Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1844-10-15
The Golden Spectaeles.


A FIsH SToRY.-The narrator once sailed
on board ship, he said, in which there
was very near sighted passenger, who al
ways wore pair Of gold sPectacles. He
had forgotten TO provide himself with a
second pair. before he left ard being a
tnaa Of nervous temperament, he was err
petuaI.y worrying himself with the idea
BY some accident or other he should lose the
eAy ones he had, during the voyage. and
TINS be left for some time in a most I'M
pleasant predicament, not being able to see
yard before him without the assistance
of glsses. Many and dire were the acci-
dents which he wGs sure would happen ts
| him in a state of sensi-blinduess 10 which
| he would be reduced, when the bnnacles
were gone. In fact, he would be afraid TO
venture on deck, being certain TO walk
overheard, or fall down The companion
| ladder; aud how he should ever get into
the boa, which was to take him ashore,
when the ship arrived at her destination.
he knew not. One day they ~ers be
HcaImed near The line, and large shark was
seen by The officer on watch, jus, under The
Stern. A the passengers, oar near-sigh-
E',ed friend among them, rushed aft TO see
the monster taken, baited hook having
been Immediately put overheard. In the
scutfle which took place, every one stri-
wing to get a good position, down dropped
the speciacles from his nose; the shark
seized the giittering prize, and as if salts
| fed with his acqu sttIon, retired u..dcr the
counter, re using the most tempting bats
that we're succesevely offered TO hun dur
I ing the day. Towards even ng, breeze
sprang up, and away they went, at nine or
ten knots an hour. The nervous man was
aow in n situation which his morbid fnncv
had 50 often presented to him. and the first
part Of his prescn:Iment having come TO
pass, he felt Ike q doomed mar; and
seemed 10 wait the fuiflment Of his destiny.
which, he had persuaded himself was either
To break his neck or be drowned. lie lock
! ed himself up in his cabin became moody
ard reserved, lusied himself with his pa
! pers. and made varIogs preparations for his
end. The captain and others became
seriously ala rmed, and attenped 10 raj Y
| him from his mononania but al! 10 no pur
pose; he shook his head mournfuliy when
they attempted 10 laugh him out OF II, and
solernnlv made answer that time would
| show thai he was doomed man. The
wind about the line seldom lusls long; anG
after Il or six days sailing, during " hIci
they ran eight ar ans hundred miles, the
'avoarbIc b, eeze died away, the heavy sail,
tapped idly against the ma>ts, and again
the usual li>lessness which attends per
feet calm sea, crept over the minds OF
eve'r one on board. One Of the nid,hip-
nan who had gone alo(t. 10 see if he could
descry sail or anything else on the vast
expanSe Of wafer. which they lay like log
sang out that shark was close 10 the vessel.
! Again eve:y body was on the qniriue, a
! hook VAS soon bared and thrown over,
AVID this time greedy snalched at by Mr..
/ John Shark. He was soon hauled on boa ID
and the business Of searching his locker
commenced with the usual curiosity. The
first hing they pulled out we're the gold
spectaclcs! They were speedy taken Ia
the hypochondriac below. and the change
which the sight OF them made on HIM was
miraculous. He felt, he sald, just what a
,nan would, who, with a rope around his
neck, is repreve5 at the galows' foot, and
at once shaking off the Fl of despondency
and apprehension which had chung SO
closely to him, ne joined heartily in the
laugh which his former fears now raised
among his feliow-,oyagers. give this
story as had it, and leave the reader tc
Judge for himself how much of it is true
In shark which we caught, We found d
newspaper of later date than any we hac
on hoard, and which was dried and rsal
by all ofus, have been dropped frome some
Other ship, and swallowed by an eccentric
frh nd.-Greonrood' Narrative oftae cam
paiga in Afghanistdn.