the only son of a widow l should have
staid ashore. l hope my mother will know
loved her very much and always shall,
forever and ever. Amen"
The words are craven on my memory
written as they were in such peril and
fear, such pain of heart for my running
away. read them over while the gale
I,,,;r, IA h
trem bling hand, | added:
1.-The second mate, Gus Benedict, has
been kind to me because he says l have
such nice sister. hope Mary will thank
him for me if he is saved. He is brave
man, and hope Mary will forgive me the
many times | have leased her. Captain
Bradford of Nequasset is in command of
this brig, and the crew are"-
/ never finished the letter. There came a
crash as if the lightning zigzagged down
to the heart of mighty oak. The brig
reeled and toppled, and waiting voices
sounded in the clarlor of the storm. The
light was gone, and in the black, black
night heard the sound of cataracts of surf
beating along the shore Then it seemed
that was falling from the sky, and then
knew no more.
Now it was dawn, and we were clinging
to the upper side of the brig like drowned
rats. Dismasted and wrecked, the Mary
Mellus rolled like log in the furious sea.
Her cargo shifted, but being lumber II
kept us aaoat
On that perilous edge were the captain
Gus Benedict, the second mate, Petei
jackson, the old cook, John Stinson anC
Jed Carr, sailors from Nequasset, and 6
foreigner think he was Corsican. W.
called him Tony. Hewas black bearded
man, who barely understood English.
Sky and sea were a weird, cold gray
On the horizon the lifting waves mingled
with the gray above until the whole world
except that small space above our heads
seemed one vast, heaving ocean. There wa
no sun, but as the day wore on a blur o
yellow light glimmered overhead, sooI
lost in the clouds, which, black and torn
flew fast, driven before the angry win
like a flock of shelter seeking sheep.
A second storm was following close tn
one just past, but when l woke there wa
a lull, as If nature had wearied of her ow
fury. A few hours more. and the ledg