A CHANGE OF AIR

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 308, 28 December 1940, Page 4 (Supplement)

A CHANGE OF AIR

MISS ELIZABETH MOUAT sat in the tiny kitchen of her Shetland home with her hands folded in her lap, gaaing into tlje flickering peat ashes on the hearth with an air of regret mingled with pleasant anticipation; for, although she was an old lady only just recovering frPW a stroke of paralysis and had never left the croft since she was a wee bairn, she was op the eve of taking a journey, a journey on the sea, 4 "wee voyage" to Lerwick far a change of air. On the table neap her lay a heap of gajly-tolomed shawls and woollies, apd the n,prth and south doore of her P ol 'ch were hospitably wide open. For boms visitors had been flocking through them, women and girls of the' island, all carrying bundles. The bundles contained the soft, warm Shetland wool|jes knitted in their spare moments, fpr Miss Elizabeth had offered to parry then* to Lerwick tq sell fp the fieheFTgirJs who crowded the, town in the herring season. In gratitude, n«af|y evjtry visitor brought » m% to the old lady, and, althqugh flljaajietn afe JiWIP more than a sparrow, and the "wee voyage" would he over in ft few hours, the gifts were mostly edible, and H Q t for the world would her (Scots- thrif tjness or her natural gqpd manner* a|hiw to refuse such, offering*.

"Here's * bannock," said one, "'twill be yesterday's bak? >ng. ye ken, and tjiioujdna give ye the pain in the client." "And there's nowt s6 sustaining as a snack of herring," said another. "Here's a bitty in a pot to give 'ee something tasty between the bannocks." fresh scones, hard-boiled eggts and oatmeal cakes were presented by the well-wishers, and when young Kirsty MacFar}ane had tied up the woollies into a bmidJe and Elizabeth was left alone, she niade a parcel of her gift*, and went to bed in the twilight, saying a prayer for a safe journey and a-safe return tp the little croft. It was wet and squally the, nest day when she boarded the Columbine, a small sailing vessg} with a crew of three. Carrying lusr parcels belpw carefully, the fljd lady immediately retired Jo. the ca;pin below, thinking this tfle most becoming attitude fqr the oi|ly lady on bpard. She placed * ,er Iwndle on th e and tn e refreshments near it, and prepared to enjoy novelty of her surroundings. Put, ajas! for poor Miss Elizabeth i» the stuffy little cabin, for the sea breeze souu became so rough that the little ship was tossed and pitched about like a cork pn the waters, and her only passenger was plunged intP tl ie miseries pf §ea-sickness. She was too ill

even to notice the shouts, bumps, and other noises on deck, until at last, above the uproar and screaming of the gale, she heard a voice shout: "The Timinesheert's aw'! Get awa' the boat!" Feeble after her recent illness and weakened further by her seasickness, the poor old lady made an effort to climb up the companionway to the deck, but, overcome with giddiness, she fell vio-

lently backwards to the floor of the cabin and lay there unconscious. Meanwhile, on tleek above, the skipper and the mate were both swept overboard. The mate managed to get aboard again, and with the help of the boy, hurriedly managed to launch a boat, and they pulled a\vay to rescue the skipper. Failing to find him, they began to row back to the (Ship, but siie had drifted away sp rapidly that it was now impossible to reach her. The Columbine was making for the open sea vyitl) nobody but a little qJd Jady, unconscious and forgotten, aboard her. Itfo one will ever really know what Miss Elizabeth * Mount thought when she at last came to herself, crawled up the cabin •stairs, and found herself alone in a little broken ship on wide unknown seas. She was a Scotswoman, and never talked about her feelings. But, incredible as it seems, she Mas to be a voyager on those lonely seas for eight days and nights, her only food being that provided by her neighbours for 4 few fours' jpurney. There was food on the slijp, but #he was too feeble t« fetch it. Yesterday's bannock was hard now, but it was cheering to think of Maggie J}onald baking it in her brawj-new stqye. She was very cold until the discpyery of a sailor's thick reefer jacket brought }ier pomfort- S)»e would have die?d rather tjian make use of the parcel pf soft wraps she had brp".ght with he'"- The thought of thejn lyjpg there in their bright loveliness and the scenes their niakipg conjured up before her eyps were beautiful enough to bring warmth to her cold and aching pld body. And tp think that all that bonnie -^fork —worth, far more than Elizabeth herself, in her own Ruinimi— imtm] °f hp»»g fought to adorn the sturdy fisher-lassie* wquld gppp be aU at the bottom pf the I*ea. it n ,a<le her fee] sp vexed ajid sair that c-lic couldn't bear to think pf it. But

a miracle was at hand to end Elizabeth Mouat'ft strange adventure. The little ship Columbine was terribly damaged; tout in spite of her wounds she travelled gallantly onward* until the eighth day. Then, hi the early morning, when her lonely passenger climbed wearily from tl|e cabin to the deck. .Oie beheld the blessed sigjit of land. It wa* then that the

miracle happened, for, instead of the little ship's being dashed to pieces 011 the rock* ahead, she swerved and made straight for a short stretch of shingly beach, ran upon it and fell with a crash on her side in the .shallow water. The "wee voyage-" had ended at last on the .small island of Lepsoe on t]ie coast of Norway. It was not long before some fishermen espied the wreck and came hastily to see wjrat could lie salvaged- To their astonishment they found in the ship an old lady nearly dead with cold and exhaustion. At> she spoke broad Scots and tUey Norwegian, the situation could not be explained, but thev carried her to their wives, who cared for her tenderjy while the illen fetched an Englishman who was fishing on the island. He was able to interpret for them her incredible story. Eater, Miss Elizabeth Monat. still rather exhausted, was brought to England, where she was met by a reporter anxious to hear l|er story. She was quite the heroine of t)ie hour, and 'was at last persuaded tp accept 4 sum of .money collected by people who were a!!¥iftug tJ?at such a courageous old )a4y should Spend the rest of hpr jjfJß in safety and comfort. T\tm she JRurueyed to her Shetland ho »»e, and was received bv jjer frippcjs with that reserve which, was to Iter t)ie truest and most hoine-like of welcomes. Once again back h) her chair by the peat fire she said to her visitors: "Jjin sair and vexed I couldna sell the shajvlies for ye, but I didna see any folk, ye ken. But I've brought thepi ail back safe in yon parcel." "Aye, aye, Eliza.foetji. Ye did your best and couUlpa dae mairBut ye're no looking so well for the change of air. woman, dear." ■"Aye, that's true for ye, lass, and I'm thinking I winua be leaving the croft jet awhile. There's nae place like ha me, and the wee voyage djdna seem to suit ma auld bones."