The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1844-04-12

he paced the deck witha hurried step-whiltst the
curious Scotsman watched the tear that hung
glittering on the long silken eyeashes of Mrs St
Clair.
"Weel, weel, said DR.. Mac Wash, as he turned
on his heel, and applied once more to his null, 81
hae studied human nature mony year, but maur
confess dinna ken a that.'
The evening of the fifth day at sea was fast ap
preaching, yet nothing of consequence had occur
ed. All hands were on deck, as usual, to view the
sublime scene of the setting sun las he sunk through
a sea Of gold to his ocean bed. st. Clair, power
full athletic man, but of small intellect, as is gen.
orally the case among overgrown persons, was pa
cling the deck with folded arms, wrapped up in hi;
own reflections, and altogether unmindful of the
heavenly scene which attracted other eyes, Mrs
St Clair, whose almost perfect beauty was the
theme and admiration of all on board, was seated on
a chair, with her eyes alternately fixed upon her
husband, and the golden radiance that sreamed on
| the palaces and columns of ice from the western
heavens. Even the little Scotsman, who seemed
only anxious to study human nature from his OBJ
servatons of the crew, could not gaze upon the ell
egant symmetry of her form, and the exquisite ex-
preston Other finely moulded face, without repea-
tedy applying his forefnger and thumb to his null,
and observing, that sea- the charms O. her sex see
med to hae centred in her ain beautiful sel''' La
Trappe as usual, kept hmselfretred from the rest,
crouched under the windlass of the ship, examin-
ing variety of papers and letters, which he inva-
riably crammed into secret pocket whenever any
of the crew came towards him. Still more singu-
lar were the actions of the unprotected female,
whom we introduced to the reader at the opening
of the story. She had given her name to the crew
as Constance Dubois, nun who had escaped from
her convent near Lyons, and was flying to foreign
land to avoid the prosecution of her friends for
her broken vows. She represented that she had
been residing few months in England, and from
the circumstance of her friends having discovered
the place of her refuge she was under the necessi-
ty of seeking another asylum. She was often seen
gazing at Mrs. st. Clair, and from her delight in
nursing the lovely child, which she was constantly
WITH implicit credit was given to the story Of her
misfortune by the ships company. Constance Du-
bois might have been taken for the governess of
the child, so constantly did she watch it. She was
sometimes seen gazing upon its innocent face; and
to the interrogation of why she wept she answered
that she once had care of child which she had the
misery to see drowned in crossing the British chan
mel, the child having fallen overheard.
La Trappe seldom conversed with any of the
crew, save when the subject of the war between
England and the Colonies was introduced; and
then he conversed long and fuepty, seeming only
desirous of drawing from those with whom he con-
versed their views and opinions of certain subjects
and sratagems, which he himself introduced or
suggested. La Trappe was considered by the Brit
sh one eff their most accomplished spies and secret
emesaries- -supposing him to be, like Achilles in
vulnerable, and like Proteus, invisible at pleasure;
as he had been known to pass the American sentries
and penetrate their camps without injury, and sell
dom being arrested. He had several times been
taken by the American outposts, but always man.
aged to escape; and the British commander regret
ted that they had not chosen him to treat with Ar
mold, in lieu of the amiabe aud unfortunate Andre.
La Trappe was fine looking man, though small;
and SO mysterious in his character that he had ac-
qured among the sailors and soldiers the epithet of
the ncognito. He was now the bearer of des-
patches from the British government, TO Sir Henry
Clinton, the purport of which he managed to ascer-
tain.
The distracted air and bewildered manner of ST.
Clair most excited the attention of the crew, and
caused each to assign his own reason for his singu-
ar behavior. Some supposed, from the quantity
Of jewels about the person of Mrs. ST. Clair, that
'he was a member of some noble family, who had
eloped with man of humble pretensions, and that
he fear ofpunishment had come upon them; others
uggested the idea that they had not been so happy
fter marriage as they had anticipated; and others,
hat they were persons of low fame, who had pur-
oined the jewels, and were fugitives from justice
Thus every one formed his own conclusion from
lis own premises
81 can tell we a. about the matter,'' said the con-
eited Scotsman, putting spoonful ofthe real Gil
ispie in his tremendous proboscis; "the mon is
ackin in the comforts o. moral philosophy. the
ude effects of which ye ignorant boobies ken nae
hing about"
At this moment the learned Doctors harrangue
vas cut short bya cry from the quarter deck of"a
hid overheard" Every one instinctvely rushed
the spot, and among the rest Mrs. ST. Clair, the
,other Of the child-who, in the frantic agony of
he moment, was only prevented from throwing
erselfinto the sea by the sudden grasp of la
'rappe, who placed her in the arms of Dr. Muc
Wash, the Doctor cody observing, that accidents
ONE frae every quarter when we little dream of d
c disasters" Every eye was turned towards ST. f
lair, but he was standing with folded arms, as l
lough altogether unmindful of the catastrophe.
The child had moment before been seen on the &
eek at the side ofConstance, and when her eye
as turned was sunnosed IN have falIan ovar Tho