New-York tribune., 1841-11-19
Fro,a tho London Keepsake for 1912.
DEATH-BED.

FrG:a tho LONDON keepsake lbr icf<.
THE MtINrOPMAN'S DEATH-BED.
~ ,p,sARu nowlRo, AuroR OF RATrLIS THE REFER &C
TRr nssi.rani.surgeon, and the overgrown an-
,yornnnisb.looking youth who tended upon the
afflicted. were tic only persons in the -ick-bay
exceptiag the departing seaman, John Lockwood
Th,. evening breeze, dalled gently with the white
and extended 81 is, nad made melancholy music
peculiarly heir o~n. among the frightened and
well-skctclied sian.iias and running rigging. The
sounds ON these rough GHd noble harPstrings
might iancy-a!ded have been though, to breathe a
reoue,n OF the most soothing melody To The dying
maintopman
There was ,la, awful hush throughout the popu-
Inns sbip which. though not absolute silence, might
10 said 10 be something more still. The low
manning q: the geatle winds the faint pl9shing5 Of
the waves. and the careful tread o! he few Off
GERS who were moving about. indicated lhnt life
and action sill existed 5u, existed With subdued
soemnitv, well BETTING tho Iiic dcath-bed OF the
humble and the coed
The hardy and stalwart seamen were At quar-
tiers. and they whispered 10 each other in sorrow
full accents that their shpmate VA. "going alofi, y
was .'under weigh Tor tho right place, " had
tripped his anchor for glory and in many other
sea-,aupht and quain, expressions, ntimated their
conviction that he was down in the good-be-
havior list and mad secured "a good berth,
where the wicked cease from troubling and the
weary fud rest.
The men had been mustered, wh,lstthe slanting
sunbeams strcameG through the PORTFOLIOS upon
their elistcnipg cuilasse-; all thr dreadful appus
tenanccs belonging to giorienS war had been
.enortcd ready far action, and secured for the
night. and Captain DaIricourt was on The pain, of
ordari,q The first lieutenant TO " bca, the retreat
lise.i Il, Ii .,-r
lightly across the quarter deck; aud wills psred
the surgeon, who approached the captain, ard
communicated with ham in 81 low tone.
The commander Of the Majestic bowed his head
sosrowful}y 4; tits information, and approaching
;he n,cal, oi the quarterback commended, in u
s1,yduod uaue of voice. that the hoatswains mates
should pass the word fore aud ulJ, for the men IL
dso ise Themselves quietly. One man on board
,4as to hear no more the cheerful rattle Of the
- dsuaIing drum
Attended by INC surgeon aud his assistant, Can
5ain Dabrcourt proceeded to the sick-bny, and was
soon siandinc near the hammock, where swung
an his death.bed. the honest and once blithe main
,oppau. !ohn r ckwood.
There wa, 10 chaplain board. At the time
Of winch we we're speaking, there were, ut most,
bur three OF four cicrgymen dispersed among many
ships, and it was seldom that single cruiser was
So Fortunate possess one As Captain Da-
b1court stood over the dying man. gazing visit
fully in the wan couutenance beneath him, he held
open the pra.erbool ut the Office of The visitation
of the sick.
'Is he rational enough to benefit by divine con-
solution 2? said the captain, addressing the surgeon.
Il hardly know, Captain Dabricourt. The
poor fellow fancics that he is overlooking party
of agricultural laborers who ara moving down
the grass in the green fields of his native village.
He is very restless. LiSteni
90 The scythes want sharpening, lubbers all y
murmured lockwood " See, the waving grass
rises again fast--fast as they sweep i, down. a
ropeyarn for such mowers! They do no more
than the summer wind it sweeps over the fields
-,here--,here-,here" and he pointed to the
dancing waves, all green and joyous, which rose
aud tell unlike the bending and rising grass in
= meadow ready for the scyihe.
lockwood then silent for space. gazing
in,ent!S through the por,hole upon the sea, and
teeSly noddins his head and waving his atenua, ed
hand 10 the motion of the waters Yes, he
continued, 3" | know that | am very i'll and it is
terrible to die here, away from my gallant ship.
and my Jolly, Jolly mcsmatcs. always hoped 10
be- buried in the cool blue seas, a thousand thou
sand fathoms down, below all the sharks. What
quiet roomy. pleasant grave No mould. no
dirt, no filthy worms. But now, poor Jack will
be huddled into the church-yard, among the bones
of a parcel of shore-eoing snsers, to rot in six
fee, deep grave How hate that ro,,ng Nov
away. NOW away. We lub5ers You the grass
ia up again before We have time 10 bring yeur
scy,hes round.
An expressive look passed between the captain
and the surgeon, which plainly Indicated that they
thought the poor fellow in extremity, and that
they ought not to pray with, but for him. The
captain then commenced, with solemn voice
reading the prayers for the sick at the point OF de-
psrture. When he came TO che words We
humbly commend the soGl of tsis thy servant
our dear brother the sailor rallied at the word
brother. amazingly, faz very strongly had the cap
tain emphasized it
Brother my brother Where is he and
where am /? No, no. uo-your honor; yon are
no, nv BROTHER and he made an abortive effort
at the accustomed pluck al the forelock-'he mark
OF defercnce 10 his commander; . know better
nor that: you are my caPtain-God bless you
sr."
"Your brother--your friend and brother, be
!ieve il !" said the captain, placing much stress
upeu the words your friend and brother!