Year: 1865




in my heart The cruel words rang in
my ears as they had dropped foom my lips,
and voluntarily prayed to God that no
harm might come to my child. Dinner
time came but no Clarence. My husband
was in New York, and | wa. alone with
my three younger children. Towards the
middle of the afternoon a messenger-a
| soidier stationed in the fort at the entrance
| of the harbor-came to our house, and
told me that one of my husbands boats
had been capsised off Eagle Point; that
three boys were in the water and two
| boats had put off from the fort to their
assistance What passed during the next
| half hour | know not. except that [ ran
| down upon tho beach, and stood there
wringing my haht.s and praying God to
spare my child. At length one Of the fort
| boats came to the shore, and when the
men brought my boy to me | thought he
was dead. Ills boat had been struck by
n faw Of wind in rounding the Point, and
when she went over, he had used his frst
cilci-icS IA MS TWO COIN
He had cot them to a safe position upon
the overturned boat, and just as he was
about to secure a safe hold for himself, n
heavy sea came rolling in and swept him
off When the boat from the fort reached
him he had sunk the third time, and one
of the men caught him bv TIE hair Of the
bead and drew him out But no one there
knew what to do for him They simply
laid him upon some cid sails and brought
him to me. And then some one took me
to the house, while two men bore my child
after me- When he had been laid upon
the bed, I hea, some one say that the
boy was gone. ., God orlv knows what
| suffered at that moment! In the anguish
of my heart, I could only cry out, God
| spare my child 7


| "But help was at hand An old sailor,
who had had experience in such cases,
and who had seen the boy brought in,
came to save him. He gathered together
every blanket in the house, and had men
| heat them by the blazing fire. At first.
my child was utterly senseless; his legs
| and arms were cold rs ice; and the pulse
IN his wrist not perceptible. / knelt by
his bedside while the strong man piled the
hot blankets He easpcd and struggled.
and expected that every moment would
| he his last of earthly life O, what n sea-
4on that was for me | cannot describe
NV feelings-vo1 cannot imagine them
much better For full half an hour knelt
there with my fingers upon my boys
pulse, while the men-six of them
worked with the blankets. Byandby
! felt futtcring beneath my touch the
pulse began to throb; the lungs were be-
| ing freed from the burden Of water At
length the eyes opened, and their first
I glnnce was upon me. Clarence, who is
! this I? l asked A smile broke over his
pale face, and he whispered It's you
! dear motherp And then the old sailor
/ told me that | need have no more fear
he assured me that my child was safe.
| Il could bear no more. | sank forward
upon the bed, and | remember that two Of
the men took me mp and bore me away
( The next thing I.knew / was in my bed,
and Clarence was hv my side, sleeping
| quietly and safely. 1t was some weeks
| before my boy was able to be out as be-
| fore; but the fever consequent upon the
terrible strain upon his system at length
passed off, and my Clarence was strong
and buoyant once more


! Maria, l believe that from that time
to the present l have never spoken a
rem Had NY boy died in that dark hour
! | should certIinly have gone crazy. Never,
never does the impulse to speak thought
lessly come upon me, but | remember
those cruel words which | spoke to my
/ fir.t-born on that day, and find flashing
upon my memory, with an influence child
ing and startling, the picture of that co d
and lifeless form, so near-O, so near-to
the brink Of the gravel 1t was a fearful
lesson; but | think l needed it; and,
what is more, I know | have profted by
it"


Mrs. Nascby wiped her eyes, and arose
and left the room The calling up of that
old sceae had affected her so deeply that
/ she wished to be alone until her heart had
grown still and quiet again. An hour af-
forwards, MS she sat by the window of her
chamber, she saw Mrs. Do!rence coming
across the yard with little Lizzie in her
arms The child was pressed closely tc
her bosom, and she kissed it over and over
again: and as she came nearer, Mrs


Naseby saw traces of tears upon he.
cheeks


That evening. after Lizzie had gone tc
bed, Mrs. Dorrence drew her chair ur


by the side of her friend and took heI


hand


Matilda" she said, with q tremuious-


ness in her voice. and a bright tear in hel


eve. II am free to confess that you have


taugh. me valuable lesson; and the mos


direct way in which can show ny graft