The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-01-16

manufacturers and a man famous In his
day for his good deeds his wife. Emeline.
became engaged 10 a gentleman named
Weliby. lie was a gentleman by birth as
Well as title. and as far as a humble man
Ike me could find out. was ia every way
worthy, though poorly on in this worlds
goods. His health was also falling him.
and soon after it was publicly known
that they were betrothed he was ordered
by his physicians to make a voyage 10
Callao and return, on q sailing snip. In
pursuance Of this. he selected the "Aie-
teor' fine new ship on her second
voyage and had a cabin specially pre-.
. pared and was the only passenger aboard.
The Meteor sailed away from Liver.
pool on certain date. and was spoken
here and there until she was fairly of
Cape Horn. Then the last news Of her
came. and weeks and months dragged
away and she was posted as lost and
given up by everybody. Being nobody but
a sailor man with a first mates certih-
cate, ] can only tell you what ] read I'm
the papers ard heard talked among my
| own class. That was to the effect that the
rich widow was nearly heart-broken over
the loss OF her lover. and that her life
| was despaired Of for many weeks. II
wasn't much use TO figure on how the
| lItitpl Was JOSH. Silt SAiAfk tur IfEluNs
OF the Cape in winter time. and that
| meant snow. and sleet. and fog, and gale,
| and Zee. Lost she was. however IL hap
| pened. and as many good ship has been
! before her. and by and by everybody but
| the widow had forgotten the circum-
| stance At least the name Of the Meteor
| no longer appeared in the public prints,
aud sailors had ceased 10 talk Of her.
| ! think il had been three years since the
| disaster. and j had made several v0y-
| ages here and there, when ! took "A run
| down 10 Margate one summers day. II 50
| CHANGED that a woman walking ahead OF
| me on the pier would have lost her hat
| by a puff OF wind had ! not been at hand
| 10 pick it up and her Thank you. sir
| led to other words. and directly she found
out that i was a sailor. Then she asked
me TO sit down. and began questioning
me abous the loss Of the Meteor" Until
then / did not suspect her identity. She
proved TO be Mrs. Faneigh. and for fear
you may think her over-bold i'm convers-
ing with a stranger let me add that the
loss Of her lover outweighed all the rest
Of the world i'm her mind She had, as 1
afterwards learned. talked with ship
owners. captains and mates whenever
she had an opportunity and always cher
ished hope that her lover still survived
As a man / pitied her but as a sailor
] offered no grain of comfort II the
Meteor had been wrecked aloft, and
then swept b. seas there would have been
no chance for small boats. III she had
crashed into the ice 81 was barely possible
that some OF her. people had taken 10
foe or berg. but with no chance Of living
beyond a day or two. When asked TO
give an honest opinion 1 did 50, and
though / could see that the woman was
hoping against hope. she was not great
~ cast down. Her fixed idea WAS that
her lover and some of the others escaped
on the ice and % was plain enough that
she could surrender it TO no argument.
Three months later az I sat in the
Office Of Nessrs Graves and Hargreaves
ship-Owners, Liverpool. the firm received
a note from Mr.. Farlelgh whom they
knew quite well asking them TO send
captain or mate TO a hotel which she
named. II was doubtless about the old
matter, and after asceriainng that ! had
talked with her once it was suggested
that / respond 10 the note i did so. and
was by no means prepared for what fol-
lowed She had a sea chart. sailing direc-
lions, a narrative OF exploration. etc..
and had evidently been posting herself
ND a good bit She was no longer iu
state of doubt. She was positively sure
that Mr. Wellby and four men had escap-
ed 20 an iceberg been driven far to the
south. and were even then living among
the ice and hoping for rescue When
j looked at her for an explanation OF her
earnestness she told me she had had
dream TO that effect. one night. tho or
three weeks before. she had fallen TO
sleep 20 dream that she was aboard tie
Meteor i'm storm and darkness. She
frs. discovered herself in the cabin. Then
she went on deck and among the crew.
As she wandered over the ship 30 crashed
into an iceberg and the masis went by
the board. Tn the wreck and confusion
four men got away one or whom was
her lover. They found lodgment on q "
on the berg. but were without food for
extra clothing. Mrs. Farleigh nad iNer
been aboard the Meteor or any C'ler
sailing shin. and my surprise was great
when she told me Of the things she ssw
i'm her dream. She drew a correct plan ~
the cabin. gave the exact location OF the
clock. barometer and other things. and
her account Of things on deck could
hardly have been better told by a sailor.
But for these particulars 1 should have
ridiculed her dream. one OF the things
she mentioned I'm particular was the
captains night-glass. hanging In beckeis
I'm the compani0nway 10 had been pre-
scented 90 him by his brother VIII, and
the Inscription read. From w TO s.
In her dream she read that inscription
correctly. as was afterwards ascertained,
and she also described the personal APP
pearance of tho captain well AZ If he
stood before her on the door OF the
chief mates stater0om was long
scratch. caused by a bullet fred acciden-
tally. This woman saw that scratch IN
her dream as she stood looking about the
cabin. ] had never Been aboard of the
Meteor" and could not answer her Of
hand. but later on ! confirmed every
statement she made except the wreck ~
the ship. II was no dream, sirs. but
vlsion-a second sight. Her spirit must
have sought and found that snip thfoush
storm and darkness. 10 be able 10 describe
things as she did.
Well. what the lady wanted. j. the
next thing Of interest and perhaps you
will not be surprised when / say ihat
she had fully made up her mind 10 M
out "A ship and send II cruising down
towards the south pole in search OF her
lover Nothing / could say would dis
shade her from the enterprise, ana that |
very afternoon she commissioned M"ssis.
Graves & Hargreaves TO buy and M our |
n craft. As I stood well with the firm |
/ was offered the berth Of chief mate |
and sent out TO look for a suitable bot !
tom The orders were to spare no eN- |
pense. and i'm the end I bought new !
barl- ~ t0O TONS burthen and sent her /