The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-06-30
AN INTERMENT AT SEA

friends OF the captain, none on board
knew Of the purser's presence. The first
day out from Yokohama the purser sent
for Capt Kinder. and with his fast fail
ing breath poured out his undying love
for the sea.
There is not the slightest use of your
troubling 50 much about me-" he said,
the last watch has sounded for me.
They told me that if ! came on this voy-
age, Il meant death-and / came. It was
the call of the sea, captain. which is
never stiIled in the heart Of the true
sailor. and to which he never fails to
respond It's a call that defies death
itself, and I'd been obeying it for near
onto forty years, man and boy, and
wasn't going to let it make the last call
in vain You know how | love the sea,
captain. l love my wife and children
but the sea, ali. how / love the seal It's
been my home In life and I've been un-
happy and uneasy when away from it,
So now l want it for my home I'm death.
Just tell those doctors that It will not
do any good TO try 10 patch me up. for
I'm going to die before we get to Seattle
and be buried at hOme-at sea. The little
woman waiting at home, captain, under
stands, and. besides, I've not got a great
deal TO leave her, and even if l felt diff
ferently about it, what would be the use
Of the expense Of taking me hOme?'
The skipper Understood.
Spoken like a true sailor" declared
the captain. grasping the purser's hand.
I'll tell those doctor chaps that they
need not try to keep you up Just TO see
land again
Four days out Of Seattle the purser's
wish came true. for his Wish was stronger
than medical art and its three deyotees
who had determined that the little wom-
an waiting at Seattle should see her
sailor alive again.
That night the boys below spun their
sailors yarns while they busily prepared
for what they knew would come when
the mornings light tipped the lone snow
capped sentinel upon the misty shore
of the Aleutans. A clean sheet and a
sack Of coarse cloth are the shroud and
the coffin of the man who lends a willing
ear to the last signing call of the moody
sea. The next morning, with the home
SNOTe di Dui III SlENLt iltA EdlIfIeQ tli
the main deck aft just as the placid
bosom of the Pacific was mirroring the
first rays Of an Indian summer sun.
Full uniform had been the order.
and the little group of officers were fit
for dress parade On a rude plank, the
coarse shrOud. hidden by the protecting
folds of an American flag, lay the cause
of the gathering.
Il am the resurrection and the life,
saith the Lord.
Burial Service Appropriate.
As the captain read the words Of the
Episcopal burial service their truth never
seemed more potent.
Il know, that my Redeemer Hveth."
Surely, Job, when this potent conviction
came home to him. must have been look
ing out upon a matchless sea lightened by
the glory of an autumnal sun.
we brought nothing into this world.
and It is certain we carry nothing out -
Was there ever more forceful example
OF this truth uttered by Timothy than in
the thing that lay before them?
Lord. Thou hast been our refuge,
from one generation to another"
To none does the word refuge have
more intense meaning than TO a sailor.
His is the necessity for a constant
refuge in time of need.
Then as the sun was creeping to the
rim Of the oceans horizon came the