Rocky Ford enterprise., 1897-07-01
eY RT.FXRJEoN.]
!: s::sllg;Fsxssssssss


determined tn go to my mother in the
early morning. and consult her as to
what ought to be done to vlndicate my
good name. She went: my mother had
disappeared. Day after dny. week at
ter week passed. and still no news OF
my mother until 1t was reported and
believed that she was dead. About
that time Mabel became mother. and
the child that was born was a girl. She
named It Pearl. Then came the news
OF the wreck of The Blue Jacket. and
the loss OF every soul on board. She
received no letters from me. II any
were sent. they were intercepted. Mr..
Druce pressed his suit upon her. but
she would have nothing to say to him.
still. loathing him. her mother COM
PEELED her to be civil to him. and one
day proposed that they should emf
crate. She joyfully consented. to es-
cape Mr.. Druce. They had been at sea
two days before he appeared. He had
taken his passage on the same vessel
and Mabel suspected that 1t was u
planned thing between him and her
mother. She then determined to have
nothing to say to him. and she disre-
garded nil his attentions and solicita-
tions. When they landed in Australia,
her mother insisted on taking another
name, saying that she had ill-luck
enough with the one they bore. and
that a change might bring them bet
ter fortune. Thus 1t was that Pearl
did not know the name Of Beecroft.
For years Mr.. Druce did not relin-
quish his pursuit of her: but after one
last and unsuccessful appeal he left her
and she never saw his face again. Then
her mother died. and she was left alone
with her child. She led hard life,
and when Pearl was ten years OF age,
she determined to come home to the
old place. She had saved money
enough to pay for her passage. and
she took 1t in The Rising Sun. She
had no idea that Mr.. Druce was a
passenger In the ship. When they left
England he was with her by design;
but now 1t was chance-or fate, as
mentally said at this portion Of her
story. She was too i'll to come on deck
until the night OF the wreck, and then
a humane passenger conceived the idea
of saving the two children, Pearl and
Bob. by lashing them to one spar.
While he made Pearl secure, Mabel
held Bob. his own mother having been
washed overheard during the night:
and when the vessel suddenly sunk, Ma
bel had Bob In her arms. Rising from
the water, she recognized me; then the
child was snatched from her, and she
remembered no more. until she found
herself on a rock with two men. Two
| Guarter-boats had been launched from
/
be lost-but both were saved. Mabel
and her companions were taken from
the rock into the boat. and after pull
ing for two days in a contrary direc-
tion from the course we had taken, n
homeward-bound vessel sighted them,
and the passengers were taken aboard
Arriving home in safety, Mabel found,
to her astonishment. that my mother
was alive. but blind and in poverty.
Mabel told her story, and received an
account Of my last interview with my
mother. From her woman's instinct
my mother knew that Mabel spoke the
truth, and the two became friends
again.
What remains to be said? That Ma
bel gained hard and miserable subsis-
tence by her needle, and out of her
scanty earnings had never allowed a
week to pass without assisting the
mother Of the man whom she had low
ed devotedly and faithfully, through
good and evil report.
It was enough. Long before the end
of the story was reached, doubt had
flown from my soul; and when the last
do ho
good and pure woman, and humbly
begged forgiveness for my crime-for
it was no less. Need 1 say how my
appeal was met? It is women such as
the one lad the happiness to call
my wife who purify the world.
Come, my wife, and see your child
Softly we stole into the bedroom
My mother and our child were asleep
In an agony Of joy, Mabel pressed her
lips to Pearls face, to her neck, to her
hands, to her dress; but with such
divine tenderness and gentleness as
not to awaken our darling. My heart
went UP to God the beneficent!
Suddenly my mother stirred in hel
bed.
Amos" she cried. Then,
Mabel"
We went to hec side.
"You are together, my children?"
Eyes, dear mother"
"Thank God! Amos, put your arms
round me. Listen! I hear your father
calling. 'Yo, heave, ho!' Dear ones
goodbye for little while!"
Tomorrow is Christmas day, and
am alone, writing the concluding
words. Tom Wren is coming to spent
Christmas with us.
Last night my wife and child and
were sitting together in our little par
lor. Holly ard niistletoe were already
on the walls, garlanding two picture!
which l have had drawn, one of my ole
mother, the other of Beecroft, Marin
er. The fire was burning brightly, ant
peace was in our hearts. The only
heaven the earth contains was shining
upon us and within us. though We
saw no glimpse Of the sky. We were
at Home, ard it was Home of Love
Mother" said Pearl, what is thu
first letter in the alphabet"
20, my darling. of course"