Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1900-01-04
STORY OF OCEAN MARY.
Baby Mascot of the Sea Won the
Heart of a Pitate.

In the village burying ground at Hen
mixer, N. H., may be seen standing
among a dozen slabs of like design a
small slate stone, whose inscription, in
common with the others, in no manner
suggests that the story of the one in
whose memory it was set was different
from the ordinary affairs of the hillside
pioneer.
It is the grave of Ocean Mary. 1t was
years and years ago that the baby mas
cot of the sea won a pirates heart.
Previous to 1920, the year in which
the principal events of this narrative
occurred, many families of Scotch peas
antry crossed the North Channel and
found for a time homes in the larger
towns on or near the coast of Ireland.
Thus Londonderry became the resi-
dence of a large number of Scotch
yeOmanry.
In those old times of slow ships and
many perils OF the sea, it was a far
cry from Londonderry in Ireland to
Londonderry in the granite State; still
Scotland and the Emerald Isle had al
ready sent sturdy pioneers to the new
world on the Merrimac.
Tradition often the truer part of his
tory. has failed to save from oblivion
the name of the ship which sailed from
Londonderry for Boston in July, 1920,
but she is said to have been in many re-
spects vastly superior to others of her
class in those times. At any rate, long
before she dropped anchor off the pic
turesque coast, many well-to-do fami-
lies had prepared for the long voyage.
OF those who from the deck of the de-
parting ship watched the green shores
Of Ireland fade from view a large pro-
portion were not only strong Of limb,
but thrifty and provident.
Out through Lough Foye, past Inish-
owen Head and far beyond Giant S
| Causeway, with favoring winds, sailed
| the fated ship.
Among the passengers were James
| Wilson and his young wife. A year be-
fore Wilson married Elizabeth Fulton,
| and they were on their way to Lon
| donderry, N. H., where land had been
| laid out to James Wilson as one of the
| grantees of that town.
One sultry evening the lookout saw
| on the horizon a sail standing like a
| gray silhouette against the early rising
moon. All through the hot summer
night the strange craft wore nearer
and nearer, and when morning came
| her low hull could be seen like black
shadow under her full set of canvas
| The pirate was within gunshot OF
| the emigrant ship.
To fight or run away was not to be
| thought of. The slow ship had not a
dozen muskets. They simply waited
They had not long to wait, for boats
were soon alongside and swaTming up
on the deck, the robbers fell to work
as men who knew how to plunder ant
kill Crew and passengers were bound
and some were left lying where they
were captured, and some rolled intC
corners, just as suited momentaEy
freak of the invaders.
None were killed. Valuables were
gathered into parcels convenient to bt
transferred to the pirate ship. The rob
Der captain going below to search thu
officers quarters, threw open the aftel
cabin door with a rough hand, but see
ing a woman lying in the berth
stopped.
"Why are you there?" demanded tn,
ruffian.
See" The terrified woman uncov
cred babys face.
Then the pirate drew near. rs it
boy or a girl?"
"A girl"
Have you named it?"
mo"
The pirate went to the cabin doc
and commanded that no man stir unit
further orders. Then, returning, h
went close to the berth where the won
an lay, and said gently, IF | may nam
that baby, that little girl, l will unbin
your men and leave your ship I'm
harmed; may l pane the girl?"
yes"
Then the rough old robber cam
nearer still and took up the tiny, unre
sisting hand of the baby. Mary" wa
the name the woman heard his speah
There we're other words but spoke
q so low she could not hear. Only hi
Maker and his own heart knew: bu
when the child drew its hand away tn
mother saw a tear on the pink fingers
There have been other knights tina
Bayard. Here was one.
As good as his word, the pirate car
tain ordered all captives unbound, an
goods and valuables restored to tn
places from which they had bee
taken; then with his crew he left tn
ship and pulled to his own vesse
= But the emigrant ship had scarcel
got under way when new alarm cam
to them. The pirate was returning.
II they were dismayed at his real
pearance, they were surprised to Sc
him come on board alone and go direc
e ly below to the cabin. There he too
D from a parcel a piece of brocaded sill
of marvellous fineness of texture an
beauty of design. Seen at little dis
T tance the effect of the pattern is as {
q a plaid combining in wonderfully hal
monized tones nameless hues of re
g and green, softened with lines of whi
= evidently was once white.
Time has, perhaps, somewhat me
lowed its color tone, but the richnes
of its quality is as the richness
d pearls.
" Let Mary wear this on her weddln
i day" the pirate said, as he lay the sill
/, on the berth.
d Some time early in the year 173
Thomas Wallace emigrated to AmeriC
; and settled in Londonderry where, q
/ December 18 of the same year, he Wa
IS married to Ocean Mary by the Rev. NJ
d Davidson Of that town. Her weddir
! gown was the pirates silk.
A granddaughter and a great-grant
i daughter have also worn the san
o dress on like occasions.