The Forrest City times., 1893-07-21
"Sun draw water ia ,he morlin'

 me. It was so unexpected I started, but rallying said:
 Well, nice fresh breeze wouldn't hurt us.'
 In sad, monotonous tone, she re- piled:
 "when winds blow fresh across the main
 And mist scuds up from the lea
 There's apt to be some rain
 And choppy sou'east seq
 Well. we'll" l laughed, pleasantly, though l didn't feel mite that way; you're quite rhymster, mother; got verses for all kinds of weather"
 The laugh seemed to please the old sybil for an instant, then the small eyes grew sad again and she said. holding toward the village:
 ''Stayin' below?"
 "No, just came down and going right back"
 "Then nobody sent you herc?" lean ing forward.
 No; just strayed this way to avoid the crowd Why do you ask?"
 They send people here to bother me. They say I'm crazy, crazy Nell, you know; ever hear tell of her?"
 No; but tell me, mother, how do you live in thls wilderness?"
 All the day knit stoclzin's an mits an lots of nippers for the fishermen to wear when they're fishin' They're not all bad. They give me food and things for them, sometimes little tea; but it's poor life, lad, a poor an sorrow ful life for old crazy Nell with only her { |. A.. l.. e, pany; an death passes me, that only longs to go, and takes the young an strong that wants to live; but the day is nigh at hand now; soon l will see my Malcolm, my bonny boy, my husband gone, lad, gone, gone, and only married one day; think of it, me all alone, alone for forty weary winters and forty wearier summers, waitin' to die an go to him. Do you think he has forgiven me?"
 Suppose you tell me your story" said, gently, rather touched by her plaintiveness.
 My story? aye; and what joy would ye find in the vagaries and mumblin's of an old crazy woman like me, canna tell
 ''He built this house for me, his bride. Oh but was happy girl then: yes, an one of the tidiest and prettiest of the village, and often was told of it, and he was the Smartest and bravest 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, well, the day of rest is nigh to me now. Hearken, then, sir, an I'll tell ye tale of the sad, sad sea; tale of it's cruelty to one l loved; 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 perished.' After few moments of weeping and muttering to herself she began her dis jointed narrative anew:
 Softly the gray mists hung far OCT the smiling bay, an the sun sparlSled on the little ripples that were so weak they hardly broke on the shore that fair Septembe 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 south, up came the gale, drivin' before it straight, un broken rows of mountain ous pillows, crowned on top same as with white yeast; then, like a fiend turned loose with shrielSin' 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 grooming shore. Truly the earth seemed frightened with the mad ness of the seas.
 But in the house here we were hay in merry time We had a tot of women and children from town, and a couple of the young men who were just in from a trip and stopped over to see us married. old Cap'n Thomas and the minister had each just said grace. and we wer about to fall to and eat, when suddenly some one heard a faint signal gun. In minute feast and ev- erything 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 darkening evening light" vessel way out seaward, pounding on the bar. Not a 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 iashin clean over her.
 Not a minute do we waste, but all hands help drag the life-boat down to the edge of the surf, and then quick call for volunteers, brave fellows who count themselves nothing if they can onI V save some one else's life My Mall