The Wilmingtonian., 1823-11-20

aiding and unlading ships; 1900 revenneIp
,fficers, constantly doing duty; besides
The crews of the several vessels, occupy :
ng space of nearly five miles. On an !
average, there are 1000 ships in the river
and docks together; with 5000 barges and
other small craft employed in landing md,
unlanding them; $500 barges engaged in !
the inland trade; and 5000 wherries orr
small boats for passengers. The exports
and imports employ about 1000 ships
whilst the cargoes that annually enter the,
Port, are not less than $4,000.
THE MIRACULOUS IMAGE.
There lived an honest farmer, not far from Per.
nigia, on the produce ut vineyard and smI
plantation OF olive trees but even in the better
years, could not taste the generous wine which,
Ibis hands had produced, because the whole OF III
was hardly sufficient to pay his heavy rent. Hell
and his family existed almost entirely IN chesnnts,
which are but sorry food, when taken as daily
nourishment, however palatable they may appear
tu th, foreigner who takes them occ 81 ia y, and
for relish. An accident in the field had lamtd
The man, and lingering complaint afflicted h.s
lwf-, whilst bad harvest had lessened even 'heir
scanty income, and the rent day approached
The landlord was an overbearing nobleman, from
Whom M mercy was to be expected and the un.
HAPPY couple counted already the daysa at the ex.
lpirat,on Of which they were sure TO be expelled
,lirom their humble dwelling. One hope only re-
lmained pious old man resided on the neigh
lbouring mountain, who often had given comfort
: to those who applied to him in their distress
s many a sufferer had been restored by him to
= -heaih and happint ss and the farmer resolved t,
try whether he TOO might not Obtain some relief
lin his necessities.
mo one knew the bcnehcent being, WHO had
spent thirty years in his retired situation, attend
: ed only by one servant. A former 3lshop ot re
: -lrugia had looked upon him with jealous eye
md had endeavonred to bring him under his con
;roul; but a severe injunction from Rome com
: mai,ded him to leave The hermit undisturhcd.-
: He was visible TO all applicants, except Oh on
ay in the year, which he spent entirely III fasting
and praying, and during which even his faitht,'
servant burst not approach him; this was unior
= ',tunately, the very day which the farmer nsd NIX
q ed upon for his visit; and It was no small disaI'
r pointment to him when he earned, after tn
n painful ascension of the mountain, that his busl
!, mess must be deferred. He entered the chapel
: door, which he found open, threw himself, IN a
Slagony Of despair, before an image OF the Hot
e Virgin, and prayed. Overcome by his misfortune
. he had not even regarded the picture, but, tee
n ing himself little relieved afier his DEVOTION II
q raised his eyes, 18th sigh to the saint, and be
= held the most lovely countenance that had eve
y presented itself to his vision the more he locke
dat ii, the more he felt comforted and attracted
wIbecause it appeared to him, that he was actual
o. smiled upon by living object.
!, The servant fthe hermit had been long stan6
~ ling at his side, without his observing him bu
sas soon as he heard himself addressed, the CHAR
re vanished, and he relapsed INTO his former despoI
at dency He impaired to the servant the nature
ID hs grief, and stated that he had no hopes OF be
l. ftrrna unHt h.l
u nevertheless, he could not think OF stopping fror
u home all night, because this would BE- exposin
'dhs family to the greatest uneaslness. With II
lgard to the latter point, he was quoted by III
), servants offering to send word about the nece
.''sity of his stay, by person who was just goin
'r-Iinto the neighbourhood of his dwelling; and h
lt-Iuas thus left once more alone with the image
isIIt struck him as if it had some similarity to h
n tI'Iheole, in the days OF her yontl-the preset
: pale countenance Of the latter, her languld ey
= ~ and her emaciated frame, bore certainly no longs
us the marks OF beauty which had formerly captlv
an ted him, but her features we're still the same, a
~ though the effect, which they now produced, ";
70 very different from that of former times: the
: had once charmed him into extacy, and now the
o., excited only his melancholy.
'd The servant came back, and the sympatl
r. Which he seemed to feel tor him, opened II
a heart; he explained his whole situation, finishi
90 with the wish that at least the health of his wi
: :. r might be restored, so that his poor chi'dre
VI should not be left motherless in case his oW
constitution would not bear any longer, AS Ae W.
IN almost resigned to believe. The servant cons
"a led him in the best manner lie could, and, aftt
~ having provided him with strengthening refres
',eIments, he conducted him to a becoming restlr
eplace 90
vel 1t was natural that the occurrences of the d.
j. retraced themselves to the mans fancy during tt
alnight. The saint appeared to him again, MOI
ii charming than ever: her friendly smile was
him happy presage OF the favors which ST.
sh would undoubtedly pour out upon hlm' and !
took it for granted that the Madona had actual
IA lhonored him with her special protection. II
10 waited anxiousy for the moment when he shou
!, be introduced to the hermit, fully conhtient
~ obtsining, through his medium, all he could WIZ
for.
les When he was, al last, admitted INTO his pr
ersence, he showed such absolute faith III the Ell
Js cacy of hateyer the holy man might please
-. ordan, that the ,atter promised him to DO ms u
he in order not TO deceive his expectations
or The state of his wife's health seemed to requl
Ofimmediate attention; and the hermit gave III
RI such prescriptions and medicines as ne thonsl
l. fit; regrettng, at the same time, that certa
-" remedy, which he knew to be infaliible, shou
ed be rather TOO expensive, but recommending hi
'lyto use carefully what he now received, and
he come back in eight days to him to know the r
~ The farmer then betook himself TO his hom
nc = raher perplcxed to what he should think abo
ne the appartion since he could not, AS yet, dl