The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1893-08-26

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Of tho village. and often I was told of
it. and he was the smartest and bravest
of all the fisher lads that vert out to
the banks; every one loved him, myself
most of all, tho was bit pert and
liked my own way; we'll, well, the day
of rest is nigh to me now. Hearken,
then. sir, an I'll tell We a tale of the
sad, sad sea; a tale of its cruelty to ono
! loved; a tale that's brimful with pain,
an woes, an griefs; ali, God, that ho
should go! wild an awful the tempest
ragged when he dared an perishedv'
After a few moments of weeping and
muttering to herself she began her dis
jointed narrative anew:
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 VIC two were mar
ried. But as night came on, great dark
towcr'n' storm clouds. leaden-hued.
scurricd across the heavens, an the
fierce, red lightnings glowered an
flashed on a roarin' sea. From the dark
south, up came $he gale, drivjn' before
it straight, un brosen rows of mountain
GUS pillows, crowned on top same as
with white yeast; then, like n fiend
turned loose with shrielsin' yclls and
bellovin'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
Garth seemed frightened with the mad
ness of the seas
But in the house here we were hav-
women and children from town, and 6
couple of the young men who were
just in from n trip and stopped over to
sec married. Old Cap'n Thomas and
the minister had each just said a grace,
and VIC were about to fall to and eat,
when suddenly some one heard a faint
signal gun. In a minute feast and cv-
crcthing was forgotten; off rushed the
whole company. men, women and
children, Malcolm and me with them,
to the beach. What did we see in the
darl>cning evening light? A vessel way
out seward, pounding on the bar!
Not stick nor spar did she have
standing; shorn Of everything by the
force of the shock when she struck, AMI
the big waves dashin' and lashin' clean
over her.
mot minute do we waste. but III
hands help drag the Gfc-boat down 70
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 clse's life. My Nal.
com felt no fear; he was the first tc
spring for ward, and, though 1 clurg to
him and bcsccchcd and sobbed, would
not heed me. He gave one last embrace
to me. his new-nade wife, and turned
to the boat.
''Vainly begged kim to remain with
me that first day of our welded life;
but no, he counted his duty before ali
else. Oh, that 1 had died then! My
heart was filled with a dark terror;
twas torn and rent apart with anguish
that he would go; my head was swim
min and rcelin', and crazed with the
cruel smart of his first refusal Knocked
- -
for what was only right, for the boat
was bat poorly manned, there were sc
few men at the beach, and of therr
some were old and almost crippled; bus
in my selfish rawlings 1 felt no pity fos
the poor. ship in distress, screaming
again and again that wished it would
break up before they got started, and
that if they went hoped never to sec
any Of them again!
''Slowly my Malcolm left his place at
the bow of the boat; if live till I'm :.
hundred, which, God pity me. 1 hope i
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, we'll, God bless your and
he was gone.
Down on the sand fell in a dead
faint. What then? All, yes. lay
there but Il moment; the wet sand on
my face brought me to. I s~ared about
me; none were left but a little knot OF
women and children huddled together,
crying and pecring 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 go 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 billov, only
to go plunging down to meet the next,
and pulling up with might and main to
reach the wreck that labored and
strained on the bar and threatened to
go to pieces every second.
"Now they work round under her
hulk, but soon we see them again care
fully approaching from the Ice 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 DC caught, as now we see
a dark shape suspended over the boat
for an instant; the next, a vast, noun
famous wall of foam overwhelms them,
the gale bursts out afresll and when
we can get our brcaths and look again
they are gone! Nothing is left but
raging line of breakers black with
wreckage! Ship and boat are no
,nore!'
Calmly she wiped her streaming eyes
and concluded:
LAT daybrealz eight bodies had
washed ashore: four our own men and