The Litchfield County post., 1827-03-22

orally locked in deaths cold embrace. for their
arms were entwined around each other. and
being stlltened in death, it was impossible tn
separate them. This proved that they had
been many hours dead. The only living be-
ing on board was the emaciated being bound
to the windlass. He was hardly conscious
that we had come to his rescue. He was re-
leased and placed gently in the boat, hut such
was his melancholy condition, that the exer-
ton had well nigh snapped the feeble thread
OF expiring. nature. otter examining the
wreck and finding nothing of value, we retur-
ned to our ship.
rs We approached the ship Campbell and
his wife were standing in the same position as
when we put off for the wreck; gazing with
intense interest on the almost ifeless being
| that lay IN the boat, supported by the captain
anu myself. We were hoisted on board and
the stranger was removed and placed ON set
tee IN the foTecastle. The passengers and
crew eagerly came forward to behold the ship
wrecked man, and among the rest Campbell
and his wife. They riveited their ewes on his
emaclaied countenance; their gaze was in
tense, and it appeared as if the haggard being
before them awakened bitter recolIections, for
| their cheeks changed colour, and they turned
TO each other look pregnant with meaning.
mingled with agony and yet the poor wretch
VINO appeared on the verge of life, was so e.
macIated, and altered by what he had endu-
+, red, that scarcely the outline oil his former self
could have been remaining. He cast his fee
BILE glance upon the crowd around him: at
length his eyes were rested on the receding
forms OF Campbell and his wife, and beamed
with ray of recognition---she remained i'm
movable, tascinatedto. the spot by his gaze.
Inc sailor placed his scrawny hama upon his
| forehead, as it to protect his feeble eyebas
from the glare of light; but he still gazed up
on her, and after remaining few moments in
this position, CHASTITY smile separated his
thin ps.---The expression was horrible--she
shrleked, tainted, and was carried to the cab
in. None present could divine the real cause
Other sudden illness. The little Frenchman
attributed it solely to the want of philosophy,
which in his opinion was the universal cause of
evil: others supposed that her feelings were
overcome by behOldng fellow mortal in so
deplorable condition: but had seen enough
to satisfy me that this was not the first time
the stranger and the mysterious beings had
met.
( The shipwrecked man was Supported to
I birth, medical assistance applied to, and every
necessary, that his helpless situation required
to promote his speedy recovery, was admin
istercd.
The melancholy and reserve of Campbell
increased from the hour the stranger was re-
scued from the wreck. He appeared to shrink
J from the gaze of the neanest on board, and
his visits became less and less frequent, sell
dom making his appearance there till after
nightfall, when there was no one to disturb
his meditations, or dive into the secret work
ings of his heart. Even the presence of his
wife, who had heretofore possessed the pow
er to sooth his most turbulent feelings now
served to increase his agony. His child was
carefully kertfrom his sight !: the presence of
the little innocent was insupportable.
Every practicable attention was bestowed
on the shipwrecked man, who gradually re-
covered strength, and in few DAYS was pro-
nounced out Ofdanger,by the ply scian, though
his emaciated and woe worn appearance rath-
err indicated tenant of the grave,than being
of this world. The captain was attentive in
his visits to the cabin of the sick man, and
constantly administered with the n,edicinals
of the physician, page from his favorite Boe-
thus or Seneca, The fact was, the captain,
though he boosted Of being invulnerable to the
sharpest shalt of fortune, had not philosophy
sufficient to protect him from feeling acutely
{ for the sufferings of others. Though ever
ready to bear himself all the evils that fate
could heap upon him, he felt concerned if but
a slight breeze passed over others, whose
fled as his own. He learnt from the sick sal
Tor, that he was the captain Of merchants
man, which had sailed from New York, about
month before; when ten days out in rough
sea, the vessel was met by a heavy squat, and
capsized. Several Of the passengers were
washed overheard and persisted, and when the
ship righted, there was so much water in the
hold and cabin that the provisions could not
be reached without much difficulty, and the
bread and water rendered unfit for use. Star
walton threatened them the survivors were
accordingly placed on allowance from the
first. As they had lost their rudder in the
gale, and the spars and rigging had been car
ried overheard, they were tossed about at the
mercy of the winds and waves. He had be-
held his crew and passengers die, amid the
horrors Of starvation, one by one, and the last
who survived, had been driven in the agony
of hunger, to appease the cries ofr,ature, with
the dead bodies oftheir fellow creatures. All |
this he beheld, and still chung to his wretched |
life with as much eagerness as if surrounded |
by all. its pleasures and allurernents.---Atl
length he was the sole survivor, and his lamp |
of life was but family Pickering in the socket
the deck of the vessel vas constantly washed |
by the waves, and as protection against being |
swept overheard, he secured himself to the |
windlass, there patiently to await the DISPOSE |
L. IL l. Al