Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1849-01-06
sTORY OF Al SAILOR.

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Four years ago | left the port Of Boston,
the master ofa fine ship, bound for China
| was worth Ten thousand dollars, and was
the husband OF n Young and handsome vile
whom | had married SIX months before.
When left her | promised to return 70 her
in lesss than n twelvemonth. | took All my
u oney along with me, save enough 10 sup.
port my wife in my absence, for the purpose
Of treading when in China on my own &C.
count. For 4 long time we were favored
with prosperous wind but when In the Chi.
nese, Sen q terrible storm came upon US 50
that in a short time / saw the vessel must
BIO lost, for we were drifting on the rocks
nf an unknown shore. | ordered the men
each TO provide for himsslfi In the best pos
slble manner, md forget the ship as IL was
on impOssibility 10 save her. We struck
a sea threw ME upon the rock senselcss,
and the next would have carried mic back
into q watery grave, had not one Of tke
sailors dragged me flrer up the rocks.
There were only four of us alive, aud
when morning came. we found We we're.
an a small uninhabited island, with nothing
to eat but the wild fruit mrn to that
portion Of the earth. l will not distress
you by an account Of our snferings there
suffice II TO say that we remained sixty days
before we could make ourselves knownto
any ship. We were taken 10 Canton, and
there / bad 10 beg /; for my money was at
the bottom ofthe sea, and | had not taken
the precaution TO have It insured.
1t was nearly a year before fund IA
chance to come home, and Ia captain was
Obliged to ship as n common sailor. 1t
was two years from The time that ] lett
America that I lnnded in Boston. | was
walking In a hurried manner up one Fits
streets, when | met my brotheTh in.iaw.
He could not speak nor move, but be gFa p
ed my hand and the tears gushed from his
eyes.
sis my wife aliye7 | asked"
He said nothing.
Then | wished / had persisted with my
ship for | thought my wife was dead; but
be very soon said.
"She is alive"
Then II was my turn ocry lorjoy. He
chung to me and said.
Your funeral sermon has beenpraached
for we have thought you were dead, for a
long time"
He said my wife was living in our cottage
in the Interior Of the State. I WIS then 3
o'clock in the afternoon. and took a train
Of cars that would carry me within twenty.
five miles ofmy wife. Leaving the cars, |
hired a boy, though il was night, 10 drive
me home. II was about 2 o'clock in tho
morning when that sweet little cottage Of
mine appeared In sight. 1t was q warm
moonlight night and | remember how like
d heaven It looked to me. | got out Of TIE
carriage and went TO The window Of the
room where the servant girl slept and
gently knocked. She opened tbs window
and asked, "yVho is thcre?"
"Sarah, do you know me1' said /.
She screamed with fright, for she thought
me a ghost, but + told her to u~nfaslen the
door and let me 10, for | wished to STE my
wife. She let me in and | went up stairs
TO nv wile's room, She lay sleeping
quietly. Upon her BOSOM lay our child
whom | had never seen. She ~as ~
beautiful as when | left her, but | eoald
see a mournful expression upon her face.
Perhaps was dreaming Of me. | gazed
far a long time / did not make any noise
for / dared not to wake her At length /
imprinted a soft kiss upon The cheek ofmy
child. While doing it a tear, dripping
from my eye, fell upon her check. Her
eyes opened as clearly as though she bad
not long been sleeping. | saw chat she
began 10 he frightened, and ! said.
"Mary, it is your husband"
Ard sle clasfed me about my neck and
tainted.
But I cannot describe TO you that scene.
She is now the happy wife ola poor man.
I am endeavoring to accumulate a little prop
cry, and then | will leave the sea for
ever.