The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1893-07-13

ats ana ne was the SnarteSt and braveat
Of all the fisher lads that went out to
the Banks; every one loved him, myself
most of all, tho was bit pert and
liked my own way; we'll, we'll, the day
of rest is nigh to me now. Hearken,
then, sir, an Ill tell ye tale of the
sad, sad sea; tale of its cruelty to one
loved; q tale that's brimful with pain,
an woes, an griefs; ah, God, that he
should go! wild an awful the tempest
ragged when he dared an perishedp
After few moments of weeping and
muttering to herself she began her dis
jointed narrative anew: 49,,
Softly the gray mists hung far DER
the smiling bay, an the sun sparkled
on the little ripples that were SO weak
they hardly broke on the shore that
fair September morn we two were mar
ried But as night came on, great dark
towerln' storm clouds, leaden-hued,
scurried across the heavens, an the
fierce, red lightnings glowered an
flashed on a roarin' sea. From the dark
1t straight, unbroken rows of mountain
GUS pillows, crowned on top same as
with white yeast; then, like fiend
turned loose with shriekin' yells and
bellowin's, down swooped the storm
and whipped big clots of foam from off
the waves, an hurled the heavy swell
far up the groaning shore. Truly the
earth seemed frightened with the mad
ness of the seas
But in the house here we were hav-
in merry time. We had lot Of
women and children from town, and q
couple Of the young men who were
Just In from Q trip and stopped over to
see us married. Old Cap'n Thomas and
the minister had each just said grace,
and we were about to fall to and eat,
when suddenly some one heard faint
signal gun. IN minute feast and ev-
erything was forgotten; OF rushed the
whole company, men, women and
children, Malcolm and me with them,
TO the beach. What did we see in the
darkening evening light1 A vessel way
out seaward, pounding on the bar!
Not stick nor spar did she have
standing; shorn Of everything by the
force of the shock when she struck, and
the big waves dashin' and lashin' clean
over her.
mot a minute do we waste, but all
h"ASo hOAP oA oS ehC hAC-Doob oo"h w
the edge of the surf and then quick
call for volunteers, brave fellows who
count themselves nothing if they can
onl y save some one else's life. My NAL
com felt no fear; he was the first to
spring for ward, and, though clung to
him and beseeched and sobbed, would
not heed me- He gave one last embrace
to me, his new-made wife, and turned
to the boat.
"Vainly I begged him to remain with
me that first day of our welded life;
but no. he counted his duty before all
else. Oh, that l had died then! My
heart was filled with dark terror;
twas torn and rent apart with anguish
that he would go; my head was swim
min and reelin', and crazed with the
cruel smart of his first refusal Knocked
and cursed him there Aye, cursed him
for what was only right, for the boat
was but poorly manned, there were so
few men at the beach, and of them
some were old and almost crippled; but
in my selfish rawlings felt no pity for
the poor ship in distress, screaming
again and again that wished it would
break up before they got started, and
any of them again
"Slowly my Malcolm left his place at
the bow of the boat; if live till Pm a
hundred, which, God pity me- hope
won't, never can l forget the look I
saw on his face in the wan light.
Nell, darling, kiss me good-by.
Won't? All, well, God bless your and
he was gone.
Down on the sand fell in a dead
faint. What then? All, yes. / lay
there but moment; the wet sand on
my face brought me to. stared about
me; none were left but little knot of
women and children huddled together,
crying and peering through the gloom
at the struggling boat, and couple of
old men still standing waist deep in
the water where they had helped shove
) off.
"Now the surf is passed; they are
tossed on the great waves; down, down
they 60 far from sight in the mad sea;
then up they come again; up, up,
'gainst wind and tide, now topping on
the point of some monster billow, only
to go plunging down to meet the next,
and pulling up with might and main to
reacn tne wreck Lnat laDOreQ ana
strained on the bar and threatened to
go to pieces every second.
'Now they work round under her
stern and are hidden from us by the
hulk, but soon we see them again care
fully approaching from the lee side;
but even there it seems too rough to
try to board her. Then we know from
the motions that they have cast a line,
which must be caught, as now we see
dark shape suspended over the boat
for an instant; the next, vast, noun.
famous wall of foam overwhelms them,
the gale bursts out afresh and when
we can get our breaths and look again
they are gone! Nothing is left but a
raging line of breakers black with
wreckagel Ship and boat are no