Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1854-01-25

captain hlnuly.
Go now and rest yourself, captain said
taking his place at the helm.
The Captain laid down and was soon a.
sleep. Agnes, too, overpowered with anx-
iety and heat, laid down and slept soundly.
The two brothers were now alone. They
sat rear each other in silence, each commu-
ming with his own thoughts, and not word
was spoken in silence the little boat sped
on her way, the Pirate guiding her the
best he could towards his den of blood and
booty in secluded spot on the coast, wall
ed in with rocks and breakers
The night passed without any unusual
occurrence other than the wind falling al
most to dead calm and the boat making
very slow progress towards the coast
The next day contrary wind began to blow
them off from land, against which they
struggled hard with their oars, but at best
they could only make the coast in diagonal
lines and by tacking back. Noon found
them with a rough sea, contrary winds and
their provisions and water exhausted
They held out against these adverse cir
cumstances as long as human nature could
and they then began to look for deaths ap-
proach in a more horrible form than that
of drowning. Starvation looked them in
the face and they quailed before it. Hun
ger and thirst began to gnaw at their vitals
and before midnight Agnes was prostrated
with nervous debility and scorching fe-
yer. The men began to feel weak and
powerless, but they nerved themselves for
a desperate struggle for life they bent to
the oars in turn in hope that they might
reach land alive. Old Nicholas softened
down and became more agreeable the
two brothers even ventured to speak togeth-
er and the Captain sighed for home and
for the bountiful table his wife could spread
before him. Overpowered with fatigue,
hunger and thirst he sank in the boat,
dropping his oar and gave vent to pitiful
means like a dying child. Soon Nicholas
loosened his grasp on the helm and his shay
gy chin dropped on his breast and he sat
with his arms folded and he sighed for his
lost Dragon and crew. Jacques sat upright
and gazed on the scene before him there
was his brother-his enemy before him
helpless as himself; there was his Captain
and friend apparently ready to die; there
was his afianced bride lying at his feet qui-
ct as if the sleep of death was smothering
: out the last spark of life in her innocent bo-
, som and there stood Death ready for
: them all and the sea awaiting the gift of
their bodies to its deep charnel house.
Nicholas slept half an hour Oe arousing
from his sleep and stupor he extended his
4 4 rough and blackened hand saying -
Brother Brother, Jacquesp
! Jacques sprang to his feet as if he had
: been stung by pain giving reptile and
: took the extended hand kindly in his own
The boat drifted hither and thither with
J the wind and food, like a straw, having no
= one to guide it, and Nicholas continued
= = Don't you remember, brother, when
! we were little boys and played together
- - among the vines and orange trees of France,
: and chased our toys on the common, and
played thousand games with the children
! of the parish in the villas !?
- A tear stole out from the dry and pain
Il full eyes of Jacques, and he nodded his
:. head.
;" And I do too,' said Nicholas feelingly,
:, and [ have been dreaming of it. [ dream
- = ed of q sunny day when we were playing
10 20 with bevy of little laughing girls-blest
y ~ creatures Of spotless innocence-pure as
- the morning, with jet black ringlets, rosy
- - cheeks and sparkling eyes. can see them
- - yet-Martha De Vivonee was of the mum
% ber! And she gave you a wreath Of flow
:. ers. And we played, and shouted, and
. sang with youthful happiness. But The
=, vision fed
a. Jacques held his hands to his face anC
~ ~ sobbed.
% % Il dreamed more in that half hour sait
~, ~ Nicholas, earnestly.
mn m Jacques raised his head to listen.
y L dreamed there was a living God = saic
r Nicholas slowly.
W Jacques shuddered at his brother man
~ ner.
~ [ have been a scoffer,' continued Mich
u olas, in subdued tone, and have laughe
! at the fear of mortals when the whirlwin
=. ~ swept past us and snatched masts from ou
- vessel when the sheet-lghtnings playe
.to .to their solemn games from cloud to sea an
~ when the chariot wheels of Jehovah
h;a I march shook the mighty deep in its swii
10 10 and majestic tread from cloud to cloud
! - laughed and I scorned at the idea of a
S Omnipotent Power and of the souls in
~ mortality But, brother, in my dream
-, saw the ghosts Of our father and mothe
'r of and they looked sorrowfully upon me, an
ooa ~ long sword in an Angels hand pointed
~, oio that forged will until each line and lett
- looked as if written with an iron pen di
- ped in lurid fame And saw that infe
~ nal machine, plotted for the destruction
~, yourself and bride, and it lay before n
- eyes smoking, and knew it was charg
- - with molten lava from the neither reall
20. - but dared not touch it. Nearer and near
10 .tI' the sulphurious match burned to the awf
- - contents and trembled with fear, KNOWN
pa that I should be blown to atoms. A lit
..1o Angel, looking just as did little Martha
III III Vivonee, the widows child, shrieked
~ ~ my ear the overwhelming truth-there as
RAJ God the machine exploded and awok
There is a God before whom all mu
1nt -. stand equal at head and feet, mutter
co co Nicholas to himself and was silent.
i" Jacques meditated upon what he h
orlu heard and inwardly prayed for rest to
- own soul and all the world. He raised
A. eyes to look on his brother-his lips W.
w moving. The two brothers were penite
S,i and their old animosity was buried. j
" ques said =
We have been enemies, my brother,