Democratic Sentinel, Volume 6, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 July 1882 — THE COPPERING PET. [ARTICLE]

THE COPPERING PET.

I was wandering through the suburbs of one of our smallest and most venerable seaport towns, when I came upon the graveyard. One of the graves particularly attracted my attention. It was covered by a large and flat stone, which bure an inscription reading as follows: “ Here lies the body and worldly substance of Capt. William Mereen, a skipper of this port, and father of Polly Mereen, who sailed from here in the Coppering Pet, in July, 1869. In 1801 he was born in this town, where he died in 1871. The body shall remain here until resurrected by the last trump, and the worldly substance shall stay with it until his daughter Polly shall raise this stone and take from under it her own.” As I was turning away from the grave I saw on the load an elderly man approaching. I had met him before. He was a weather-beaten personage with a sea-fariug demeanor, and his name was Wonderment Sanchez. I saw he was in a hurry, but I stopped him and asked if he could explain the inscrip ion on this tomb. “It’s cur’us,” he said, “that you should ask me such a thing at this time. The Copperin’ Pet is a lyin’ off the bar; I’ve been a watchin’ fur her fur years, and I can’t be mistook in her. She’ll come over at high water, and I’ve been to hunt our pilots, but all three of ’em have gone up the river fishing' I’m no pilot but I’m goin’ out to the Pet in my boat. The Captain ought to know the bar, fur he was raised here, and perhaps he’ll bring her in himself. If y.ou like I’ll take you out with me, and I’ll tell yoi all about that tombstone on the way.” I replied that nothing would please me better, and in fifteen minutes we were rowing over the water toward the bar. “Billy Mereen,” said Wonderment, “was an old friend of mine. He made many v’yges and brought back many cur’us things, principally made out of whales’ jawbones. He had a great likin’ fur such matters, and he’d a had his own bones made of whales’ jaws if he could a clone it. He had one child, named Polly, and her mother died when she was lilt e. Nine years ago, when Polly was about 18, she married young Alba, of this town, and sailed away as is slated on that stone. Two years after that the old man died, and he left all he had to Polly. As I’ve been told, everythin’ was turned into money, which was put into an iron box, and buried under liis gravestone. Accordin’ *to directions he left, the money is to wait there fur her fur a hundred years, fur some of the women Mereens live a long time. If she don’t come fur it in a hundred years, the money irto be given to the oldest man in the town, and when he dies to the oldest one left, and so on until it’s all gone.” I thought Billy Mereen was the most foolish testator I had yet heard of; but I did not say so. I suggested, however, that the iron box might be stolen. “Some folks think,” said the old man, “that there’s nothing much in that box, and some folks thinks there’s lots. But, however ’tis, there’s no man in this town would touch that grave.” I was greatly interested in this story, and was almost as anxious as old Wonderment himself to get out to the Coppering Pet and see what would come of it all.

We were soon out at sea, and as we approached the vessel I saw that Wonderment had not been mistaken. Her name, “the Coppering Pet,” was painted in fresh white letters on her bow. As she lay to, before a moderate breeze, we were soon on board. When we reached the deck Wonderment asked for the Captain. “ All right, sir J” said a sailor, “ she is. coming. ” She ! the old man and I opened wide our eyes, but none too wide for the sight we saw. Up a short companion-way there stepped a young woman, who with a quick and sea-trained step came toward us. She wore a close-fitting dress of blue and a broad straw hat. “Why, if this isn’t Wonderment!” she exclaimed, advancing toward the old man with outstretched hands. “ I’m real glad to see you, Polly,” said Wonderment, “ you’re looking fineIv. And how’s?”— “ He is not living,” said Polly, quietly. “I am so glad you came on board. This is your friend, I suppose.” Wonderment introduced me. “Come into- the cabin,” she said. * * ai *d I will tell you everything that has happened.” When two glasses of grog had been brought, Polly told her story. It was not a very long one. Her husband had died about three years after they first sailed away in the Coppering Pet. This happened when they were in the Japanese seas. She would have sold the vessel and returned to her home, but she found it was not easy to make suitable arrangements of the kind; and then, before any plans could be carried out, she heard of her father’s death. When she recovered from this new shock she did not want to come home, and if she sold her vessel, she felt that she would have no abiding place in this world, so she determined to keep the Coppering Pet, the only home she had; and having a competent mate and a good crew, and being accompanied by a middle-aged Scotch woman, who acted as both maid and companion, she had sailed and traded in thos? Easter waters until a few

