Year: 1874

ply the chances, just for the fun of the thing
Down went the mates to ransack for bottles,
and in short time some six or eight, each
containing written statement with embellish-
ments to suit the fancy of the writer, were
committed to the ocean.


"I've reported the Ajax with five hundred
barrels" said the third mate "That's only
anticipating little. five haven't got it, we
aoant il"


This was not said in the captains hearing.
He supposed that all the bottles contained
bona ,fde reports, though he did not ask to look
at their contents


"My story u.s." said one Of the men, "that
we have had a terrible mutiny on board that
big black Sam has got command of the ship,
and has driven the captain into the galley to
cook him."


"What did you write, Mr.. Winslow?" the
chief mate asked.


30, I'm not going to tell. If my bottle is
picked up, it will astonish the finder more
than any of them. But, pshaw we never
shall hear from any of them again"


"No, there's not much danger Of il" was
the careless reply.


They watched the bottles, bobbing up and
down in the swell, for some little time; but,
gradually carried to the westward by the force
of the current, they had all passed out Of view
long before the favoring breeze filled the sails
of the barque, and she again pushed forward
on her southwark course. Past the stormy
headland of Good Hope, and across the great
Southern Ocean, through Timor Straits to the
cruising grounds about New Guinea and the
Archipelago of Solomon, where, cut off from
all but merely accidental communication with
the civilized world, we leave her and her har-
dy crew to pursue the objects of their adven-
turous cruise, and to battle with Leviathan in
his native element.


Months passed away-long, weary months
to the true-hearted girl, who vainly besieged
the local post-ofice-vainly swept her eager
eye over the marine list of the Bristol Mercury,
only to meet with disappointment, till "hope
deferred made the heart sick" Only one let
ter, written three weeks out from home, had
reached her a true seaman's love-letter, filled
with the outspoken affection of her stout
hearted whaleman, with confidence in her en-
during truth, with pride in his noble vessel
and shipmates, with sanguine predictions of
merited success and triumphant return. The
precious document had been read over and
again, till every word was transferred to the
page of memory; opened and reclosed till the
folds showed alarming evidence of weakness
still its successor came not, and the Ajax had
been absent nearly year. Still, Jane did
not cease to hope, for her father, who had fol-
lowed the sea himself but had given it up in
consequence of failing health, still thought
that they had found profitable cruising
ground somewhere by themselves, and made
a port at some out-of-the-way island.


"When you do hear from the ship" said
he, "she will be doing we'll, depend upon it."


Jane was the pride of her father-his only
companion and housekeeper. Her mother
had died several years before and the darling
wish of the invalid widower's heart was that
he might live long enough to see his girl the
happy wife of some one worthy of her.


Thus matters stood when Jane one day
bought, as usual, the Mercury, and Fastening
home with it, paused not even to remove her
shawl and hat, but tearing it open, she cast
her eyes upon the shipping intelligence.
paleness of death chasing the rosy bloom from
her cheeks, she dropped into the nearest chair
and mechanically read on.


"What is it, Jane? News from Reuben?"


No reply. The breath came hard and thick
through the parted lips, the dilated eyes wan
dered not from the item till the last cruel
word was read, the last spark of hope dying
out with it. The paper fell to the floor, and
the insensitle girl was caught in the feeble
arms of her father, as she sank under the blow
so heart crushing, SC suddenly inflicted.


Fever and delrium followed, and for sever
al days Jane Athearn's life wavered in the
balance. But nature, aided by medical skill
and the careful nursing of her father, and his
kind neighbors, at last triumphed. Reason
came back to the stricken one, and with it a
calmness and fortitude which were inherent
with her, and might have averted all danger,
had the fatal tidings been less abruptly COM
municated.


With the captains permission, have copied
from the printed slip which he still carefully
preserves, as reminder, he says, of the one
great folly of his life:


| "SAD MARINE D1sASTER-PRoBABLE Loss OF
THE BARQUE AJAX, AND ALL HER CREw.-Ship
ports March 10th, while becalmed in the Blight OF
Brazil, picked up junk bottle sealed tightly,
! which appeared to have been several months in
| the water. On opening the bottle, the following
report was found Barque Ajax, of Bristol, at sea,
near the Cape of Good Hope. Aug. 1-SiX feet OF
water in the hold and gaining upon us every hour.
We have just got the foresail OH her to send be-
fore it, but the gale which has blown for two days,
is still increasing. There is little or no hope for
us.-R. W. We have copied this from the paper
ITSELF which is in good condition and still perfect
ly legbe. The handwriting corresponds well
with the 81 gnature Of the second officer, MIR. Reu-
| ben Wnslow, on the duplicate of the ships arti-
cles. Had she reached either Cape Town or Maui
ritious, the news must long ago have transpired.
There can be no doubt that the i'll l-htedbarque has
foundered in the gale at sea, with all on board"


Bitterly and sincerely did Jane Athearn
mourn the loss of the man she loved, for many
months after her recovery from the first great
shock But time works wonders in healing
heartwounds; and whatever may be expected
of the heroine of mere romance, the OBJ
server of everyday actualities will not be as
tonished to learn that she neither committed
suicide nor buried her young heart forever in
the depths of the Southern Ocean.


1t is no reflection upon her judgment or
her hearts that she declined to do either.
Other cares stepped in !; the failing health of
her only parent demanded her attention and
sympathy his anxiety to see his darling mar
ried before he left the world of course had its
weight with her. She listened to the suit of
Andrew Morrison, captain of a coaster, and
the close of the next year saw her united in
marriage to him at the wish of her dying
father, whose last conscious act was to invoke
blessing upon the union. x


No young mans heart beat higher with
fond anticipations of happiness than did our
second mate on the morning when the Ajax,
laden scuppers to with oily treasure, backed
her maintop sail to speak pilot.boat off the