American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1825-11-15

uo"n my oreneau IKE ram, mad now In good truth
beiaeD me; but dreadful as all my dreams had been,
what we're they all TO this? felt as if all human
misery were concentrated in the speechess anguish
OF my own one single heart.
All this time was not conscious of any act of
swimming but soon found that ! had instinct.
lively been excrtng all my power and SKILL and
both were requisite to keep me alive in the iumul.
tuous wake Of the ship. Something struck me
| harder than wave. What it was knew not, bur
grasped it with passionate violence, Tor the hope
OF salvation came suddenly over me, and with
sudden transition from despair, felt that was
rescued. | had the same thought as if l had
been suddenly heaved on shore by wave. The
crew had thrown overheard every thing they
thought could afford me the slightest chanre of es-
cape from death, and hencoop had driIted to-
wards me. At once all the stories | had ever read
of mariners miraculously saved at sea, rushed
across my recollection. had an object to cling 10.
which knew would enable me to prolong my ex-
istence. was no longer helpless on the cold vel.
terlng world of waters; and the thought that my
friends were thinking Of me, and doing all that they
could Tor me, gave me wonderful courage. may
yet pass the night in the ship, thought and look
ed around eagerly to hear the rush OF her PROV, or
to see through the snow drift the cleaning Of her
| sails.
| 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 he lee-
ward and in that dim snowy night how was such a
speck TO be seenf saw fash Of lightning and
then there was thunder II was the ship firing
gun, to let me know it still alive, that she some
where lying to. But wherefore? | was separated
from her by dire necessity, by many thousand and
fierce waves, that would not let my voice be heard.
Each succeeding gun was heard fainter and fainter,
I'LL at last / cursed The sound, that, scarce heard
above the hollow rumbIipp of he tenn
told me that the ship was farther and farther off,
I'LL she and her heartless crew had left me to my
late. Why did they not send their boats round and
round all the night through for the sake of one
whom they had pretended to love so we'll
blamed, blessed, and cursed them by fits, every
emotion OF my soul was exhausted and chung in
sucn despair to the wretched piece Of wood. that
still kept me from eternity.
Was 1t not strange that all this time the image
OF my friends at home never entered 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, and
the blessed things there, and intensely bright was
that flash Of heavenly images, that for moment
my heart was filled with happiness. 1t was terri
BILE when the colo and dashng waves broke over me
in that insane ard dreaming fit, and awoke me to
the conviction, that there was nothing in store for
me but an icy and lingering death, and that l, who
had SO much to live for, was seemingly on that
count most mlaeraoiy 10 perish.
What war Of passions perturbed my soul!
Had for this kept my heart full of tenderness
pure, lofty and heroic, for my best beloved and
long betrothedS Has God kept me alive through
levers and plaques, and and earthquake, thus to
murder me at Iasta What moekery was all thisa
What horror would be in my gray haired parental
house when they came to hear of my doom? y
Theresa Theresa And thus | wept and tur-
moiIed through The night Sometimes had little
Fall a1! .,1Ilo and, .L.1
myself drowned at once.-yet life was still sweet;
and in my weakened state must have fallen from
my frail vessel and been swallowed up, had not.
though even now cannot remember when or how,
bound myself to it, had done so with great
care-but fit of despair succeeding, forgot the
circumstance, and in that situation looked at myself
with surprise and wonder.
That had always thoughts of the eternity into
which felt gradually sinking, is certain; but it is
wonderful how family thought of the future world;
all such thoughts were overthrow by alternate
hope and despair connected with this life | heard
the shrill cry Of seabirds flying my head, and
Instantly returned again to the hope of life 0 for
such wings! bot mine thought were broken, and
like wounded bird lay floating poweressly on the
waves.
The nigh, before had a severe rheumatism in
my head, and now remembered that there was
phal OF laudanum about me- | swallowed the
whole OF it--and ere long strange effect was pro-
duced. fell into delirum, and felt wild plea
sure in dancing over the imagined my
self in vessel and on a voyage, and had dreamy
impression that there was connected with 1t some
thing of glory. Then suddenly cold tremuous
sickness would fall on weight of sadness and
despair. Every and then there came these
momentary Hastings of reality; but the conviction
Of my personal identity soon gave way to those
wilder fits, and drifted along through the
mooness darkness of Ne roaring night with all the
fierce exultaon of raving mailman. No wonder.
The laudanum, the cold. the wet The dashinp .he