month* Ago, when she had determined to see once more her native town. While Capt Polly wa* speaking I had watched her closely. She was really a very handsome woman and her face was but little sunburned. ‘♦And now,” she said, “ I want to hear everything that has happened here.” Thereupon Wonderment told the story of Capt Mereen’s death and the singular disposition of his worldly substance. “ This is a strange story,” said Capt Polly, “ and I must think it, over befoTe I say anything about it And now, Wonderment, did you come out to take Pet over the bar ?” • “ I didn’t come fur that,” said the old man,” inspired br the grog, “but though I’m not a pilot by trade, I’ve been over this bar back’ards and for’ards as often as any man livin’. If any of tlie reg’lar pilots had been in the town, I suppose they’d a come, but they’re away, and here I stand ready for the job.” “All rignt,” said Capt Polly, “you shall take us over.” I was not at all satisfied with this decision. When he came aboard, Wonderment had'supposed that Capt. Alba was in command, and knowing the channel he would scarcely need a pilot. I took Capt. Polly aside, and explained the matter to her. ‘ ‘ It will soon be high water,” she said, “ and I don’t want to wait outside twelve hours more. There is nobody else here, and I am certain old Wonderment would not offer to pilot us if he di(l not knov the bar. He can’t help knowing it; he has lived here all his life.” It was not long after this that the sails were set to a fresh southeastern breeze, and we were steadily moving along toward the narrow entrance to the harbor. Wonderment stood leaning against the foremast, his feet wide apart, and his frequent orders were passed to the man at the wheel. We had now almost reached the bar. On either side of us stretched a long expanse of sandy beach, with a gentle surf rolling up on it. “ Hard-ar-port! Starbu’d 1 Hardstarbn’d ! D—!” shouted Wonderment. And then there was a grate and a grind, and the vessel stopped! We were aground on the north beach. * * * The next day after this 1 was sitting with Polly in the parlor of a little houso in the town where she had taken lodgings. Capt. Polly was much troubled, but kept up a good heart and blamed only herself for trusting Wonderment. * I felt anxious to help her in every way that I could, and I was now discussing with her what was best to be done. The Coppering Pet was high and firm upon the north beach. Every effort had been made by the crew and the inhabitants of the town to get her off, but all were unavailing. It had been decided to send to a more northern port for a steam-tug, and in the meantime Polly and her woman Sarah had taken lodgings in the town. Two weeks elapsed, during which the Coppering Pet remained fil m upon the beach. The tug had arrived, but it had been found too small to move the vessel. Another and a larger one had beeu sent for, and in the meantime the cargo was being taken out and removed to the town in lighters. During this time I saw much of Polly, and became indeed her most trusted adviser. She had no relatives in the town, and turned to me as if I had been an old friend. One day I told her my love. Polly listened to me very quietly. “ I am glad you told me this,” she said, “after you knew how poor I am, but I cannot consent to drag you down. ” “Polly,” I cried, “this has ceased to be a question of poverty or riches. All I ask is tbis—do you love me ?” I looked into her eyes, and then I took her in my arms. The matter was settled. In the course of another week the larger tugboat had arrived, and during three high tides it hauled and pulled at the stranded Pet, but was unable to move ner. Her Captain had been paid with a portion of her cargo, sold at a sacrifice iu the town, and he had gone away. When everything had been done, and Polly’s affairs had been placed in the hands of a responsible business man of the town, Polly and I were married. It was not necessary for ns to stay at Siis place any longer. The Pet would be isposed of co the best advantage, and the crew would remain in the town until money should come in to pay them off.

. It was our -last day in the old town, and as we were walking along the water front of the town we saw a little boat approaching with a man in it, rowing violently. “It’s old Wonderment,” said Polly. And we stood to await his coming. lie ran liis boat ashore, and when he landed and saw us he was so excited that he could scarcely speak. “She’s off,” he gasped, “ the Coppering Pet’s afloat! There was the highest tide this forenoon we’ve had fur seven Jear, and the men working on board ave got her off the beach. She’s anchored now just inside the bar.” “ The Coppering Pet afloat! ” cried Polly, grasping me by botli hands, while her eyes sparkled with delight. “ Wherever we go we’ll go in her ! ” And go in her we did. On a lovely afternoon, late in summer, we sailed out of the harbor. Owing to his repeated and earnest requests, Wonderment was with us, but this time he did not pilot us over the bar. We sailed, and we sailed over summer seas and were very happy. One beautiful moonlight evening we were sitting on deck, old Wonderment nearby. “ Well,” said Polly, “I think, for poor people, we are about as happy and independent as anybody could be.” “If you’re poor,” said the old man, “ it’s your own fault. Your father left you everythin’ lie was worth, and all you had to do was to take it. ” “If he had left me anything in a regular way,” said Polly, quietly, “I should have been glad to have it. But I will never dig in his grave to see what I can fiud. lam glad that every temptation of the the kind is left far behind us. ” . “’Tain’t so very far behind, either,” said Wonderment. “As you was actin’ through agents, I mad© myself your agent in this thing, -and here’s the box. ” And he dramatically arose and pointed to a small iron box on which he had been sitting. Polly sprang to her feet, her eyes ablaze. “ Wonderment,” she cried, “ throw that box overboard !” “All right,” said the old man ; and over the taffrail it went with a splash. Breathing hard, but saying nothing, Polly entered the cabin. Half an hour afterward I stood on deck with the old man.

“Wonderment,” I said, “you did not show much prudence in forcing that box so suddenly upon Polly. You should have told me of it, and have let me break the matter gradually toiler.” “Perhaps I didn’t show no prudence in speaking so plump,” said he, “ but I showed some when I made a line fast to the lew’ard handle of the box, before I said a word about it. I’ve hauled her on board agen.” The next morning I talked to Polly on the subject. * ‘ Perhaps I was too has ty, ” she said, “bat I was angry. If my father wanted me to have the box it may be that I should have taken it.” “Well, you can take it now,” I said. And then I told her about the line on the leeward bundle. We went into the cabin, where upon a table stood the box, which I had opened. “Yes,” said Polly, looking into the box, “I remember them well. They are all made of whale’s jaw bones. Some of them are spectacle cases and some tobacco boxes, and some I suppose intended to hold matches. And now I

hope you and Wonderment are satisfied. ” “HI was you,” said the old man, going np to the box, “ I’d see what was in these tobacco boxes.” And one by one be opened them and emptied the gold coin they contained upon the table. “Now,” said he, “I'm satisfied too.” —Our Continent. -