Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-01-18
Very respectfully, yours,
GREENFlEL.D
MY FIRST SABBATH AT SEA.
GOA board the Frigats United Siaies.)

Tho service of the Episcopal Church was gone
through. Accustomed its forms and familiar
with its very words, was yet never so much i'm
pressed with its sublime and solemn characteristics
ono thing TO he at Church in the coun,ry-surround
cd by familiar faces, and the noises OF children and
iogs-somc Of the congregation ad iustins bit of
hnery some thumbins prayer book-some as
eerd'ns TO, and Others descending from the Gale.
res-ard among the younger brethren. especially
the weaker vessels, some fur,ively casting love.
looks, &c.-whiie around nli is perfec, security
and apparent exemption from those dangers which
more imprcss,vely remind us OF nur mor,ay;-and
another and very different thing to be here, on the
bosom Of the great deep-wherc above and around.
and below, the heavens, the ocean. and the winds,
remind us OF the mnumcrablc agencies by which
our brittle thread may be cut forever; and as a,
this instant lor the sky is couded and the winds
are up) whisper in their apparently suppressed nc
ton, and look in their half smiling, h,lf rowning
aspect, that they have lost of those terrible
energies, which have carried millions To a waierv
grave. There, powerful principle of the human
heart IS Enacted upon-ior fear is absent; and man
according 10 his nature repoSes IN the ness
OF present security, without looking To the future -
Here, he who thinks at all, is forced by sunoun,i
Ing circumstances TO turn his Elections 10 II shout
ness OF lite-,he certainty Of doath-,hc m,sc,sb.c
| v, iHl
o' an overriding Providence, teaches him, that " hen
he dies, ne dies like dog-compared To that sub.
lime faith, which ircucncs that he has a prinrin,c
OF immortality that survives the grave; that he lives
ever under the economy of n God who holds the
J ocean IN his hands, and NJ whose fat tho storm in
ITS fury ceases IN an instant, and becomes a, harm
less and rs peaceful the pure spirit of that reli-
sion Itself IA spin, that brel,hc' bencvolencS and
peace ami love 10 ALA spirit which meek ,hnusb
1t be- yet exhibiting Itself in the eiuquent and i'm
p'ossye service OF the Episcopal Church, COM
mands respect aud reverence not only fom the
vlriuous, the pious md the well informed (for we
have all such here) but ii fixes the attention o. tho
i'Ilteraie, the thoushtess, aud the dcpta'cd.
The minister in full clerical costume stands be.
lore temporary desk, nicely covered with decent
cloth, and holding IN his hands the prayer hook and
bible. There Al his right hand stands the man
ly form OF our gallant Capt, In--ia!, athletic and
orect-a son OF ever glorious Kcntucky-and look
ing every inch, warrior, worthy of 'lhe dark and
bloody ground" For third of a century, in peacc
and IN war, he's borne his counry's las ALL the
seas. For HIM there are no terrOrs either in the
battle or the breeze, and he would esteem il a most
precious privilege TO die under that flag when ever
duty requires It. Blu, he thinks not of battles now
he reverently attends the holy mans prayers.
little 10 has right stands the wnrdroom mcss-the
gay Llcuicnnrts:-but they look grave now: for
each one is reminded bv the solemn scene that nj
this moment pethaps-inr away in her own closet.
or perchance at the village Church, devoted wife
oilers up at the same altar, her tervent and pions
prayers Tor his s'fe;y and happiness: A holy offer
iIs, the deep heaved out pourog OF tina, pure and
devoted heart May It ascend to heaven
One sep further 10 the right, stands full muster
OF the little Mlddies-ihe merry, laughing do.s
But they do not laugh now-for than one trlts
10 escape observation, he brushes away the tear
that sllsens IN his eye Its not an impulse OF re
lisious, but of al pety, that moves the little sin-
ner; for just now he thnks-and rs he thinks, his
heart throbs with hoer feeling than it will ever
realize again-ofIhat dear mother who, very few
years ago, made hun knee and with his head in her
/ lap, taught him TO lisp the Lords praycr. She is
presented to hun now precisely as she o)ked a few
weeks since, when she babe him farewell. lie
/ feels again the long, long embrace and the wan
telr that dropped upon his face rs she babe him
sdeu. lie knows that ereyy day, from the deem
fountain OF that maternal love- there poured forth
10 Heaven, an earnest Suppca.ion for blessings on
his head. lie feels tina, he is now determined to
be good. May he carry out his purpose.
| On the left hand, and ranged IN font, is the
whole ships crew-Sailors, Apprentices anu Ma
rines. la the front row stand the apprentices
grown sailors these each with his pra yer book in
his hand and all IN perfect uniform. They RESPOND
NOT very rcgularly-but they beginners
then, without any prec'-e arrangement, the great
mass, ud'ly and Clearly dressed, profoundly silent,
ana perfectly deco. Gus, presents 10 the observer
snsulaIly striking spectacle. Chiefly they are ma
i've arlericans-bun Is easy 10 see that, that tound
ruddy lace, with the short trumpet-shapcd nos.
comes from the Emerald Isle. And il is not difficult
TO decide, that near hun Germany is rrpfcSo ted, in
the broad, heavy, slow- looking sailor, who stoops
little in his shoulders, and whose face is prepared
for the rgours Of Cape Horn, by that enormous
growth of yellow hair and whskers which hangs
over his forehead and curls up his cheeks. Close
by him stands negrI who might SIT for the "knight
of the rueful countennnce." He comes from Hart
iord-and six and thirty years he has sailed upon
the of every latitude. Away oil upon the ont.
skirts of the crowd, as Il It was his nature to dwell
upon the frontiers of civilization, IS full bloOded
Indinn-tall, lean and straight-ihe weight Of sixty
winters has not ben, his form, nor cached in the
slightest degree, the long SUIT OF hair, which even
more than his tawny complexion denotes his race
Doe old sea-dog--a bOitswdin's mate, is hanging
about yonder port hole, little out OF the congrcgn-
ton. For more than forty years his home has bee
upon the deep of schools, and churches and books
/ he knows but little. The voice OF God has reached
him, only it mUrmurs in the breeze or thundcrs
IN tho gale, or in that "sti, small" whisper which
he only, but ho hears Ills first intention was
to stand aoof-he had use for preaching he
did not "bcievc in it"-but as the evening pro.
ceeds, he begins to listen, and now his rugged from,
| is smoothed-he redKes his ponderous strength
and :" leans to hear" All-al confess, that IN this
christian religion there is something more than be.
longs to the systems Of other portions Of mankind
that in truth It ia the religion less OF than
OF TereIdtion.
a NEW SERIES