The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1837-04-07
from he iamss l DO not believe he would

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watched the hery mass. conscious thai
large company Of their brethren was pc
rishing within their sight, who, BY their |
efforts, might probably be saved. Il was
not Cor several hours thai the captain aP-
peared again upon the deck, and from ms |
appearance then imagine that the con-
fici during his solitude must have been
severe and trying. | stood near him as
he came up. His face had rigid, yet
anxious look; the counIenanee Of man
who brayed, vet feared some shock. His
back was turned 10 the nsrierfrO,a which
we came, and in that position he address
sed 10 me calmly some indifferent obser-
yations. While the conversation went
on, he cast frequent and hurried glanees
to the south and east I'LL his eye had
swept the whole horizon, and he had sa-
tisfied himself that the ship was no long
er in view; he then turned fully round,
and with an affected gaiety, but real
uneasiness which was apparent in the
random character Of his remarks, drew
out his glass, and having, by a long and
scntiniZlng examination, satisfied his
fears, al length recovered his composure.
When We reached our destination, i
found ship just preparing TO sail for
Florence, and ! took my passage, leaving
the captain to dispose Of his cargo at his
pleasure. About eight months after this,
when / had almost forgotten the occur
renee, was sitting in the private parlor
Of a London Hotel, when letter was put
into my hands from Captain ). II stated
that the writer was in ihe city, had heard
Of my arrival, and would esteem it a We
~ great kindness If / would visit him al
my earliest leisure; my coming would be
of the utmost importance Ia himself and
Others; his servant, il added, waited To
show him the way. | Immediately set
out to comply with the request.
Upon entering the room | was shocked
at the change which had taken place in
his appearance. lie was thin, pale and
haggard, with a wildness of eye that al
most indicated that his reason was unset
tied. lie testified much JOY at seeing
me, and desiring me to be seated, began
his communication.
~ nave taken the liberty" said he,
" of desiring your company at this time,
because you are the only person in Lon
don to whom can venture to make APP
plieation; and am going to lay upon you
a commission, TO which | am sure YOU
will not object. The circumstances OF
your voyage to Marseilles will occur to
YOU without my repeating them. sold
my cargo upon the most advantageous
terms; and was rendered at once a rich
man. The possession of wealth was
new to me, and its enjoyment, in my
case, added to its usual qualification the
charm of novelty. In the capital Of Pa
ris | spent many weeks Of the highest
pleasure, until one day on entaring cafe
| took up gazette, and INV eyes fell up
on on account of an awful burning of III.
u. NJ. ship -. The announcement
fell upon me like the bolt Of heaven. My
heart beat and my frame shivered; but |
read every word of the article. The ves-
sci which | passed the day before had
seen the light froA great distance and
Immediately put back TO render assist
aRce, but arrived too late to rescue more
than two of the crew. They reported
that vessel passed to the north of them
within half an hours sail. but paid no re-
gard for the repeated signals; upon the
copmander Of that ship, the article con-
cluaed, must rest the loss of two hundred
persons.
Ny peace Of mind was gone for ever.
My ingenuity could devise no sophistry
which suggested comfort. Wherever |
went that day | was haunted by remorse.
| retired to bed that | might forget in
sleep the tortures of the day; but terri
fic dream brought before my mind the
whole scene of the conRagration, with
the roar of the signal guns. awoke with
horror. Thrice on the same night did |
compose myself to sleep, and thrice was
| awakened BY the repetition of the dream.
For many hours on the succeeding day
my spirits were shockiDgly depressed,
but the gay company which frequented
gradually restored me to serenity, and By
night | was tolerably composed. But the
evening again brought terror; the same
vision rushed upon my mind and racked
it to agony whenever | fell into a slum-
Der. Perceiying that il | yielded to this
band of tormentors | should quickly be
maddened by suffering, | resolved to
struggle with remorse, and to harden my
heart against conscience. succeeded
always, when awake, in mastering my
emotion, but nc power on earth could
shield me from the torment of sleep.
Imagining at length that the PROSTATE po-
sition of my bed might be one cause Of
the vividness of my dreams, took the
resolution Of sleeping upright in chair,
while my servant watched by me. But
no sooner did my head drop upon my
breast in incipicnt slumber, than the fire