the wreck of the golden mary-第6章

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the　right　way。　　The　patience　and　good　disposition　aboard　of　us；　was

wonderful。　　I　was　not　surprised　by　it　in　the　women；　for　all　men　born

of　women　know　what　great　qualities　they　will　show　when　men　will

fail；　but；　I　own　I　was　a　little　surprised　by　it　in　some　of　the　men。

Among　one…and…thirty　people　assembled　at　the　best　of　times；　there

will　usually；　I　should　say；　be　two　or　three　uncertain　tempers。　　I

knew　that　I　had　more　than　one　rough　temper　with　me　among　my　own

people；　for　I　had　chosen　those　for　the　Long…boat　that　I　might　have

them　under　my　eye。　　But；　they　softened　under　their　misery；　and　were

as　considerate　of　the　ladies；　and　as　compassionate　of　the　child；　as

the　best　among　us；　or　among　menthey　could　not　have　been　more　so。

I　heard　scarcely　any　complaining。　　The　party　lying　down　would　moan　a

good　deal　in　their　sleep；　and　I　would　often　notice　a　mannot　always

the　same　man；　it　is　to　be　understood；　but　nearly　all　of　them　at　one

time　or　othersitting　moaning　at　his　oar；　or　in　his　place；　as　he

looked　mistily　over　the　sea。　　When　it　happened　to　be　long　before　I

could　catch　his　eye；　he　would　go　on　moaning　all　the　time　in　the

dismallest　manner；　but；　when　our　looks　met；　he　would　brighten　and

leave　off。　　I　almost　always　got　the　impression　that　he　did　not　know

what　sound　he　had　been　making；　but　that　he　thought　he　had　been

humming　a　tune。



Our　sufferings　from　cold　and　wet　were　far　greater　than　our

sufferings　from　hunger。　　We　managed　to　keep　the　child　warm；　but；　I

doubt　if　any　one　else　among　us　ever　was　warm　for　five　minutes

together；　and　the　shivering；　and　the　chattering　of　teeth；　were　sad

to　hear。　　The　child　cried　a　little　at　first　for　her　lost　playfellow；

the　Golden　Mary；　but　hardly　ever　whimpered　afterwards；　and　when　the

state　of　the　weather　made　it　possible；　she　used　now　and　then　to　be

held　up　in　the　arms　of　some　of　us；　to　look　over　the　sea　for　John

Steadiman's　boat。　　I　see　the　golden　hair　and　the　innocent　face　now；

between　me　and　the　driving　clouds；　like　an　angel　going　to　fly　away。



It　had　happened　on　the　second　day；　towards　night；　that　Mrs。

Atherfield；　in　getting　Little　Lucy　to　sleep；　sang　her　a　song。　　She

had　a　soft；　melodious　voice；　and；　when　she　had　finished　it；　our

people　up　and　begged　for　another。　　She　sang　them　another；　and　after

it　had　fallen　dark　ended　with　the　Evening　Hymn。　　From　that　time；

whenever　anything　could　be　heard　above　the　sea　and　wind；　and　while

she　had　any　voice　left；　nothing　would　serve　the　people　but　that　she

should　sing　at　sunset。　　She　always　did；　and　always　ended　with　the

Evening　Hymn。　　We　mostly　took　up　the　last　line；　and　shed　tears　when

it　was　done；　but　not　miserably。　　We　had　a　prayer　night　and　morning；

also；　when　the　weather　allowed　of　it。



Twelve　nights　and　eleven　days　we　had　been　driving　in　the　boat；　when

old　Mr。　Rarx　began　to　be　delirious；　and　to　cry　out　to　me　to　throw

the　gold　overboard　or　it　would　sink　us；　and　we　should　all　be　lost。

For　days　past　the　child　had　been　declining；　and　that　was　the　great

cause　of　his　wildness。　　He　had　been　over　and　over　again　shrieking

out　to　me　to　give　her　all　the　remaining　meat；　to　give　her　all　the

remaining　rum；　to　save　her　at　any　cost；　or　we　should　all　be　ruined。

At　this　time；　she　lay　in　her　mother's　arms　at　my　feet。　　One　of　her

little　hands　was　almost　always　creeping　about　her　mother's　neck　or

chin。　　I　had　watched　the　wasting　of　the　little　hand；　and　I　knew　it

was　nearly　over。



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　wreckfor；　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　so　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　armourer；　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。



Foreseeing　that　if　the　boat　lived　through　the　stormy　weather；　the

time　must　come；　and　soon　come；　when　we　should　have　absolutely　no

morsel　to　eat；　I　had　one　momentous　point　often　in　my　thoughts。

Although　I　had；　years　before　that；　fully　satisfied　myself　that　the

instances　in　which　human　beings　in　the　last　distress　have　fed　upon

each　other；　are　exceedingly　few；　and　have　very　seldom　indeed　（if

ever）　occurred　when　the　people　in　distress；　however　dreadful　their

extremity；　have　been　accustomed　to　moderate　forbearance　and

restraint；　I　say；　though　I　had　long　before　quite　satisfied　my　mind

on　this　topic；　I　felt　doubtful　whether　there　might　not　have　been　in

former　cases　some　harm　and　danger　from　keeping　it　out　of　sight　and

pretending　not　to　think　of　it。　　I　felt　doubtful　whether　some　minds；

growing　weak　with　fasting　and　exposure　and　having　such　a　terrific

idea　to　dwell　upon　in　secret；　might　not　magnify　it　until　it　got　to

have　an　awful　attraction　about　it。　　This　was　not　a　new　thought　of

mine；　for　it　had　grown　out　of　my　reading。　　However；　it　came　over　me

stronger　than　it　had　ever　done　beforeas　it　had　reason　for　doing

in　the　boat；　and　on　the　fourth　day　I　decided　that　I　would　bring　out

into　the　light　that　unformed　fear　which　must　have　been　more　or　less

darkly　in　every　brain　among　us。　　Therefore；　as　a　means　of　beguiling

the　time　and　inspiring　hope；　I　gave　them　the　best　summary　in　my

power　of　Bligh's　voyage　of　more　than　three　thousand　miles；　in　an

open　boat；　after　the　Mutiny　of　the　Bounty；　and　of　the　wonderful

preservation　of　that　boat's　crew。　　They　listened　throughout　with

great　interest；　and　I　concluded　by　telling　them；　that；　in　my

opinion；　the　happiest　circumstance　in　the　whole　narrative　was；　that

Bligh；　who　was　no　delicate　man　e