The Northern galaxy, and Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1843-1844, 1843-12-20

letters she wrote to her husband durin,
his last voyage. Zone hundred" wa!
the answer. "And how many did he re-
ceive 2" Six" The inveriable rule i.
to write by every ship that leaves this port
or New Bedford, or any other port, tina
may be heard of. for the Pacific Ocean,
And yet the chances are very small thai
any two ships will meet on that boundles:
expanse. 1t sometimes happens that q
ship returns, when those on board have moi
heard one word from their families during
the whole period of their absence. Imag,
inc then the feelings of husband and a
father, who returns to the harbor of Man,
tucket, after a separation of forty .eigh,
months. during which time he has heard
no tidings whatever from his home. lie
sees the boat pushing off from the wharves
which is TO bring him the tidings of veal
or wo. He stands pale and trembling, pa
cling the deck, overwhelmed with emotions
which he in vain endeavors to conceal
A friend in the boat greets him with a
smile, and says, "Captain, your family are
all we'll" Or perhaps he says" " Captain,
have heavy news for you, your wife died
two years and half ago.
A young man left this island last sum-.
mer, leaving in his quiet home a Young
and beautiful wife,and infant child. That
wife and child are now both in the grave.
But the husband knows not, and probably
will not know of it for months to COME
He perhaps falls asleep every night think
ing of the loved ones he left at his fireside,
little immagining that they are both cold
in death.
On bright summer afternoon, the tel
egraph announces that Cape Horn ship
has appeared in the horizon, and immedi.
ately the stars and stripes of our national
banner are unfurled from Cur flag staff,
sending a wave of emotion through the
town. Many families are hoping that it
is the ship in which their friends are TO re.
turn and all are hoping for tidings from the
absent. Soon the name of the ship is an.
nounCed. And then there is an eager con.
tention with the boys TO be the first bearer
of the joyful tidings to the wife of the cap
tain. For which service a silver dollar is
the established and invariabIe fee. And
who can describe the feelings which must
then agi,ate the bosom of the wife ? Per.
haps she had heard no tidings from the
ship for more than a year. Trembling
with excitement, she dresses herself to
meet her husband. SIS he alive" she
says TO herself" or am l widow, and the
poor children orphans 7" She walks about
the room unable to compose herself sufii>
GENTLY 10 sit down eagerly she is looking
out of the window and down the street.
She sees man with hurried steps turn
the corners land a little boy hold of his hand
Yes, it is he. And her little son has gone
down to the boat and found his father
Or, perhaps, instead of this, she sees two
of her neighbors returning slowly and
sadly, and directing their steps to her door.
The blood flowed back upon her heart
They rap at the door. 1t is the knell of
her husbands death. And she falls sense
less to the floor, as they tell her that her
husband has long been entoomed in the
fathomless ocean.
This is not fiction. These are not ex-
IRENE cases which the Imagination creates
/ They are facts of continual occurrence
facts which awaken emotions to which no
pen can do justice.
A few weeks ago, ship returned to this
Island, bringing the news of another ship
that she was nearly filled with oil thai
all on board were well and that she NIGH
be expected in a neighboring port in such
month. The wife of the captain resid,
ed in Nantucket, and early in the month
with heart throbbing with affection anc
hope, she went to greet her husband on hi'
return. At length the ship appeared, drop
ped her anchor in the harbor. and the
friends of the lady went to the ship 10 es
cort the husband TO the wife from whom hi
had so long been separated. Soon they
sadly returned, with the tidings that he
husband had been seized with the coast fe
yer. upon the island of Madagascar, ant
when about a week Out, on his return home
he died, and was committed to his oceal
burial. A few days after l called upoI
the weeping widow and little daughter il
their destined home of bereavement ant
anguish.