Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1894-03-21

kcts And in that moment OF dire punish
ment, as if present evils were not enough
there smotc upon my conscience the light
ninglike stroke of an accusing memory
The thwarted plans of my father, the TN
needed sorrow of my mother, were as arrows
of fire in my soul. Fate had indeed per
mitted me to please myself, but she was
now eXacting payment, and the payment
was my life.
had feeling, say, of being forsaken,
but in the graciousness of Providence had
friend even now. Not long after the mate
left me Mr. Watson returned, gave me
some medicine spoke cheerfully to me, tell
ing me to keep up my heart, for that many
a man had had fever on shipboard and
lived long years afterward to tell the tale,
But could see that out of his humanity
he was assembling his real thoughts, and
SO determined if possible TO get at them.
| "You have seen cases of this sort before" !"
l said. us it serious? BE plain and tell
me if you think l have chance to pull
through"
He seemed unwilling to answer the ques.
tion, which Of course was an incentive to
mo to press him.
IF you don't answer" said, "I'll know
it's because you're afraid to tell me the
worst"
"You know the old proverb, Mr.. xii,
gour," he returned slowly, that while
there's life there's hope"
"Just So" said, "and that in cases like
mine doesn't mean much, or rather it
means great deal"
II will not mislead you, Mr.. kilgour,"
he rejoined, shifting about uneasily on his
feet. II think you have bad attack, and
this is a foul hole and we are without
proper remedies But then you are young
and have good constitution, and that as
any doctor will tell you, is worth gallons
of drugs"
"Thank you," said. ~ wanted your
candid opinion"
And now, when l thought there was no
chance of life, grew calmer. Indeed my
fear almost vanished, for, as the wind is
tempered to the shorn lamb, there is hard
ly an evil but brings it's anodyne with it.
Mr.. Watson left me abruptly, but pres
emily he came back carrying Il book in his
hand. 1t happened to be Sunday evening,
and fancied he was going to employ his
leisure in reading story TO me- But il
was q DlUlc, IlOI IL SIOIS DOOh, OhtO VIZ
good soul held in his hand.
81 have been Il good many years away
from Scotland, Mr.. kilgour, he said, r:.th-
er sheepishly siding up to my bed, but
haven't quite forgotten the training OF my
youth nor the customs ofmy native land,a
am going to do now what, think, your
mother would be we'll pleased with" And
sitting down on the edge of my berth he be
gan to read His voice was not very steady,
and he coughed a good deal more than
seemed at all necessary.
As for me, listened in dreamy, half
conscious state, feeling no fear, only dimly
plying the reader whose emotion was so
keen. When he had finished reading, he
bent over me, strokng back my hair. Its
got the golden CLINT Of boyhood in it yet"
he murmured, and then lower and very
huskily, "Would you like me to pray"
1t was a trouble to speak, so | held out
my hand, caught his and pressed II Ey way
of answer He returned the pressure, loo!
ing down upon my hand and caressng il
for a moment, then holding it softly Du:
firmly between his rough palms he went
on his knees When he rose, something at
the portfolio seemed suddenly to attract his
attention. Hcslared hard for IL minute or
SO. then cast shamciaced, sde!Ong glance
at me.
"Damme if I've played the parson for
years before" lie laughed, furtivcly draw
ing the back Of his hand across his eyes,
then, as if fearing IN answer, lie hurried
away.
1t might be that same evening, or it
might be some days or even a week later,
for have but dim and confused memory
of that period, that he came to me with q
terrified face, saying the ship was in i'm
minent peril. His speech was not immedi.
ately ineligible, for seemed to be recov-
ering from stupor, but at length caught
the word "waterspout," and even to my
dull sense it sounded ominous. Hardly
had the word passed his lips when the brig
shook to her center as cannon was fired
on deck.
"That's to try to break it," he said.
Good God," he cried in the same breath,
but in tone that was startlingly different,
"it's upon usl Mate, this means hell and
destruction"
Instantaneously there was great crash,
as if a sudden blow had rent our timbers,
and the brig flew up at the bows like
fisherman's punt when heavy weight is
swung on behind had my sconcc dented
in the bunk, and Mr.. Watson swept the
floor with his back Isea kind of inconti.
nent besom. When in the rebound the
stern went up in turn, fell back to my
place breathless and helpless, and the super.
cargo, scrambling to his feet with the cat
like agility of sailor, made desperately for
tue companionway.
Then for an instant the vessel seemed to
lie still, but the next she was reeling and
dancing like an eggshell in boiling cal.
dron. Now she would rear from the bows,
now from the stern, then tumble on her
beam ends, careening till mast and keel
must have been level, then rebound, then
spring, shaking herself like thing dc.
mented with pain, and all the while she
cried and groaned in every timber with Il
terrorizing, humanlike sense of the pangs
of fdissolution. clungt to my bunk with all
my feeble might, unable to discern any
thing clearly, yet conscious in spite of dark
ness and terror of the swish of water rush.
ing through the open door.
After awhile Mr.. Watson came back.
His face was very whiteand his manner eX.
cited. l looked at him beseechingly for
news, for in the tumult could not hope to
make myself heard. He did not keep me
long in suspense.
Smashed by the stern" he shouted at
the pitch of his voice, bending over me as
he held on by the side of my berth. "rLe
spout hit us, carrying with it masts and
rigging, and now we're reeling in the grip
of tornado The fury of the pits let
loose on us. Wind and fire and water, all
contending against us. And, worse than
that, we're waterlogged and the Internal
crew threatening to take to the boats Cap
tain's keeping them at it with the pistol.
Keep you still; I'll come back again"
could say nothing, could do nothing,
only lie and listen to the raging of pandc-
monium and speculate what would come
of it all. Presently Mr.. Watson returned.
his face whittier than ever
"The briggs done for" he shouted.
1.-THE first blow killed her. It's terrific.
have been through simeon and tornaloand
never saw anything like this. They're go
| ing to batten down though hca"cn knows