Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1902-12-13

difference of ll9 miles in latitude, and /.
degree and 20 minutes in longitude. In
deed, it seemed quite impossible that we
could have made such an error in our
latitude, so that the captain determined
to reject that as announced to US. but to.
take the longitude, since we had nothing
else that was presumably as reliable-a
dangerous determination, as we saw soon
after.
However, with renewed hope and sat
isfaction we shaped our course, and all
that day, with a fair wind and an occa-
sional swell from the southwark, we
bowled along at considerable speed. We
even entertained some thought of spend
ing Christmas ashore. Nellie, too pratt
tied gaily of Christmas; wondered how
Santa Claus was to reach her so far at
sea.
What, thought I, if the longitude,
Which we had accepted from the
stranger as true, were incorrect? What
if our own reckoning, which put us so
much nearer the land, had been nearer
correct! The prospect was not reassur-
ing.
What is the color of your thoughts,
preaching me.
"'Gloomy enough said |. i
"'You mean that you have been think.
ing that we may be nearer shore than we
have supposed, and that if we should
continue this course we might spend
Christmas among the breakers?
"'ENactly.'
We'll, that's my thought precisely,
q, al in Viz nj fba,. bo.
ing | am going to heave to-
THE vancouver was executed without
difficulty and as about half an hour of
my watch below remained, | went to my
room, and, taking up my lamp, held it
close to the face of the barometer. Sure
! ly my eyes deceive me- | thought. Not
more than an hour ago the barometer
stood at 1890 Now it was 20l0.
rubbed my eyes and looked again, No;
it was too true-it had fallen half an
inch in less than two hours. Bad as the
gale had been. we had apparently re-
ceived only a foretaste of its fury. |
stood for a moment in thought, and as
il was nearly eight bells | we.i; hurriedly
! over to Nellie's stateroom door to say
good night before | went on deck; but
as | entered the cabin | stood still as her
sweet little voice rang out:
Lead. kindly light. amid the encirclng
| gloom,
Lead Thou me on:
The night is dark and am far from home
Lead Thou me on.
"'Nes, little angel said l. the night is
dark, and God only knows what the
Il did not finish the sentence | found
her little stocking, which she had tied
to the door knob in childlike expectation,
and slipped into it the various articles
that the sailors had given me for that
purpose; and then, with my heart full
and without ore glad thought of Christ
mas jollity in my heart, but with a
prayer for the little girl within, | hur-
ried on deck
Anxiety was very great, for the
thought that we were in peril of running
ashore seemed to have taken possession
of the whole crew. Our effort to avoid
n possible danger had suggested danger
as probable had suggested, indeed what
, was IN reality the case--wc were off a
lee shore. Despair had begun to settle
/ upon us all, when. in the silence of the
deck. the after bell in sweet. clear tones,
announced eight bells y o'clock.
r Christmas, calculated one OF the
men.
, why don't you say Merry Christ
, mas| asked another with a sarcastic
laugh,
r There was no retort. The wind and
sea abated not one iot of their fury: still
? slight change in the direction of the
wind had given us heart; if only that
| should remain steady as it was, we might
r yet cscape-but, alas, for our hopes, W.
a were not to get off 50 easily. The
treacherous wind seemed to sncer at us
a IN our effort To escape. The excitement
e ot The moment was mlddening, but sure
/ " the storm could not last forever /
e thought. The occasional stars that we
Z Lad begun to see through the broken and
. Jagged edges Of the clouds were so beau.
1 utul and hopeful il could not be that we
could 90 ashore Besides. who of us
knew that we were going ashore: Might
1t not be that all our anxiety had been
. overWrought and groundlcss? | began Il
a think that we had been unreasonable
) fearful. so with something like elation o,
spirits ! went over to the captain and
I suggested another cast of the lead
The last time we had sounded we had
l found twenty five fathoms; we would