The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-07-15
From the London Metropolitan.
THE SOULS OF THE DROW NED.

A LEGEND OF THE SEA.
Translated from The German BY William Henry Farm
"On the evening of the Goth of October they OBJ
served that luminous appearance of the which hath
often been mentioned by navgators, and which has
been ascribed TO such variety OF causes
Captain Cooks First Voyage
In fishing village of Holland hard by the sea,
lived an old fisherman, upon whose family and for
tunes there appeared to rest peculiar blessing lie
enjoyed in his advanced age powers still fresh almost
youthful, and his children and chdrens children, a
welordered little flock, gathered round hun for his
pleasure and delight and there was no lack of valua
bic property which rugality and good management
continually Increased In the village were many an
ider and bad neighbor, who enyed him his happy life,
and put rumors in circulation In what way the old An
drew had most likely come by his stores. 1t was tn, n
reported there he in league with the Evil One !
that the latter brought him the oden treasures OF the
deep, Andrew had been pirate in his youth, and
now spending the gains Of the poor wretches he
had plundered. The whole truth was, however, that
Andrew had set free the soul of poor drowned per-
son. from the bottom of the sea, which was prisoner
there, crouchng under an inverted vase The affair
was, strictly speaking, as follows:
The aged fisher, although he generally made a
circle of his children and grand children let fall stray
hints out OF which the others easily made up perfect
story. Andrew himself shall be the speaker:
~ have not always been so Fortunate as that |
could see and reckon around me wealth, property, and
aiectionate hearts which might sweeten my days To
me. 1t has been gwen to every one OF us 10 stand
quite alone in the WIDE world and to feel himself
deserted to his inmos soul Heaven suffers us TO
such solItarness to the end that may the
cheerfuy attach ourselves afterwards to dear human
BOSOM and learn to love God in his creature, man
Ny youth had been full Of adversely and oppression
Sorey, too, labored and oled the reward OF toll
would not come. Already my back began to curve
and my hair to brnde itself with grey yet saw no
l..I, IL Inln
ed to remain single exception to the lot of all How
belt murmurcd not. had early learned to love Go
and TO put my trust in him. One evening went, as
often did, out of my hut far beyond the boundary of
the village to where the shore stretches to great dis
tancc and the eye nothing but the lonely downs
and the broad ocean. This was my tasorlte spot be-
cause there heard other sounds than the roaring
of the waves, and encountered no gladstone face OF
man, which might have told me how miserable and
forsaken was And certainly found not soul TO
disturb me-
"The sea for a great way out was calm and CLASSY;
| had in fact, never observed it still before. No
sail and no boat, as far as ever could descry. i he
sky above perfectly cloudess the sun, which set
ting threw CLEAN OF yellowish red upon the sand
hills before me. | walked on To the place where an
old wreck lay; supported myself against of its
rotten tinbes, and contemplated the scene In the
silence here, now my grief came upon me IN all It's
force, and much as struggled against il, my thoughts
took their Old accustomed course.
Andrew I. cried | TO myself, to-day is the day of
your patron saint how little has he done towards
making you rich and happy Last year you buried
your wife, and few weeks afterwards your child
also. How have you deserved so much mstor une
Had matters turned out differently you would not
have been strolng here by yourself but have been
sitting with those merry fellows in the village, who
live there without knowing care, and have the best
Of their days before them"
"At these thoughts, melancholy got such fast bold
on me, that could fain have wept but energy in
my bosom kept back my tears. could do nothing
but once turn my gaze on the sea, whose repose
and smiling aspect penetrated my soul The sun went
slowly down and a coofless gray began to spread IT.
selfover the wide plain, after still long, solitary beams
of light had rembled here and there, though they
desired to combat the coming spirits of the night
The heavens retained their clear, transparent hue till
they also had gradually filled themselves with deep
shades gentle breeze sprang up, and cast with an
echong splash small rplets against the body of the
wreck. resumed the perpendicular To set about my
return home, when my glance fell upon phenome-
non which could not, at the moment, understand
For upon the decayed woodwork of the rulnous
sci, there appeared luminous flame, that gided to
and fro with great qulckncss and shune with blush
glmmerng. can affirm that l. during the many pc
rls of my life, had never been conscious oi the feeling
that is termed fear. Despite therefore, of my onc
ness, and of the already advanced night experienced
not the least alarm. | watched with attention the
play of the singular flash of fire. and marked how
ever and anon it disengaged itself from the wreck
darted out toerabe distance into the sea, sparked
there with purcr light and then came back again
had certainly heard tell that treasures sunk in the
deep might be indicated sometimes by appearances OF
this sort nevertheless felt no desire to dwell upon it
further, turned my back, and walked on,
cat that moment a voice pronounced my name;
faced about instantly, and now saw, behind he wreck
a man standing, yet half screened from view, who
looked upon me with an aged paid countenance.
knew him knot, and his vesture was utterly strange TO
me. lie stood for some time without speaking and
his supplicating eve with which he regarded me in
fixed stare shall never forget Al length cred
with loud and courageous voice, w hat IS your plea
sure, sir Wherefore have you called noe
Andrew :" spoke the apparition; thou has com
planned but now that Fortune hath denied thee wealth