Myra Selfridge

Myra Selfridge is the young daughter of George and Myra Selfridge who becomes the central object of John Rowland's protection and redemption after the wreck of the Titan, surviving the disaster, a polar bear attack, and a period of separation from her mother before being reunited in New York.

Identity and Introduction

Myra Selfridge is first seen as a little child playing on the deck of the Titan, running away from her mother and laughing. She is described as having a "sunny-haired" appearance and is the daughter of Myra Selfridge (née Gaunt) and Colonel George Selfridge. Her mother, upon seeing Rowland on the ship, expresses fear that he might "steal our Myra — our baby," revealing the child's name and the mother's deep anxiety. Myra is a toddler, still learning to speak, and her early interactions with Rowland are marked by innocent playfulness.

Life on the Titan and the Shipwreck

On the morning after the collision with the Royal Age, Myra runs into an enclosure at the stern of the Titan where Rowland is scrubbing paint. She clings to his legs, laughing and screaming, and says, "I wunned 'way; I wunned 'way from mamma." Rowland, in a jesting menace, holds her above the rail and asks, "Shall I drop you over to the fishes, baby?" This action is witnessed by her mother, who snatches the child away, interpreting it as an attempted murder. Later that night, during the iceberg collision, Myra sleepwalks onto the deck and climbs the bridge steps, drawn by Rowland's laughter. She stands at his feet, and he picks her up, wrapping his pea-jacket around her cold little body. As the Titan crashes onto the iceberg, Rowland holds her to his breast, and they are thrown together onto the ice. The ship sinks, and Rowland, bleeding from a cut on his head, still holds the child, who is now "too frightened to cry."

Survival on the Iceberg and the Polar Bear Attack

On the iceberg, Myra cries for her mother, saying "I want mamma." Rowland, in his despair, answers, "so do I — more than Heaven." He wraps her in his coat and places her in the corner of the wrecked bridge. The next morning, a polar bear approaches, and Rowland sees Myra "creep out of the opening in its white covering, just as the bear turned the corner of the bridge." The bear dashes the child a dozen feet away with a blow of its paw, leaving her bleeding from four deep scratches on her back. Rowland kills the bear with a knife, then tends to Myra's wounds, bathing them and binding a slab of bear fat to her back. He makes her a mummy-like bundle of canvas and rope-yarns to keep her still and warm. For three days, while Rowland is delirious with fever, he still manages to feed her and dress her wounds. When he recovers, he finds her "exhausted from fruitless crying" and sleeping. He kisses her softly, but she wakes and cries for her mother again.

Rescue and Reunion

After Rowland's prayer, a bark appears and rescues them. They are taken to Christiansand, Norway, where Rowland's arm is amputated. Myra is then brought to London by Captain Barry of the Peerless. At Mr. Meyer's office, she is recognized by her grandfather, Mr. Selfridge, who asks her name. Rowland answers, "Her first name is Myra. She remembers that; but I have not learned her last name." Mr. Selfridge stoops to kiss her, and after a moment of struggle, she says, "Gwampa," confirming their relationship. Myra is dressed in a unique costume made from bagging-stuff and old flannel shirts, sewn by the crew of the Peerless. When Captain Bryce is knocked down, she cries for Rowland, calling him "Dammy," a nickname she coined. Rowland takes her and she nestles up to him contentedly.

Journey to New York and Final Reunion

Rowland and Myra sail to New York on a west-bound liner. Before arriving, Rowland buys her new clothes with his last sixteen dollars, saying, "We're going to see mamma, soon, Myra... and you must go dressed up." On the dock in New York, she is on his shoulder when her mother, Mrs. Selfridge, sees them and screams, "Myra! Give me my baby — give her to me." She snatches the child and faints. Myra is taken away in a carriage, screaming for Rowland. At the trial, Mrs. Selfridge testifies that Rowland "mutilated — tortured my baby," referring to the bear scratches, and that he taught her to swear, as she calls him "Dammy." The magistrate discharges Rowland, and Myra is last seen shouting "profanely for Rowland" as she leaves the courtroom. Months later, Mrs. Selfridge writes to Rowland, saying, "Myra will not let me rest. She asks for you continually and cries at times. I can bear it no longer. Will you not come and see Myra?" The story ends with Rowland going to see her.