The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1829-02-11

father in the night, and that he would GER
tainly be soon home.
God grant it" said she, and she spoke
IN tone OF deep anxiety" he never was
away so long but once, and that was when
he saved the crew of the ship Mary; and
then the whirl of the sinking vessel had well
nigh made his grave"
Again she stirred the fire, again arranged
the clothes before it, and poured some hot
water into the tea cups. Still the breakfast
remained untouched.
Ihe sun was now soaring to his meridian
height, when once more the family assem-
bled IN their humble dwelling; the prop of
the whole was yet wanting. They sat down
to cherries meal, the seats at either side
OF the wife remaining vacant. The old man
was the only individual who appeared to
anticipate no evil but he hastily finished
his breakfast and went forth.
The noon was rapidly passing, and the
sun had already given tokens of the glory
OF his departure, when the fisherman's wife
having lulled her infant asleep, went herself
! to the hill that commanded an extensive
( view OF the wide spread ocean. All the
little household stood assembled on the spot,
nut no boat was seen upon the waters,-
nothing that could give hope except the
I aspect of the waves which looked too placid
to be dangerous
Their deep dread was no longer con-
cealed; and while the old man paced to
and fro, looking earnestly at brief intervals
over the lonely sea, the mother and the
daughter were soothing audibly.
Fearless let him be whose trust is in
his God !" exclaimed the father. The SEN
tence was uttered involuntariy, but it had
its effect
Ay," said the mother, she ALWAYS
trusted in God, and God will not forsake
him now"
Do you remember, Jane," continued the
old man, show often Providence was with
me, amid the storm and the wreck, when
help from man was far off, and would have
been useless if near ?"-And they cheered
| and encouraged one another to hope the
best,-but to submit to the decree of Heav-
en-, whether it came as the gentle dew 10
| flourish. or as the rain to Cypress. From
that hillock which overlooked the ocean,
assembled their mingled prayers that God
would not leave them desolate.
The tisherman-the object of their hopes
and fears-had been very successful during
the night, when at day break, as he was
preparing to return home, he remembered
his promise TO bring with him some sea-weed
to manure the potatoe yard behind his cot
! tage--He was then close to rocks which
were only observable al low water; he
pulled for them, jumped on shore, fastened
the painter of his boat to letting part Of
rock, and took his hoat-hnok with him. He
collected sufficient quantity of the weed,
hut in his eagerness to obtain it, he wan
dered from the land place, when he heard
his boy loudly hallooing and exclaimng
that the painter was loose. He rushed in
stantv towards the boat, which was then
several yards off; the boy was valnly en-
deavorlng to use both oars, and Neptune,
the faithful dog, was running backward and
forward, bowling fearfully, as if conscious
of his masters danger, at one moment about
to plunge into the waves to JOIN him, and
the next licking the face and hands Of the
child, as if he foresaw that for him his pro-
! lection would be most needed.
The fisherman perceived at once the des-
! perate nature of his situation-the tide he
knew was coming in rapidly, and his hopes
OF escape was at an end, when he perceived
| that his boy, in an effort to use the oars,
| had let one of them fall overheard. Fa-
Their, father" exclaimed the poor lad, ''what
I shall | do ?"-the boat was at this moment
| so distant that his distracted parent could
scarcely hear the words, but he called out
to him as loud as he could to trust in God,
the father of the fatherless. He then stood
resigned to the fate that he felt awaited
him, and watched the drifting boat that
bore the child in peril from the fatal rocks
He had offered up brief prayer to the
throne of mercy, when in an instant, light
broke upon his mind. Good God !" he
exclaimed, 81 may yet be saved.'' With
the energy of hope battling with despair,
he collected all the stones around him, and
heaped them rapidly upon the highest ledge
of rock: it was indeed wonderful how he
could have gathered so many in so short IA
time; but the Almighty gave strength TO
his arms, and he was tailoring not for life
merely but for beings still dearer to him.
Yhe tide came on, on, on, and soon obliged
him to abandon his work. He then mount
ed the pile he had heaped, planted his boat
hook firmly in one of the crevices of the
cuff, and prepared to struggle for existence
hut his heart failed him, when he consider
ed how slight was the possibility that the
waters would not rise above his head
Still, he determined to do all he could to
preserve life. The waves were not rough.
anu lhe Hoat-nooK supported hlm.
The awful moment rapidly approached;
the water had reached his knees; but he
stood firmly, and prayed that he might be
preserved. On. on, on, it came slowly and
gently, but more fearfully than if ii had
ragged around its destined prey;-soon it
reached his waist, and he then prayed Tint
it might 60 no higher. On, on, on, it came
and his shoulders were cove,ed-hope died
within him, and he thought of himself no
longer, but of those who were so dear to
I hm-his wife, his children, and his father
it was for blessings on them that he then
lmplored Heaven. Still on, on, on, it came,
and he was forced to raise his head to keep