Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1904-01-23

The skipper did not haul in his sail
soon enough, and the boat struck on
that reef you can see over there
just little more to the starboard.
There were four men in the crew
the skipper, two sailors and my poor
Pierre. But the sea only gave up
three of the drowned men and re-
tanned my comrade. Mona became
an orphan. II goes without saving
that | did my best to replace her ia
ther, but the child, even after the
first sorrow passed away, did not
seem to console herself. And do
you know why, monsieur? Because
of an idea all the women around
here have. They believe that soul
must remain in pain unto the judg-
ment day unless it reposes in con-
secrated ground. We men do not
believe in all this nonsense when we
know what happens when there is
death on board ship. But Mona
could not be forced to Relieve other
than the women had taught her and
continued to burn candles at all the
pardons in the neighboring towns
for the repose Of her fathers soul.
"However, in spite Of everything,
time is famous merchant of for
getfulness, and Mona after few
years appeared to me to become
somewhat reconciled. Besides, her
grief had not prevented her from
growing handsomer and taking a
pride in herself, and it is not because
I loved her like a father, but, upon
my honor, she was the freshest and
prettiest young girl in the parish.
We lived so happily together. We
were not rich, to be sure, but we
lived, and we enjoyed ourselves all
the same. l had my pension and my
medal, and then we used to go to-
gether to hunt for Holsters in the
rocks. The trade is a paying one,
and there is only one danger-that
of being overtaken by the tide. All,
unfortunately that was how she
met her death, poor little one!
zone day when my rheumatism
confined me to the house she went
fishing alone. 1t was just such a
day as today, the sky clear, the wind
high. When the rock searchers
gathered together with full baskets
they perceived that Mona failed to
respond to their calls. There was
no possible doubt. Great God, she
had been delayed and surrounded |
by the rising tide! She had been
drowned! All, what night I pass
ed, monsieur! At my age, yes, a
hard hearted man like me, Isobbed |
like a woman. And the remem-
brance came to me of the poor
child's belief that to 60 to heaven
she must be inferred in consecrated
ground. Therefore as soon as the
tide went down | went to the shore
and, with the others, searched for
the body.
"And we found poor Nona," con-
tinued the old sailor in a trembling
voice. owe found her on a rock
covered with seaweed, where, know
ing that she was going to die, the
poor little one had prepared herself
for death. Yes, monsieur, she had
tied her skirts below the knees with
her fchu, through ,modesty, and T
with her old idea uppermost had at
tached herself to the seaweed by |
her hair, her beautiful black hair,
certain that she would thus be found
and inferred in consecrated ground.
And I can say, l, who know what
bravery is, that there is perhaps not
a man brave enough to do likewise"
The old man was silent. By the
last CLEAN of the twilight saw two
great tears rolling down his wealth
er beaten cheeks. We descended to
the village side by side in silence. I
was profoundly touched by this sim
pie girls courage, who, even in the
agonies of death, had retained the
of her sex and the piety Of
her race, and before me in the dis ;
tant immensely, in the solitudes of
the heavens and the sea, cleaned
out the beacon lights and the stars.
Oh, brave men of the sea! Oh,
loble Brittany-From the French
If Francois Coppee.