AT THE ALTAR.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 3212, 24 July 1878, Page 3

AT THE ALTAR.

<» AN OLD SHIPMASTER'S STOBY. Well, well, my friends, whib we are watching the departure of tne Ulu Year, and the incoming of the New, I will tell you the story. The time was when I didn't think I should ever tell it at my own board, or anything el 83, for that matter. Mollie Starbird and I were playmates at childhood, as our fathers had been before us, and we grew up lo be schoolmates, as our fathers had grown up to be shipmates ; for our fathers were both sailors ; but my father was the most favoured by fortune. He came to be master of a fine, large ship, while Mollies father never got higher than mate. What he might have he.ome, had he lived, I cannot say; but he died when he was five-and-thirty, leaving but very little property for liis wile and child. When Mollie was sixteen her mother died, t und she went to ,: ye with an aunt. I commenced going to sea with my father when I was fifteen, and at the ago of twenty I was_ first mate. Mollie Starbird was ut that time eighteen. Before I sailed on that first voyage as my father's chief officer, I asked Mollie if she would be my wife when I came to the command of a ship. I had loved her ever since I could remember, and she seemed almost to belong to me. She rested her head upon my bosom, and told me she would be my wife whenever I wished. She loved me truly and sever could love anybody else. I went away very proud, and very happy, feeling that the dearest prize of all the world was mine. Our voyage was a prosperous one ; and on my return I spent two weeks with my darling — weeks of such joy as I thought could never be excelled." Our next voyage was to India. My father died in Calcutta, and I came home in command of the ship ; and so well had I managed matters that the owners gave me a new ship which had just been built for them, and which was rigged under my own supervision. And now I could claim my Mollies hand." I went to her, and we were married, and she was to go to India with me. If I had been proud and happy before, I was a thousand times more proud and happy now. Mollie was my wife, and I knew that her heart was all my own, "though others had tried hard to win her from me. Ah ! no wonder she had plenty of suitors. At this time, with these silvery shreds upon my furrowed brow, looking back upon the long ago, I must say what my Mollie was in that daj\ To say that she was the handsomest girl in Saybrook wouldn't begin to tell the story. " Handsome is as handsome does," is an old saying, and it is true. My Mollie was not only fair to look upon, bub she was as fair as she could be — as good as anything of earthly mould could possibly be, — and then when you think how long and. how devotedly our hearts had been united, you can imagine whether we were happy or not. I wish you could have seen Mollies face, and seen her hide that faco upon my bosom, when she first saw the block of g'lded letters upon the" stern of our ship. I had told her that the owners had left it for mo to name the noble craft, but she did not know that I had done it. But there it was — "The Star Bird." Says I, " We'll save your old name, Mollie," for I didn't think the parting it amidships hurt it any. She hid her face first upon my bosom and then looked up, smiling and joyous, and made answer to me, " Yes, Jack, and while you save it so beautifully 1 shaU be the happiest of the happy." I didn't thiuk then that there might be an omen in those words, nor did my darling think, but we both had occasion to think afterwards. Well, we sailed. Mollie didn't have even a touch of sea-sickness. She was a true sailor's daughter. Before wo had reached the Cane of Good Hope she could take a correct observation of either the sun or the moon, and could find the latitude from the altitude of either of those bodies. Oh ! happiness is a tame word to be applied to our two lives during that voyage. It was heaven itself, and I don't think there is any irreverence in saying so. We were gone a year and a half. When we came home a child had been burn to vs — a daughter — and I made arrangements with Uncle Nathan and his wife fcr Mollie and the little one to find a homo with them. Aunt Abby, Nathan Poole's wife, was sister to Mollies father. My next voyage was to be to India and the Pacific. Mollie did not dare to take our child to sea nor did I wish it. Of course I should have liked it, but I did not think it well. I held my darlings a long time to my bosom before 1 bade them good-bye, and at the last moment Mollie was near breaking down. She clung to mo with frantic energy, and I fairly had to get her aunt to hold her as I turned away. I spoke hopeful, cheering words, but- I blubbered like a child while I spoke. It was a t-ad parting, and I half promised, before I went, that that should be my last voyage. You remember something of what followed — how I lost my ship and crew. I was caught by a typhoon in the Chinese Sea. It struck us at night, dead ahead, just as a fortytwo pound shot would strike a man in tho same direction. It drove us under, stern foremost, as surely and swiftly as you ever saw a ship slip from her -ways in launching. By some means, which I never clearly understood, I gained a mass of spars. It was the fore-topgallant mast and yard, with tho cross-trees and the head of the. topmast. Four of my men had found the spar with me but they were all washed away before morning. I had lashed a Hying end "of one of the stays around my body, and that licld me. On the next morning the wind had gone

down, and I found myself alone on the wast* of waters, with no land, no sail, nor any sign of more of the wreck in <?ight. How long T was on that float of spars I never knew. My senses left me, and when they came back £ found myself on board a Ladrone lugger, oi? proa, and at the end of the month I was landed upon a small island, where our proa* belonged— an island wiiich I found to be one of the Ladrone group. The natives foundme apt at rigging their boats, and they treated me j kindly ; but I could not induce them to take j me to one of the islands frequented by Chris-- ; tian traders, nor could I steal a boat in whicht to mako my escape. | Three long and weary years I remained on. that island ; and then I managed to steal oa board a Dutch brig which had hove-to off one of our headlands for water. The brig was bound to Australia, and landed me safely afc Melbourne, where I met a man with whom I was acquainted, and who informed me thafc by waiting six weeks I could obtain a passage direct to New York. My friend was on hia way to the mines, and I went with him. Beyond the Australian Alps, near a tributary of the River Murray, Aye took up a douhle "claim" together. Our first essay at digging showed us that we had struck a vast " pothole," at the foot of a jagged ledge of quarts rock, in which virgin gold was deposited im abundance. Within a week thereafter I soldi ont my claim for £20,000 cash. Thus I was made rich, richer by far than I had ever in. my wildest dreams dared hope to be. A. month later the American ship sailed from. Melbourne, and I helped the captain to work her home. (To be continued.)

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