Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1899-05-10
WRECK OF THE HYAClNTH.

1t was a wild night. The lightning
flashed, and in response the artillery
Of heaven doomed and rolled, then
crashed, as If the very skies were rent
Streets were transformed into leaping.
rushing rivers by the terrible downpot.r
of rain, while the breakers on that
lone, dreary New England coast seemed
to defy the challenge of the roaring
storm.
The fleet of small fishermen had sour
RED to a safe anchorage early in the
afternoon.
MAY God help any ship and crew
that gets on a lee shore tonight, lads"
soberly remarked Capt. Josh" Hard
ing, of the lifeboat. To a few of his men.
as he stepped TO the door and pcered out
into the Opaque darkness.
The government ut that I'm had not
erected the neat. coy ~life-saying sta
ton with all It's modern appliances Ia
rescue a crew from "A stranded ship
which now udorns the long, barren
stretch of sand. but the crew were mem
bers of the fishing fleet, aud always vol
nnteered their services without promise
of reward. A ~whaleboat served their
purpose then. and many n drspairIng
sailor had good cause to praise her
stanchness and the bravery of her iron
hearted crew.
A flash of lightning in the early even
ing had revealed a large bark trying to
weather the wreck bestrcwn, fatal
thunderstorm, which caused the bluff.
rugged mariner to utter the foregoing
remarks.
where is John Lawrence tonight.
lads? He is generally here n night like
this" he continued, in an anxious tone
Johns wife amt very well, cap'n; So
] heered as ! Gun daown." answered
Reuben Davis, one of the crew.
"Well. go up, "A couple Of yen see. I
should hate to mann the boat without.
John. He's never missed a trip vet"
said Capt. Harding, pacing the small
Don which served them as IA shelter
tho NV was lOiHitu III WV
beach, with the boat drawn uI outsii-
Just above the reach Of the kissing.
seethiDg waters, which seemed to re-
cede with dispairing nouns at falling
10 drag it iBtr their depths.
, by the bedside of his wife, holding
her thin. wasted hand lsstween the
large, horny palms Of his own, sat John
Lawrence, one of the bravcst of the vol
unteers.
"Oh. if ! could hut see Tom once more
! could GO easy, John" she holrsely
whispered.
'The lads gone, Mary. N we don't
know where. It's hin nigh onter tew
year n ! heered he'd shipped in thu
fo-cas'tle fer the West Indies. n he
hasn't writ a word hum stnee."
II know he was a had hoy, John
But don't you think that you was Il
little hard ON him?" she continued.
"He was all we had. You know"
The large eyes filled with tears and
the fail form shook aud trembied with
emotion as the mother pleaded for her
hayward hoy.
81 don't know what's the matter with
your wife. John. It's either "A cas-, OF
broken hearto or some new disease. Med
icine don't seem tn reach it," the doctor
had said. upon leaving. q few hours be.
fore.
you'll forgive him when I'm gone,
John, won't you? He didn't mean to be
bad!" she said. between her sobs.
At this moment the door softly
opened and the captains messenger
stepped in.
John. there's a bark thst can,
weather the Han'kerchif. n ther cap
tain sent us arter ye." said Davis.
ats no use, boys. ! can't leave her
ter-night. She wouldn't be here when
got back" said Lawrence, softly. rub.