Griggs courier., 1893-07-21

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, we'll, the day
of rest is nigh to me now. Hearken,
then, sir, an I'll tell ye tale Of tho
sad. sad sea; a tale of its cruelty to one
] loved; a tale that's brimful with pain,
an woes, an griefs; ali, God, that he
should 60! 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 DER
the smiling bay, an the sun sparkled
ON the little ripples that were 90 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 roarin' sea. From the dark
south, up came the gale, drivin' before
it straight, unbroken rows Of mountain
GUS billows, crowned on top same as
with white yeast; then, like a; fiend
turned loose with shriekin' yells and
bellowin's, down swooped tho 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 o merry time. We had lot of
women and children from town, and
couple of the young men who were
just in from 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 a minute feast and ev-
erythiug 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
darkeniag evening light? 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 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
only 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 beseechcd aud sobbed, would
not heed me. He gave eane 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 had died then! My
heart was filed with q 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; bat
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
that if they went I hoped never to see
any of them again!
''Slowly my Malcolm left his place at
the bow of the boat; if liye till I'm
hundred, which, God pity me. hope l
won't, never can I forget the look
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 I fell in . dead
faint. What then? All, yes. I 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 go far from sight in the mad sea;
then up they come again; up, up,
'gainst wind and tide, now toppling on
the point of some monster billow, 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
90 to pieces eyerv second.
Snow 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.
tainous 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
wreckage! Ship and boat are no
more!''
Calmly she yyiped her Skreamino eves