The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-07-21
FIRST SHIPWRECK.

stood at the extremity of the long pier,
protecting the little port of Portrieux, in
Brittany, on the west Of the immense bay
of st. Bricuc. Moored by chain, boat,
which had been freshly painted, danced
upon the water On it's stern shone out
these words: ''Paimpol-La Belle Yvonne
-502''
The sun had long since sunk out of
sight, and night fell, drowning all this
corner of France in transparent shadows.
In the deep chasms of the rocks the waves
were beating fercely-almost growing,
but upon the sandy beach they rolled,
murmuring softly.
"Hark, do you hear it? 1t is calling us!
It is time to quit our moorings if we wish
to go as far as the isle of Brehat,' said a
fisherman, who descended the iron ladder
Of the pier after having thrown his basket
and oars into the bottom of his craft.
Yvenne Rouzic clutohed her son, who
was following, by the arm. Her ear
strained to catch the menace of the break
ers upon the rocks, and supplicating
murmur rose to her lips:
''Alain! Alan! My poor boyr'
The robust boy, proud of his IL years,
listened only to the tender call of the sea
upon the sands. He disengaged himself,
saying:
'sWe must not miss the tide-quick''
The sail went up slowly, with a noise
like the prolonged cry of bird, dragging
little, the length of the mast, and the
boat moved obediently. 1t sank little by
little into the night which took it, absorb
ing it gently, until 1t vanished in the dusk
Yvonne came back with stumbling feet
overcome by sense of abandonment and
the feeling that she had bid her loved ones
an eternal farewell. Never before had her
heart ached as it was doing now. 1t
seemed to her that the night had darkened
her joy and Swallowed her ife-that it was
drinking the blood from her veins. She
raised her head, looked at the sky, the
coasts, the waves, which were SO strong
and yet SO supple, as they rocked like
cradle-at the starry, moonless night,
with clouds scudGing here and there. She
tried to smile, but in her mind rose up
the thought: ''It is the first time that he
has ever left at night. My poor boy If''-
She did not dare finish, and with su-
perstitious haste began praying to all the
saints, both male and female, who are
said to protect mariners
For several years they had been in the
habit of quitting Paimpol to pass the sum-
mer season at Portrieux, leaving for the
time the house and nest of little ones in
care of an old grandmother. Jean Marie
went out with his boat, and Yvonne sold
the fish on shore. Thanks to the wealth
of the strangers who came there for the
baths, their affairs prespered more than
they had done in the country. But never
before had their joy been so complete as
it was this year. The Oldest child, the boy
Alain, now accompanied his father when
he went fishing at night, and with the aid
of former gains they had been able to refit
the Belle-Yvonne. 1t seemed to jean
Marie Rouzic that on so famous craft he
might go straight to Newfoundland if he
wished. And he looked almost defiantly
at the first boat of the season from those
shores, with her paint defaced hull incrust-
ed with shells and green marine moss, the
deck covered with salt and the air impreg-
mated with the strong odor of the sailed
cod in her hold.
Until the hour of departure Yvonne had
felt confident and joyous, but suddenly at
the moment of parting sob from the sea
alongside the pier more violent than before
had awakened in her something hitherto
unknown-the sense of fear Memories
of catastrophes besieged her; phantons
seemed whirlinG about her; lugubrious
shadows of shipwrecIss swept past her in
mad dance. She rubbed her eyes, STAN
mering: II am Il fool. Ma Doue! What
is the matter with me this evening?''
Her brow was again smooth, her eyes
shining with reawakened energy beneath
the futtering frill of her headdress, as
she exclaimed, 1.-The daughter of sailor
the wife and mother Of sailors, ought to
begin to tremble at this late day."
But her voice died within her, and
once more she was seized with fright
80 God, protect themi' she cried.
AS she lay on her bed she at first tried
in vain to Sleep but found herself listen
ing to the noises of the night believing
that she heard plaintive calls for help, nut
she was so exhausted from fatigue THAI at
last she slept heavily, dreaming the while
that she was falling into some great faith
omless abyss, where she heard savage
noises of the angry ocean, the formidable
roaring OF the water-the tempest itself.
AT dawn of day she was tortured by such
anxiety that she thought herself dying and
Rwoke with start The empty room sud
denly recalled the parting. In moment
she stood in the door The sea was rolling
as after furious storm. The heavy sky
was dark and lowering, but the boats were
coming IN together, with furled sails.
They were all there She laughed and
showed her teeth, trembling, while her
eyes famed with JOY.
Apassing fisherman called out brusquely
to the women assembled upon the pier
head
THAT was an awful squat at 8 O'Clock.
wouldn't have cared to be near the
rocky coast of Brieuc.''
Had she misunderstood him? With
hurried glance she searched among the
boats. The le-Yvonne alone was miss