The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1853-03-16

4
graceful as a disenfranchised bird, sh,
glided in airy cycloids through its winding
mazes, her cheeks flushed with the exer
else, and smiles of almost infantile deliyh,
breaking over her bow-like lips, aud dim.
pllng the soft whiteness of her Chin
MIlman was still her partner, and | won.
dered if it were possible that those dcer
untathomable eyes were not drinking in
the sunshine of that joyous face, and like
shaded camera obscura, painting its lovAly
llneaments upon his soul in deep and i'm
pershable line of light and beauty.
lcould not See his face, but ia a sudden
turn the flying dance caught the en-
preston of hers. He was retaining her
hand for moment, as he bent down to
utter some remark, and that same inetfabIc
look of angelic sorrow, which Ihad before
obsorved-that shadow from the bright
wings of the bird of paradise-hovered
TOR an instant over her fairwhite brow, and
threw a beautiful cleaning on what before
had seemed almost too raptrous, too in
tensely cloudless for contemplation.
l could not catch the slightest tone that
was said, but / saw full well that love was
breathing it various lay Of mournful
swells and joyous symphonies, ''Its con-
slant chorus of continual change" across
the unswept harp-chords Of her being
What look was that which she turned
upon him! The native sunligh, Of her
spirit seemed striving to gush up through
ITS bright blue windows, and penetrate the
lmpaIpablc cloud OF sweet sadness floating
over them--her lips, too, quivering with
new and unusual emoton, seemed strur-
CLING to arch into their wonted smiles of
merrIment, as if they pcnduated between
shadow and sunshine.
l question, however, if Milman took in
the whole of this reply, for suddenly a
wild terrific shock lifted our steamer out
OF the water, and dashed her backwards
up the stream with fearful violence. An
other and another shock, upturning table,
and chairs, destroyed every thing like per
pend'cularity in our cabin; and ut the same
ume..a, pigbty hooms like. .iJ.e of
leaping in long and laundering rcverbcra.
tons out upon the sullcn waves OF the
Mississippi. Then succeeded n slow care
ening from side to side, like the rocking
motions Of settling ship, which produced
the most sickcning and deathikc scnsa-
tions.
Instantly all was confusion and distress;
wild shreks broke from many pallid lip.
Some, who had been thrown PROSTATE,
remained kneeling with clasped hands,i in
all the apathy Of despair; Others, frantic
with alarm, flew in purposeless agony up
and down the cabin. while n few found
relief from fear in the embrace of insen-
sibilitv.
1t flashed upon me in a moment that
no time was to be lost in reaching the
guards. The only hope for safety was,
that the cabin would part from the hull
and float off, in which case our sole refuge
was the deck above. Already it seemed
to me that could hear the gurgling OF
the waters rising beneath myteet: another
moment would bear eternity upon its
wings. could not have stood motionless
for more than second Of time, but in that
tiny atom Of measurement, my whole past
life, vast and many-col' red panorama,
flew in rapid review before my vision,
which seemed suddenly endowed with
fearful ubiquity, for its very minutest de-
liueations; while | seemed spiritually to
stand afar off upon some Invisible eminence
and behold my own destruction as
swift and wild as the melancholy alb
sorpti,n Of some unrecordd meteor in.
the fathomless depths Of Midnight chaos,
i shuddered. Loudly exslaiming THE
deck! the deck y' rushed cut upon the
guards.
'' Milntan pressed out behipA me, leading
almost bearing, the lovely form Of Alice.
"Fear nor" 1 heard him say, "trust to
me: | will save you or we perish togeth
er.". u Z
We stood, all three hestaing Tnomeni..
IL our eyes, blinded by the glare we had
just left, wave, sky and shore were alike
undistinguishable. TIE keen, cold wind
clustering around us, dashed the mad
spray in our faces, and pressed the wild
thought upon our come as geld as that
fearful tide which flowed around and be.
meath rs. b3rff 1p-.r.. ....
THE deck Is ourobly hope" said ]; ''let
US breath one prayer, commencing our
selves"
"You are right" interrupted Miriam;
,"let me lit you, Alice" y fbanI aaI
He raised her as easily as feather's
weight, and springing upon the guards,
was about to place her uponsshe dec't
above, when l caught his arm.
y" "Stop!" I exclaimed; "look, lookv
Just at this moment, balancing in un-
clouded brightness above the dark stretch
Of MississIrpian forests, the moon rolled
s,sddedly and serenely up the eastern
skies. The dark clouds were seen flying,
like routed gsnil, beftre ber victorious
march; a broad sheet Of refalgsnse burst
upon the waters, while out on the west a
sharp line Of living light defined the white
sand shore Of Arkansas ~
~ had already taken in the surrounding
objects, and never can | forget the fea
lures Of that terrible seene. We were al
most in the middle Of the river, more than
) half mile from either shore. Beneath
us q score Of white, uptprned faees'and