The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1910-04-08
A Narrow Escape.

| by Abner {. Bristol, IL, West Towns
hend)
II was midnight; and at sea the wind
blew a terrible gale, making waves such
as are seen only once in a lifetime. A
little way out from the New England
coast tossed a small sailing vessel. This
ship had sailed from England with its
load of passengers bound for the New
make their homes here. The journey had
been calm and peaceful until they were
within few hours of land, and then rose
storm the ferocity of which is only
known to old sailors who have made the
ocean their home.
In this company there were a young man
of twenty and his sweetheart. He APP
peared much older, being straight and
| tall, with black hair, brown eyes, and
fair complexion. She was small and
slender, with light hair, blue eyes, clear
skin, and pink checks. They first met
where good many lovers do-at the
country schoolhouse. And liking each
other from the first, they played and
studied together. But as time went on,
their friendship grew slowly but steadily
INTO uecp, StroiS ioNe.
The girls parents were of high birth,
but having lost their money were obliged
to work the soil with the commoners.
when they learned that their daughter
was in love with John Brown they were
very indignant, and would not allow her
to see him. This made the lovers very
unhappy But he, hearing that ship
was to sail for America, thought that if
only Nellie were willing, they could get
married and escape to America.
The ship was to sail from Liverpool,
which was twenty miles away, at four
o'clock the next day. So John waited
until dark and then, going into garden
near her window, he called her name.
Presently the slender form of Nellie
Jackson appeared in the garden. After
a fond embrace and kiss he told her
his plan. She agreed very readily, and
promised to meet him in the garden at
twelve o'clock. After another kiss they
parted to make ready for the journey.
AT midnight they met with what clothes
they could carry, and John with the
twenty pounds he had saved. They
Travelled afoot and arrived at Liverpool
about noon. Here they were married.
They obtained passage on the ship, and
all went well until the night of the begin
ing of the story.
During the first part of the storm John
and Nellie stayed on deck with some of
the other passengers, but as it increased
they were ordered into the cabin. For
three hours the ship tossed wildly, the
waves flashing furiously against the sides
of the small vessel, which was going
nearer and nearer toward the shore.
Suddenly they felt the ship grind along
on the rocky bottom. Everyone grew
pale. John seized rope, which was on
the cabin floor, bound his young wife
upon his back, and waited for the worst
to come. The ship struck again. This
time the bow was broken in. She reeled,
swung around, and struck the third time,
breaking into pieces. John was thrown
into the water and started to swim in a
direction which he thought was toward
shore. He was soon overtaken by large
timber and clinging to it drifted ashore.
He unbound his wife, who although being
weakened and chilled by the cold water,
was not in serious condition.
When morning came they found twelve
of the company who had escaped a
watery grave. The rest they never saw
again. The survivors wandered along the
shore until they found the settlement of
Boston, where they were taken in.
John and Nellie built a log hut near
Boston. There they lived to a good old
age and raised a family of ten children.
Years afterward when their grandchil-
dren came to visit them they would amuse
them hours at time by telling about
their shipwreck in early life.