Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1826-02-18
ANIMAL SAGAClTY.

pFl2eu by The sailors Tor MS ueAtefous
tricks, embarked on her homeWard yoy-
! age, 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 regu-
lar exercise on the deck, sometimes with
i her infant charge in her arms, but olteDer
al moment when il had been hushed to
stun, Der by the motion OF the ship, the
! rushing OF the waters, and the whisper
ing oil the breeze--opiates custom soon
rendered powerful, and which in the pre-
sent instance were allowed 10 supercede
both the necessity oil cradle and the
lullaby of nurse. In August the wea-
Their became remarkably line, and oDs
beautiful afternoon, when the vessel was
ploug hing the wa,ery waste, with clus-
lcrs of sea fowls disporting IN her wake,
the sun looking forth in all his majesty,
and next to himself ILLUMINATING the two
subbmest objects ~ nature--the expand
ed ocean and the expanded sky--the cap
tam perceived a distant sall--a sight that
is ain avs welcome al sea, and which,
aG. idst the vast sohtodes OF the Atlantic,
may be compared to the meeting oil pil-
grms in the desert. / his discovery at
tracted tbe attention OF all on board, and
after The Captain had ~ suiied bis curl
osity lac politely offered his ass 10 the
lady, that she mlebi obtain a clear view
of an object which the naked eye was
unable 20 distinguish from the heecy
clouds lbs; ditnined the holi2on's verge.
At this time Mrs. Il. had the baby IN her
arms, but being aware that ii could not
harm itself by rolling, she wrapped her
shawl about the lille innocent, and piac-
! ed j, on sofa on which she had been
! sitting. Captain &. assisted her 10 stea-
dy the glass, but scarcely had she aP-
| pied her eye 10 the instrument, when
the belnisnsn exclaimed in tone that
indicated the deepest emolon--" Good
God see what the misc hievouS Monkey
has done!" A mothers fears are easi~
| ly exci.ed, and The reader may Judge OF
the lady's feelings, when, on turning
round, she beheld The animal in the act
OF trans porting her beloved child to the
very top OF The n asst. And here ii may
be nee cssary to explain that the Monkey
was nearly four feet high, and so strong
and active, that while ii grasped The IN
liant firmly With one anu, II climbed the
shroud by the aid OF the ether with as
tonishing haste, and seemed unembai-
rassed by the weight OF lis burdeo. One
lock was suAicie1t for the mother, and
that look had we'll nigh been her Ia. '.
Though She attempted To speak, the
words either died away on her lips Oh
were rendered inarticu late by her sobs
a.d groans and had II not been for the
prompt humsnily of those .arocnd her,
she would have iailen prostrate upon the
deck, " here she was afterwards stretched
TO all appearance iiieiess corpse. 81
tua,ed as he was, the captain knew not
what 10 do when he looked at his pas
senger, speeches., motloDiess, and deao-
ly pale, he almost iaDcied that lie had
fed, and when he thought OF her child
that was sw winning alott under the care
OF so strange a nurse, he expected every
minute thatlhe caprlcioGs monkey would
the ocean or dash it on the deck. Ohon
as he had crossed the wide Atlantic, aud
braved the perils OF the winters storm
often as he had been placed IN clrcum-
stances in which he would have given
the wealth of nations, II they had been
his to give, for the privilege OF treading
on the earth in salety-neyer, amid the
chances Of sailors life, had bis feelings
been exposed TO so severe rial ne
sailors could climb as we'll as the mon
KEY, but the latter watched their motions
narrowly, and assembled higher up the
mast, the moment one OF them put his
foot upon the shrouds. The captain be
came afraid that he would drop the
child and endeavor TO escape by leaping
from one mast TO another. In the mean
I time the lutte innocent was heard 10 cry /;
and they thought il was suherlr, pain !;
their fears on this point were soon dissi-
pa'ed when they observed the animal
initiating exactly the motions OF nurse,
by dsndling, soothing and caressing its
charge, and even endeasoring 10 hush il
: asleep. From the deck the lady was ia
ken to the cabin, and gradually restored
to the use OF her senses; but then her
cries were most distressing, and though
she was kindly assured that all would
soon be we'll, it required the utmost exer.
ton of two men TO prevent her rushing
on deck with the view OF ascending her
self. In the mean time many plans were