The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1899-08-31

| set OF ielIost, ne ftpheu, RiAnclus ~ hel
How 10 thstf asked. for bis mann,
hirtsd . story.
He smiled. You nnst be strange
here il you've never heard Of the loss G
the Mstilde,
have never heard OF 1t. Was II Ion
sgoi
He chspged bis position, like man Sc
ding himself Tor long talk, aud drew y
bis line TO Inspect The bait.
IN tell you, be said. and here recor'
bis tale.
Audrew Muir. he's skipper OF the Del
snoe, was slwsyss hard man. don
mean bad man. but man who slwsyl
did what he thought right, and expected
other people 10 do the same. SO be made
himself good many enemies, though
some respected him. since be asked NJ
more from others than be did from bin
self.
10 the fail, you know, lake navigation
becomes slack, looking toward the winter
suspension OF navigation The lake be
gins TO ice up, and few vesse's except the
big steam ice breakers venture out But
there are always few schooners here and
aud there. carrying cord wood, lum ber and
siHsll stuff. that will risk q late trip so as
TO be last in the market. Except for
what comes from these. there's little busi
ness fer tow boats after Thanksgiving.
But Andrew was thrifty and would let
nc cent slip. So he would keep the little
Defiance BY the piers till the ice began to
shut in. and many good dollar be has
made. 1t was sll through this way OF his
that the thing happened.
No one here will soon forget that night
10 the second week OF Decem Der. three
years ago. 1t was wild night. The
wind had been G d o the east oil day mot
. gale. but . good stiff blow that sent the
10 high on the beach. Andrew
had received q telegram sbon. noon. say
Jog lhst the Ms,ilde, little lumber
set ooner from the Nertb. wss 10 try to
try to make Lihnopee that night. They
asked him 10 Keep a good lookout fer
her and help her 10, for she must know
that 10 come into one OF the piers OF our
lake porif, uuless the wind and sea are
favorable. is by no means easy for q sail
Jog vessel.
SO Andrew got up steam and waited ]
san remember we'll seeing the De6srce
yins there, oil that day, by the wet pier,
With The soft snow slusting upon her
warm decks.
About ten o'clock that night it came on
o blow harder and to snow iuriously. II
vas mol cold enough TO freeze, and the
NOV still melted as il fell, but the chill
vas bitter. and one wss glad to be under
helttr. Andrew had been up ell the
light before with g sick member oi bis
odge, 60 be turned 10 about midnis ht and
eft bis boy, John. to keep watch. Olsen,
be fireman, slept aboard. and the Ares
Iere banked, ready. Andrew hardly ex
,ected The schooner to turn, but be felt
bis duty TO be ready to bring her 10 il
be should venture.
Now John was Ane young fellow OF
ineteen, rs strong snd honest 9 fellow
$ l have ever seen. There's not 9 man
ere, Aadrew excepted. that Id sooner
tust my life With. But John was young,
nd bis mother, perhaps, had been too
OF to hin.
Well. John paced that pier. back and
ortb, for N ore than sn hour. He could
&c nothing toward the lake but now and
ben the crest OF some big comber II
Iss lonsly, chilly, ugly place. and II
,ade him mad to zee the lighted windows
I the town, whore o.htr boys lay 10 com
ort
Now, few bnndred yards up. therelay
schooner, the Sslie b, from Green
Isy, With q crew Of old chuns Of bis,
nd be thought ht'd see II she lay oil
isht II ber mootiugs, for they had oil
one up town ifolickiug.
Nov. just IS ts came up to her, by bad
,ck, down they came to board her, four
I them. the brightest, mefriest, widest
II OF fellows 90 the lake, singing snd
hou,ins aud lsrkins - they came. The
linu ute they saw John they bad him by
olh shoulders. Nothing must do but be
Iust come aboard. 10 fact. they nearly
rseeed him over the iie and into the
OF little cabin. Oace there, i, vas by no
Iesus easy 10 get away. There vas foe
re 10 the s'ove; there ss plenty to eat
I'd drink; there vas the lolliest OF stories.
I'd whenever be made the les.t move TO
0 they would pull him back into his
,st.
Aad Jotr, overcome by ridicnle. kind
ess sod comfort, gave 10. aud when morn
q came there be lay, asleep aud stupid.
be ariuk sud the hot room bad done for
Im sn 1 for The res,.
And uos comes the siory ,tseli The
Is,iIde bad ssiies, stier all. Old man
bad broush, her tearing sloae
,uppeu under. eli that evening. and they
sde K.hnopee . little after midnight,
Ut before the Wild veer Of Wind I've been
iiins oi They eonld zee the lights OF
e ,ovp through the soos, the isv bright
indovs Of those s,ili svste, snd th.