The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1900-04-23
The Sea Restitution

way at all. II seemed almost MS II the
world had ceased to be, or as il it exist
ed but in a state of flux, and as II we,
enchanted ones, accused with an i'm
munity from the common destruction,
were left to contemplate the nothingncss.
Then, to add to our sense Of doom, a
young baby was said to have died on
shipboard. At first every one took it for
granted that its mother must have been a
Storage, or, at the least, a second cabin
passenger. 1t seemed unlikely that dea til
would be SO impertinent as to enter the
first cabin. But it was learned that the
DESTROYER had been even more insolent
than that-it had taken child much fa-
vored Of fortune, the heir to great
wealth.
went to visit Mrs. Morell, the child's
mother. She was tall and white, with
wide eyes, which must have been beauti-
full when she was happy. Now sort Of
Darkness, like that of the air and the
sea, had come into them.
| could not see her soul for her sorrow,
She offered no confidence; indeed my
sympathy could not reach to her dulled
sense. Her grief was between us, impen-
etrable as the fog through which the
ship crept cautiously.
"rhe captain asked me il I would be
willing to have my baby buried at sea-"
she said to me in voice which reminded
me of mournful bell, land told him l
had no objection whatever"
mo" calculated in amazed surprise.
Nothing is more peaceful than the
deeps of the sea-" she responded, and it
being night she asked me to walk upon
the deck with her under cover Of the
darkness.
More in sympathy than from curiosity
inquired:
"Your husband is awaiting you in
American"
YES" she replied, her voice strangely
coloress. "He will be at the wharf. He
will expect to see the baby In my arms.
He has never seen the baby, you know.
! have been with my mother, who lives
in Paris, and the day that baby was 3
months old l started for home"
We paused by the bulwark, and she
looked down into the shadowy trough Of
the wave.
ut will make soft CRADLE" she said.
11SI SoulaSC NlOAS utuIls
where do you find the strength to en-
dure such grief?" cried
Indeed" she responded, with the
mournful shadow of smile, that I can.
not tell. 1t does not seem as If it were
really l who has met with this great mis-
fortune. If it were whose plans have
been so altered and whose hopes have
been SO dashed surely l would not be
fearless like this 1t is Adele, my nurse,
who weeps.",
The next morning the captain read the
burial service with solemn accent, and
into the coloress sea, through the white
vacancy of the fog, the little one was
lowered reverently. ! stood beside the
mother, and l would have sustained her
with my arm but that she gently repulsed
me. She swayed n little from side to
side, but there were no tears on the face
hood of her sea cloak. She stared ahead
Of her at the stupid fog-she looked baf-
fed, into obscurity.
Suddenly, an hour after the funeral,
the mist lifted. 1t rolled up as a curtain
rolls up, and 1t was saffron color,
cleaning and splendid. When 1t had
lifted, sparkling sea was revealed and a
cloudless sky. The world became ra-
diant. 1t seemed to exult in its beauty.
Mrs. Morell cast look of reproach at
this Wanting of natures youth and joy
and went to her cabin.
Through the day messages were sent
her and delicate evidences of sympathy,
but her maid alone returned thanks. The
next morning found her still in seclusion.
More than one of us thought of invading
that sacred solitude, but at the last
forbore.
1t was the afternoon Of that day that
the man on the bridge espied an object
upon the horizon at the south. 1t was n
black speck, visible in short time to all
Of us.
'It's ships longboat," was the YER
flag Of Distress"
The course Of our ship was changed.
We went racing through the green water,
rejoicing in the Zest Of the hour, in the
action, the event.
Presently we were standing off eau
tiously from longboat manned with
hagEard men.
"Who are you?" shouted the captain
as the companion ladder was being low
cred.
"AIl that are left of the crew and the
passengers of the Nina Celeste, sir"
GLOW lost?"
'Ry fire, sir, two nights ago. The first
boat lowered capsized. The women
there were two-were lowered into it.
But the men were frightened, the flames
made such Roadway, SO they jumped.
We are all who remain. Three of US
were picked up from the overturned boat,
but the others were dragged down in the
swirl of the boat; it got to going round
and round"
"Was the Nina Celeste a freighterT
"A frcighter, sir, bound from Bermuda
to New York, carrying cargo Of lilies
and hemp. 1t was out Of its course ow.
ing to fog"
The boats load came on board-15
pale men-and one of them carried some
thing in his arms.
"What do you carry?" asked the cap
tain. Us it child?"
eyes, sir. 1t Is the babe of one of the
women who were lost. l was just about
10 hand it down to her.
There was sharp cry from among the
crowd of passengers. Mrs. Morell was
coming forward, her arms outstretched.
She was entirely unconscious Of the
crowd apparently. Some one whispered
to the man who held the babe:
''IIer little one was buried yesterday
at sea-"
The man shuf1led his burden awkward
ly in his arms and took his hat from his
head. Mrs. Morell reached him, and her
hands seemed to hover above the cover
ings of the child's face as an avid bee
hovcrs above flower.
at is alive" she half whispered, after
she had bent above it, all trembling. ut
Is breathing!' 1t seemed as IL she
thought that fact sort Of miracle.
L. /.