The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1826-03-27
III. FRANKFORT

The great eye of da, was vide o
pen. and i IayInl light filled tie air
heaven. and ocean. The oarblrJ
cloud Law motionlr.s far and vile q
,cr the deep-hlur sky. aud all men
uI.y oi storm aud hurricane had W.
uishcd FROM the magulii cHre Of thai
immense calm. itrre was but n
gentle fluriualion ON the deep. nnd
the sea birds lloatcd steadily there.
or dipped their Wings for moment
in the wrcalhcd foam. and again
wheeled sportivcly away 10 the snn-
shine. One ship---only one single
snip. was within the encirClng horn
zon. AID she had LAID there a. it al
anchor since the morning light for
although all her sails were set,
81 arCr n wandering breeze touched
hcr can, ass. and her flags hun dead
ON staff aud at peak. or lifted them
selves unecrtaiui, up at Intervals. y
then sunk again into motionlcss re-
pose. The crew paced not her deck,
for they knca that 10 breeze would
come Ill arter merIdlan--and II was
the Ssaoath aay.
A smail congregation were sing
ing praises Ia Cod ~ that chapel,
Inch rested almost rs quietly on the
sea as tn houses II Worship ~ which
tlt, had been used te pray, then rest
ed lar oH on Il foundation OF rock in
n green valley of their forsaken
Scotland - hey we're emlgrauts,
nor hoped ever again to acc the mists
~ then native mountains. Bnt "A
they heard the vniec II tbeir psalm.
each singer half forgot that II bl.nd-
ed With the sound al The sea. and al
most bclic,cH himself sitting in the
kuk of his own beloved parish. -
But hundreds of biliowJ leagues Ia
icrkcned between them and the lat.
tie llukliug bell that Was now tolling
their happier friends IL the quiet
housc OF tod.
And now an old grey headed man
rose 10 pray and held up his wit6cr.
ed hand in lcrycnt snppllCdliOn for
all around, whom. in god truth, he
called his children for three gen
eralions were with the patIiarchs
in that tabernacle. There, in one
group, were husbands aud wives
standing together, in awe Of Him
who held the deep IN the hollow of
hls hand : there. youths and maid
ems. linkcd together by the feeling
Of the same destiny, some ot them
perhaps hoping. when they reached
the shore, 10 lay heads on one pill
low there. children hand in hand,
happy IN the wonders oi the ocean
aud there mere infants shilling on
the suuny deck. aud unconsc tou3 ol
the meaning ol hymn orpraycr.
A low, confined, growing noise
was heard struggling beneath the
deck, and a sailor called With loud
voice, -" Fire, fire ! the ships On
fire !" Holy words died on The
prayers tongue the congregation
tel! asundcr; and pate faces. Wild
eyes, gr0ans, shrlrks. and oalcrlrs,
rent the silcurc Of the lonesome sea.
No one Tor Il while knew the other.
as all we're hurried as IN Whirl-
wind up and down the ship. A dis
nal heat. all unlike the warmth 4
that beautiful sun, came slIilmgly
on every breath. Mothers. who IN
tie first terror had shuddcrcd but for
themselves, now claspcd their in
lants 10 their breasts. and lifted up
their eyes To heaven. Bold. brave
men grew white as ashes, aud hands
strengthened by toll and storm trrm-
blcd like The aspen leaI. " Gone,
gone. NC are all gone = was now
the cry ; yet 10 one knew whence
tlIat cry came aud men glarrd re-
nroachtuiIy on each others counter
antcs, and slrose 10 keep down the
audible beating of their own hearts.
The desperate love Of life drove them
m,tInc lively 10 their stations, aud
the water was poured, as by the
strength Of giants, down among the
anon.drrIug flames. But the de-
youIlug element roared up into the
air; aud DECK. masts. sails, and
shroud4, were one erao King aud his
sing sheet ot FIRE.
&" Let down the boat :" VAS now
the yell Of hoarse Voices; aud III an
instant she Was filled with life
There WAS frantic Icaping into the