The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1825-11-23
.aNECDoTE OF a MONKEY.

.4NECDOTE OF A MONKEY.
Jackoo was particularly dexterous, and
though somewhat tricky, was priced for
his power of amusing the sailors when
trade-winds bore them steadily along,
or when fear of squalls made their own
thoughts little troublesome to them.
Well, sometime in the year 1918 the
vessel embarked on her homeward
voyage, and, among other passengers.
carried lady who had child at the
breast that was only a few weeks old.
When the weather permitted, the lady
took regular exercise on the deck,
sometimes with her infant charge in her
arms, but oftener at a moment when ii
had been hushed to slumber by the mo-
ton Of the ship, the rushing of the wa
tiers, and the whispering of the breeze
opiates custom soon renders powerful,
and which, in the present instance. were
allowed to supersede both the necessity
of a cradle and The lullaby of nurse.
In August the weather became remark
ably fine, and one beautiful afternoon,
when the vessel was ploughing the wa
terry waste, with clusters Of sea fowl
disporting in her wake-the sun look
ing forth in all his majesty, and next to
himself, Illuminating the two sublimest
objects in nature-the expanded ocean
and the expanded sky-the captain per-
ceived distant sail-a sight that is al
ways welcome at sea, and which, amidst
the vast solitudes of the Atlantic, may
be compared to the meeting of pilgrims
10 the desert This discovery attracted
the attention of all on board, and after
the captain had gratified his curiosity,
he politely offered his glass to the lady,
that she might obtain clear view of
an object which the naked eye was un-
able TO distinguish from the heecy
clouds that every where friuged the
horizons verge. At this time Mrs. b.
had the baby 10 her arms, but being
aware that i: could not harm itself by
rolling, she wrapt her shawl about the
RITZ innocent, and placed il on sofa
on which she had been sitting. Captain
c. assisted her to steady the glass, but
scarcely had she applied her eye to the
instrument, when the helmsman ex-
claimed, 10 tone that indicated the
deepest emotion. Good God see what
the mischievous monkey has done %
A mothers fears are easily excited, and
the reader may judge OF the lady's feel
ings, when, on turning round, she be-
held the monkey in the act of transport
ing her beloved child to the very top of
the mast. And here it may be necessary
TO explain that the monkey was nearly
four feet high, and so strong and active,
that while il grasped the infant firmly
with one arm, it climbed the shrouds by
the aid of the other with astonishing
haste, and seemingly unembarrassed by
the weight Of its burden. One look
was sufficient for the mother, and that
look had we'll nigh been her last.
Though she attempted TO speak, the
words either died away on her lips or
were rendered inarticulate, by her sobs
and groans; and had it not been for
the prompt humanity of those around
her, she would have fallen PROSTATE on
the deck, where she was afterwards
stretched to all appearance Iifeless
corpse. Situated as he was, the captain
knew not what to do; when he looked
at his passenger speeches, motionIess,
and deadly pale, he almost fancied that
life had fed; and when be thought of
her child that was swinging aloft under
the care of so strange nurse, he ex-
pected every minute that the capricious
monkey would become tired of his toy.
and drop il into the ocean or dash it on
The deck. Often as he had crossed the
wide Atlantic, and braved the perils of
the winter's storm-often as he had
been placed in circumstances in which
he would have given the wealth Of ma
tons, had the wealth of nations been
his to give, for the privilege Of treading
the earth with safety--neyer, amid all
the changes and chances Of seaman's
life, had his feelings been exposed to so
seyere trial The sailors could