The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1838-04-14
ArArHETIc FISH STORY.
By ,. II. HEWITT,

Of Nantucket; good looking fellow, and, |
withal, a man ofsome talent in the way of |
his profession. He had, by industy, amas-
sed enough of the "world's gear" to build
himself house, and rig out neat little
smack-which had lain out "high and dry"
long after the death Of his father.--Hiram
took it into his head that Jenny Gill,
daughter Of veteran son Of the line, not
Jack Ketch) would make one of the lest
helpmates that could be found upon the is
land and he forthwith determined to venture
within soundings, and throw out his bait.
One evenmg-and it was beautiful even
ing-the pensive moon looked fondly on
the bosome OF the waters, ''the mirror Of
her bveliness reigned--not e.
ven the gentle ripples that rolled upon the
beach, murrured loud enough to be heard
furlong off. Occasionally, distant
splash was heard Which might have been a
sea-serpent leaping from the briny deep:
my authorities are silent on this important
head, and much it is TO be regretted. |
said thatit was beautiful evening; Jenny
walked pensvely along the yellow shore,
in search of clans for the morrow's break
fast; her thoughts were like the sea--calm
and placed--and she often wished herself
a water-n ymph that she might traverse the
pathless deep, and sport in the coral caves
beneath its bosom. Of sudden she heard
mornful noise like sigh, and looking
down, she perceived stream of water is
suing from hole in the sand. Expert
ence had taught her that the hole. the sigh,
and the gush, were infallble indications
OF the presence of clam; SO she began to
dig for hidden treasure. Long did she
toll, and the longer she toiled, the more
cLdmorous became the inhabitant of the
beach; at one moment she had it between
her taper fingers, and then again it would
slip away with mornful groan. Chance
brought Hiram 10 the spot, and, with fish
erman's galantry, he stopped down and
drew the shell fish from its home. Jenny
thanked him with blush. Hiram sighed,
and the clam sighed. This was the world
less eloquence. Of love; sigh brought on sigh
--utterance came--word brought on word
and, (hapPy HiramI confession brought
on confession.
Happy in the society each other, Hiram
and his beloved Jenny Gill, wandered
along the sea-beach-they made chaplets OF
the sea-weeds; cracked peppers" they chas-
ed each other with the ''dtviPs apron"
they threw stones and they dug clans.
Pleasant is the love that meets return.
They had not wandered more than half a
mile when they observed something in the
sea, bobbing up and down, as if it were
dancing 10 Hondle's "Water Music" The
surprised Islanders glanced at each other,
as if they would have said "shall we run!"
but they moved not, and the object in the
water gradually approached them. As it
neared, the moon shone brightly upon it
lit appeared TO be a beautiful female, with
long flowing hair and arms and shoulders
as white as drifting snow. One lovely
hand remained gracefully fixed upon her
breast, while the other ever and anon dipt
into the liquid element.
Hiram looked with all his eyes--wlat
heavenly being thought he--how fit for
isherman's wife! Jenny saw the fire OF ad-
miration dart from her lovers eyes, she
saw it fixed in rapture on the beautiful
goddess, a. her heart sunk within her. Jeal-
ousy, that green-eyed monster, crept into
her bosom-and she turned away and Wept.
Hiram child her not, for his whole soul
was wrapt up in the water spirit, who, by
this time, had reached a rock about ten
yards from low water mark, and with
graceful bound she threw herself from the
deep, and rested on one of its shelves. Not
a sound had broken upon the silence fol
some time, and sigh from Jenny awaken
ed the dormant clans, and from the basket
issued chorus of sighs. Hiram started
from his stupor-he thought he heard the
plaintive voice of the mermaid, and his
heart was filled with love. He went to the
edge of the sea, called on the water lady,
but she answered not, still preserving the
same attitude in which she first appeared.
The force Of love has often been illustra-
ted, but never so finally, since the days of
Hero and Leander, as in the picture have
seen of Hiram plunging into the waveleSs
deep, to the rescue of the mysterious sea-
beauty. Yes--it was an act of chiValry,
and deserves to be recorded; he went into
the salt water, swan brave, while the dis
consolate Jenny remained on shore, wiring
ing her hands in the agony of despair.
Nothin0 daunled the heroic Hiram skim-