JOHN AND MIRIAM
Chapter Sixteen
Miriam hurried about the bow end of the ship,
searching frantically for Mary. The bow was tilting farther and farther into
the water, sending ever more people scurrying toward the stern. Mary was
nowhere to be found.
A horrible thought struck Miriam. What if
Mary had slipped, unnoticed, into the water? She could easily have drowned or
frozen to death. Stopping to look around, she prayed that this was not the
case.
Fear for the child spurred her on. Miriam
rushed frantically through the parts of the ship that were still above water,
hoping against hope that Mary would be there.
After about 45 minutes of searching, Miriam
stopped, exhausted, admitting to herself that Mary was probably gone.
Moving to the railing, she scanned the few
boats still near the ship, hoping that someone might have picked the child up
and put her in a boat. There was no sign of her.
Most of the boats had been launched, although
hundreds of people still raced about frantically on board the sinking ship. The
first class band, which had been playing upbeat music since the sinking began,
had begun to play slower, more melancholy tunes. As Miriam listened, one man
began to play the hymn Nearer My God to Thee. The other band members soon
joined him, playing one last prayerful tune for the ship and her passengers.
Listening to the music, Miriam began to sing
softly along with it:
Nearer my God to thee,
Nearer to thee,
E’en though it be a cross
That raiseth me.
Still, all my song shall be
Nearer my God to thee,
Nearer my God to thee,
Nearer to thee.
Several other passengers joined in.
Though like the wanderer,
The sun gone down,
Darkness surroundeth me,
My joy a stone.
Still, all in dreams I’ll be
Nearer my God to thee,
Nearer my God to thee,
Nearer to thee.
Miriam's voice broke off. She couldn't go on.
Turning away, she saw the last boats being launched and headed toward them.
Mary was gone, and she had not seen John since they had split up to search for
the child. She could only hope that she and John would both survive.