Junior High School Literature, Book 1Elson, William H. (William Harris)
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Junior High School Literature, Book 1
Elson, William H. (William Harris)
American literature; English literature; Readers
The old man’s cries were so discordant with the mother’s love, and
submission, that I called out to him in an angry voice, unless he held
his peace on the instant, I would order him to be knocked on the head
and thrown overboard. He was mute then, until the child died, very
peacefully, an hour afterwards; which was known to all in the boat by
the mother’s breaking out into lamentations for the first time since the
wreck—for she had great fortitude and constancy, though she was a little
gentle woman. Old Mr. Rarx then became quite ungovernable, tearing what
rags he had on him, raging in imprecations, and calling to me that if I
had thrown the gold overboard (always the gold with him!) I might have
saved the child. “And now,” says he, in a terrible voice, “we shall
founder, and all go to the Devil, for our sins will sink us, when we have
no innocent child to bear us up!” We soon discovered with amazement, that
this old wretch had only cared for the life of the pretty little creature
dear to all of us, because of the influence he superstitiously hoped she
might have in preserving him! Altogether it was too much for the smith,
or armorer, who was sitting next the old man, to bear. He took him by the
throat and rolled him under the thwarts, where he lay still enough for
hours afterwards.
All that thirteenth night, Miss Coleshaw, lying across my knees as I kept
the helm, comforted and supported the poor mother. Her child, covered
with a pea-jacket of mine, lay in her lap. It troubled me all night to
think that there was no Prayer-Book among us, and that I could remember
but very few of the exact words of the burial service. When I stood up at
broad day, all knew what was going to be done, and I noticed that my poor
fellows made the motion of uncovering their heads, though their heads had
been stark bare to the sky and sea for many a weary hour. There was a
long heavy swell on, but otherwise it was a fair morning, and there were
broad fields of sunlight on the waves in the east. I said no more than
this: “I am the Resurrection and the Life, saith the Lord. He raised the
daughter of Jairus the ruler, and said she was not dead but slept. He
raised the widow’s son. He arose Himself, and was seen of many. He loved
little children, saying, ‘Suffer them to come unto Me and rebuke them
not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven.’ In His name, my friends, and
committed to His merciful goodness!” With those words I laid my rough
face softly on the placid little forehead, and buried the Golden Lucy in
the grave of the Golden Mary.
Having had it on my mind to relate the end of this dear little child, I
have omitted something from its exact place, which I will supply here. It
will come quite as well here as anywhere else.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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