The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1854-12-22
4 BEAUTEFEE. STORY.

The most beautiful and affecting incident we
know, associated with a shpwreck, is the fol-
lowing:
The Grosvenor, an East Indiaman, homeward
bound, goes ashore on the coast Of Caiirarla.-
It is resolved that the officers, passengers, and
crew, in number one hundred and forty-hve
souls, shall endravor to penetrate on foot, across
iracklesS deserts infested by wild beasts and
cruel sayages, 10 the Dutch settlement at the
Cape ofGood Hope With this iorlorn object
before them tt1ry fnaly separated intotHo raF-
ties, never more 10 meet on EARTH
There is solitary child among the paSsen-
gers, little boy seven years old, who has no
relation there and when the first party is NOV
ing away be CUES after some member of It who
has been very kind to him. The crying of d
child might be supposed little thing TO men in
such great extremity, but il touches them, and
he is immediately taken into that detachment; :;
from which time forth this child is sublipriy
made a sacred charge. He IS pushed on little
craft across broad rivers by the swimming sal
lors; they carry him by turns through the deep
sand and long grass, he patiently Walking at all
other times be shares with such putrid fish as
they find to eat: they lie down and wait for him
when the rough carpenter, who becomes his es-
pecia! friend, iaes behind. Bpset by lions and
tigers, by Savages, By thirst and hunger, by
death in a crowd Of ghaStiy shapes, they never
oh, Father Of all mankind, thy name blessed
for il forgot this child The captain stops ex-
hanSted, and his faithful coxswain goes back and
is seen to sit down by his side, and neither otthe
two shall be any more heheld until The great
last dav but, as the rest 90 on for their lives,
. 1t u.
dies Of poisonous berries eaten in starvation and
the steward, succeeding TO the command OF the
party, succeeds to the sacred guardianshipo OF the
child.
God knows all he does for the poor baby. He
cheerlully carries him in his aims when be
himself is weak aud Ill how he feeds him when
he himself is grped with want how he folds
his ragged Jacket arofnd hin, lays his little
warm face with womans tenderness upon his
sunburnt breast, soothes him in bis Suiieriugs,
sings TO him as i've limps along unmindul Of his
own parched and bleeding feet
Divided for few days from the rest, they
dig grave in .ae sand and bury their good
friend the cooper-these two companions alone
in the wilderness--solItary wildrrnesS-and the
time comes when they both i'll, and bee their
wFetched partners in despair, reduced aud few
in number now, to wait by them one day. They
wait by them one day; they wait by them two
dayS Gn the morning OF the ihird they move
very softly abou, in making their preparations
for The resumption Of their journey, for the child
is sleeping by the fire, and it is agreed with one
consent that be shall not be disturbed until the
last moment. The moment comes the fire is
cly ing and the child is dead.
His faithful friend, the steward, fingers but
little while behind him. His grief is great
He staggeIs on for few days, down IN the viii
dprneSs, and dies. But he shall be reunited in
his immortal spirlt-who can doubt it with
the child, where he and the poor carpenter shall
be raised up with the words, s'lnasmuch as We
have done ii unto the least ofthese, ye have done
unto me-
SINGULAR PHENOMENON NEARVERA CRrz.-
A curious phenomenon has lately been witnessed
in the port of Vera Cruz. For several davs in
the beginning Of this month the shores OF the
harbor and neigborhood were strewn with dead
fish cast up from the sea. So great was the
quantity that serious fears were entertained
lest disease should follow from such mass OF
putreaction. Bodies OF troops were turned out
each day, who gathered the fish and buried
them On The spot A general order was issued