Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1854-01-11
Original sturg.
~ 0-0-@-0-0-o-o~0-o
Written for the Spirit Of the Age.
j JACQUES ST. CLAIR
A TALE OF LAND AND SEA.
[copY-RIGHr sEcURED.l
BY WILL: wILLowILL.
CHAPTER VI.

CHAPTER vi.
The firm of SomerviUe and ST. CZair-fatter-
ing prospects-contempldted voyage to ia
ndicd-on the Sea-d storm.
Mr. Somerville now regarded st. Clair
as his son-in-law and took him into CO. |
partnership with him in his store. He
left the printing Office without single re-
gret, feeling, as he did, that he was on the
ascendancy. He was quick to learn the
art of his new trade which was simply the
buying, selling and exporting of liquors in
large quantities. Mt. Someryille did not
keep grogshop,-far from it; he deemed
that beneath his notice he scorned the
idea of having about him horde of brawl-
ing tipplers and drunkards, besides he was
a member of the Church and worshiped
God with Christians. No man despised
drunkenness more than Mr.. Somerville,-
he spoke of it as sin, to st. Clair, and he
agreed with him. The merchant would =
not moralize upon his own course for he
could not see the evils and the curses he
was visiting upon his fellowmen in distant
parts Of the country. True, he sold in
large quantities to some of the shops in
R--x and the adjoining country, but he
consoled himself that no part of the sin and
i the Bible pronounced curses against him
who putteth the bottle to his neighbors
month was attached to him; none ofthe tears
D and groans of the widows and orphans, so
r made by the traffic, haunted him +; none OF
tho blood of the victims stained his skirts !;
!, no account was cast up in the Court OF
; Heaven against him for the lost souls IN
l. Eternity. sent there with the curse OF drum
is kenness upon them he was wholesale
dealer, and he laid it q fatterlng JUNCTION 70
P his blinded conscience.
IN The firm of Somerville and st. CLAIR IN
reascd in wealth with gratifying rapidity !;
c. F.n5ay to day they received cargoes OF IL
e from s,emattthe manufacturers, and from day
( quors from eek 'Eaaaiived orders for the same,
; to day they reclox Minis OF the existence o.
! In the first six a.tained at ton :. Oh. ra
u the firm an order was recel, quarter To- w..
load of wine and liquors in Jamalca,
valuable order and prospect of a lar Z
e profit by return cargo induced Mr. Som
=, erville to buy brig of his own for this and
future trips. He bought the Sea Gull,
= q well finished craft as was to be found in
> the Port of R-x, and Immediately set
D. make Southern trip, and at Somerville's
H. suggestion he decided, at once, to accompa-
le e ny the Sea Gull on her voyage, as supercar-
u 60. A voyage then was more onerous
undertaking than it is now, since more
't expeditions modes of navigation have come
a into use. St. Clair spoke of the length of
i. the time he would necessarily be out, of
y Agnes, Of little Martha. The voyage was
N now constant theme of conversation and
CT reflection at Somerville's; Agnes spoke of
it with a tear in her eye, and Jacques felt
= his heart grow heavy when he thought of
I'd the long, long time he should be from his
VI Agnes and from little Martha.
VI After long family discussion it was de-
cided that Agnes should accompany st.
slr Clair and visit wealthy ULclein Havana,
y. at which place the Sea Gull was to stop on
les her outward voyage This announcement
!, az gratifed ST. Clair in the highest degree, and
he event about making his preparations with
greater zest of pleasure than before His
~ only attachment now to the American shore
w was little Martha. He visited her at her
~ nu school at every opportunity and consoled
g, her by saying that Mr.. Somerville would
eo be father to her while he was gone, and
that he would bring her great many nice
presents from the land of wealth, whittier
le, he was bound.
oes All preparations were made the cargo
m was aboard, the crew ready, Captain Jer
20, rold on the deck, pilot at the wheel, st
go Clair and Agnes in the cabin, where they
ce, had taken an affectionate leave of theil
ta- friends and, on the eighteenth of June, thc
me anchor was weighed and the Sea Gull stood
lief out to sea. The splash of the waters from
the bows, the Tapping of the sails, The
creaking of the wheel under the hands o.
the the pilot, the shufling of the sailors on tn,
deck. their long drawn, ho-oy heave-oh
lis anchor ho-oy! bringing up the anchor, tn,
ear noise in the rigging bracing the yards, a
sheet after sheet was flung to the breeze
heard, the Gull leaned over from the stit
land breeze, rolling with heavy swell an
the crew and passengers waved a long &
dieup to the land and to R-x. In fol
ty minutes the brig rounded the point, th
VI pilots jolly-boat was hauled along side an
the he stepped into it, run up his sail and turI
and ed his course back to, the Port, leaving th
IN brig and crew to pursue their voyage.
The remainder of the day passed pie;
ne sanity enough; fair breeze sprung VI
had the sails bellied before it and everythin
the indicated pleasant and prosperous vo.
; ne age. Captain Jerrold and his chief mat
ven were both obliging gentlemen, beloved b
the crew and respected by the passenger
The second evening of the voyage Out
lam Agnes and st. Clair were on deck taking
cad survey Of the wide, wide sea- and indule
star ing sentimental conversation abou
:ary R-x, what the old folks and little Ma
ex. tha were most probably doing, their voy
nuS' age and of the prospective happiness tn;
awaited them, crowning the future wit
said glory The quiet on deck and the calmnei
mid Of the evening left them to free indu
nar- gence in their reflections. They felt tt
power Of the beauties of the creeping tw
,nu light across the blue water, the bright sta
y' s;r above, the white clouds flying along IL
: lsky and the dull music of the waters bea