Elizabeth-Town gazette. [volume] (Elizabeth-Town, N.J.) 1818-1821, 1819-08-31

were concentrated 10 the speeches an
guish of my own one single heart.
All this time was not conscious of any
act of swimming: but / soon fou'd that
had instinctively been exerting all my
power and skill, and both we're requisite
TO keep me alive 10 the tumultaous wake
of the ship.-Something struck me harder
than wave. What il was / knew not,
but grasped it with passionate yioiences
for the hope OF salvation came suddenly
over me, and. with sudden transition
from despair, felt that was rescued
had the same though. as if had been
suddenly heaved 90 shore by wave
The crew had thrown overheard every
thing they thought could afford me the
slightest chance OF escape from death, and
a hen coop had drifted towards me. AZ
mariners miracuIously saved at sea, rush.
ed across my recollection. | had an OBJ
jet TO cling to. which knew would ena-
BILE me to prolong my existence. was no
longer helpless on the cold weltering werld
of waters; aud the thought that my friends
we're thinking Of me, aud doing all they
could for me, gave me wonderful courage.
may yet pass the night in the ship, T
thought; and looked around eagerly to
hear the rush Of her prov, or to see
through the snowdritt the cleaning Of her
sail.
This was but momentary gladness.
The ship | knew could not be far off. but
for any good she could do me, she might
have been in the heart of the Atlantic
ocean. Ere she could have altered her
course, must have drifted long way to
ieeward, and in that dim snowy night how
was such speck to be seen? saw a
flash of lightning, and then there was
thunder. 1t was the ship firing gun to
let me know, il still alive, that she was
somewhere lying to. But wherefore I
was separated from her by dire necessity,
by many thousand fierce waves. that
would not let my shrieks be heard. Each
succeeding gun was heard fainter and
fainter, till at last cursed the sound, that
scarcely heard above the hollow rumbling
of the tempestuous sea, told me that the
ship was farther and farther off, till she
and her heartless crew bad left me to my
fate. Why did they not send out all their
boats TO row round and round all the night
through, for the sake Of Que whom they
preteadea TO love 50 veil ! blagesi,
blessed, and cursed them by fits till eye-
ry emotion of my soul was exhausted, and
chung in sullen despair TO the wretched
piece of wood that still kept me from eter-
nity.
Was it not strange that during all this
time the image of my beloved friends at
home never once flashed across my mind
My thoughts had never escaped beyond
the narrow and dim horizon Of the sea, at
least never beyond that fatal ship, But
now | thought of home, aud the blessed
thugs there, and SO intensely bright was
that flash Of heavenly IMAGES, That for a
moment my heart filled with happiness.
1t was terrible when the cold aud dashing
waves broke over me in that insane dream
inc fit, and awoke me TO the conviction
that there was nothing in store for me but
an icy and lingering death, and that I.
who had so much to live for, was seeming
ly on that account more miserabiy to
perish.
What war of passions perturbed my
soul -? Had l for this kept my heart full
of tenderness, pure, lofty and heroic, for
my best beloved and long betrothed Had
God kept me alive through fevers aud
plaques and war and earthquake, thus to
murder me at last ? What mockery was
all this What horror would be 10 my
grey haired parents house when they
came TO hear of my doom (? so Theresa
Theresai" And thus wept and tur-
moiled through the night. I
had little or no feeling at all--sulep and
idealess, wished myself drowned at once
yet life was stiIl sweet: and in my
weakened state must have fallen from
my frail vessel and been swallowed up,
had / not, though even now cannot re-
member when or how, bound myself to it
| had done SO with great care-but ft
of despair succeeding, forgot the circum-
stance entirely, aud 10 that situation look
ed at myself with surprise and wonder.
That had awful thoughts Of the Eter-
nifty into which felt gradually sinking, is
certain; but it is wonderful how family I
thought of the future world. All such
thoughts we're overthrow by alternate
hope and despair connected with this life.
Once, when l had resigned myself to
death, aud was supplicating the mercy Of
our Redeemer, thought [ heard the
shriII cry of sea birds flying over my
Lood ond instantly returned aooin ~
the hope of life. o for such wings but
mine / thought were broken, and like
wounded bird l lay floating and powerless
on the waves.
The night before | had had severe
rheumatism in my head, and now remem-