Year: 1877

creak Then down came the wind as ii
to help the waves, and snapped the mast
and tore away the sail.


1t was moving sight to watch this
warfare of the elements against man, but
which was fortunately half concealed
from the seaman's wife by mountain of
thick waves, which only allowed her to
surmise the danger to which the craft
was exposed.


And now the sea rose higher and
higher, and kept surging round the ves-
sci. The waves rose above the sides of
the boat and showered down their foam,
that was caught midway by the gusts of
wind, till at length billow, taller and
blacker than all the others, overspread
the deck like black pail, and the death
cry of six men was heard amid the tri-
umphant din chorused by the waves and
the winds.


Then, by one of those strange effects of
chance, the waves seemed to grow ap-
peased by this human sacrifice. The
wind fell and in short time the sea be-
came as smooth and polished as sheet
of silver. -


The seaman's wife had remained on
shore until she had lost sight of the ves-
sci, and then returned home, little think
ing the boat had been upset so short a
time after. On the contrary, her heart
| felt lightened at the sight of the stars
now peeping forth from the sky, and she
waited more hopefully for her husbands s
return.


The landlord waited also.


A week after bill was stuck up on
the house near the harbor, bearing the
words, "Ie h,eren terstOnd" To be let
with immediate possession). A lifeless
infant, wrapped in towel, lay exposed
near the door amid small lot of furni-
ture for sale-tenant's death not having
discharged the debt; while a mad
woman sat on the .etty, at the very spot
where the seaman's wife had seen the
vessel for the last time.


And every day, at the same hour, this
poor desolate creature would come and
take her seat at the same place, in spite
of the rain or the cutting winds that
blew in her face, with her head bare, and
her eyes fixed on the horizon, scanning
each billow that rolled toward the shore,
as though it would bring her the beloved
object that was missing.


Then, as soon as the weather bright
ened up, she would return to her lonely
home; for the cottage, by a just feeling
of revenge on the part of the people, had
never been hired by new tenant. She
therefore went into it prepared for her
husbands return.


She would lay on the table the bread
received from her neighbors' charity, and
serve up the soup for him who was never
more to eat, while she kept waiting con
stantly for him who would never return
again.


At other times when this modern Nina
happened to descry vessel, and she
stood watching on the shore, would she
brighten up, and seem to be busily search
ing for her husband among the crew she
would then wave her handkerchief,
shout aloud, and run after the vessel till
it put into the harbor. There she would
look out for her missing one, and pitch
on one of the crew whom she mistook
for him, and take him home with her.


1t would be impossible to describe the
extreme respect these of poor seamen
for the unhappy madwoman, and the re-
ligious cOmplaisance with which they
fostered her illusion, by going to sur
with her, and paying for their meal.


The police, however, thought it sc
highly immoral that the poor woman
should choose living husband every day
to represent the dead one, that ORDER
were given to put her into confinement
She was near dying of burning fever il
her. prison.


Some time after she was set at liberty
and the first use she made of IL was to g
and take her usual seat on the jetty, anC
to gaze at the ocean


1t was evening; the sea was rough ant
the clouds as threatening as on the fata
day that made her widow. Presently
she espied a vessel at anchor in the sam,
direction in which she had ceased to Sc,
the boat that formerly bore her hus
band then the hallucination she al
ways experienced at such sight seizet
upon her more violently than ever
while the similarity of the weather still
further aggravated her chronic illusion


Her eyes became dilated, her lips wer'
parted and her arms extended; but a
the vessel role at anchor, and did no
approach, a nervous crisis shook he
whole frame.


She thought she heard voice calling
to her, and saw phantom hold out hi
arms to her; she screamed aloud, rushe'
into the sea, and hurried toward tn
vessel.


1t was late, the night was dark, tn
weather tempestuous, and the shore de
serted. On she went, without let o
handrance, and walked and walked int
the midst of the waves, until she disaT
peared!
The madwoman's house may still b
seen at Ostend, near the Hotel de
Bains. The walters of the hotel ofte
point it out to travellers. 1t is still LEI