The Columbian fountain., 1846-08-04
THE FISHERMAN.
A THRILLING INCIDENT.
Concluded.

| !. LOUCIuuGu.
Their deep dread was no longer 10 be con.
cealed; and while the old man paced 10 and
fro, looking earnestly and at brief intervals
over the lonely sea, the mother and daugh-
ter were sobbing audilly
''Fearless let him be whose trust is in
God " exclaimed the father. The sentence
was uttered involuntarily, but it had its ef-
feet. t.F Ell
"Ay," said the mother, Che always trust
ed in his God, and God will moi forsake him
now"
"Do you remember, Jane,n continued
the old man, show often Providence was
with me, amid the storm and the wreck,
when help from man was alar of, and would
have been useless if near - And they err
couraged one another to hope the best-bu,
to submit to the decree Of Heaven, whether
It ca as the gentle dew to nourish or !,
the heavy rain to oppress. From that hill
lock which overlooked the ocean, ascended
the mingled prayers that God would not
leave hem desolale.
The fisherman, the object of their hopes
and fears, had been very successful during
the night; when at day-break, as he was
preparing to return home, he remembered
his promise to bring with him some sea-
weed to manure the potato plot behind The
cottage. He was now close to rocks which
were only discernable at low water; he pull
led for them, jufpped on shore, fastened The
painter of his boas TO a jutting part of cliff,
and took his boat hook with him. .,
He collected sufficient quantity of the
weed, but in his ca agerness to obtain it, he
had wandered from the landing, when he
heard his boy loudly holloing and exclaim-
ing ''lhe painter is loose!''
He rushed instantly towards the boat,
which was then several yards of-the by
was vainly endeavorlng to use both oars,
and Neptune, the faithful dog, was running
backwards and forwards, bowling fearfuly,
as if conscious of his masters danger, and
at one moment about TO plunge into the
waves and join him, and the next moment
licking the face and hands of the child as If
he foresaw that for him his protection would
be most needful
lhe fisherman at once perceived the des-
perate nature of his situation; the Tide he
knew was coming in rapidly, and his hope
Of escape was al an end, when he perceived
that his boy in his effort 10 use the oars,
had let one Of them fall overheard. "Fa-
ther," exclaimed the lad, s'what shall /
do !" The boat was at that moment so
distant that his distracted parent could
scarcely hear the words; but he called out
TO him as loud as he could to trust in God,
the father of the fatherless. He then stood
resigned TO the fate which inevitably await
ed him, and watched the drifting boat in
peril from the fatal rocks. He then offered
up brief prayer to the throne of mercy,
when in an instant a light broke upon his
mind "G,eat God y he exclaimed, 81
may vet be saved" With The energy of
hope battling with despair, he collected all
the stones around him and heaped them ra-
pdly upon high ledge of rocks. 1t was
indeed wonderful, how he could have ga
thered so manv stones in go short time,
but the Almighty gave him strength, and he
was laborng not for life alone, but for be-
ings still dearer to him. The tide came on,
on, and soon obliged him TO mount the pile
be had heaped, he then planted the boat
hook firmly in one of the crevices of the
cliff, and prepared to struggle for existence,
but his heart failed him, when he consider
ed how slight was the possibility that the
waters would not rise above his head. Still
he determined TO do all he could 10 preserve
his life. The waves were not rough, and
The boat-hook supported him.
The awful moment rapidly approached
the water reached his knees, but he stood
firmly and prayed that he might be prererv-.
ed. On, on, on, it came, and his shoulders
were covered; hope died within him, and
he thought Of himself no longer, but those
who were so dear to him-his wife, his
children, and his father-it was for blessings
on them that he had implored heaven. Still
on, on, on, it came, and de was forced to
raise his head to keep as long as possible
from death his reason was almost gone,
his breath grew feeble, his prayers became
gurgIing murmurs. The blood rushed to
his head-hs eyes glared as if they would
start from, their sockets. He closed them
with an effort and thought for the last time
on the home that would soon be wrelched!
Horrible images were before him--eaeh
swell Of the waves seemed as though the
fiends were forcing him downward, and the
cry of the seabird was like their yells over
! L.. nh,,l. r.. 4.