Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1854-02-04

ueep std doo'e my DOdt. nS NdWV W
to the surface, hand grasped my boat.
seized it, and thrill of agony shot through
me as recognized the delicate finger oi
woman. drew her to me and lashed her
10 the spar by my side, and so, in the black
night, we two alone Hoated away over the
stormy ocean.
"My companion was senseess--for
aught knew, dead. A thousand emotions
passed through my mind in the next five
minutes. Who was my companion on the
slight spar? What was the vessel had
sunk Was | with the body of only hu-
man being, or was there a spark Of lie
left and how could | fan it TO fame
Would it not be better 10 let her sink than
float off with me, thus alone TO starve or
die Of thirst and agony
81 chafed. her hands, her forehead, her
shoulders. In the dense darkness / could
not see feature Of her face, nor tell If she
were old or young-scarcely white or
black. The silence on the sea was fearful.
So long as had been on the deck of nv
boat, the wind whislleng through the
ropes and around the spars had made con-
tinual sound; but now heard nothing but
the occasional sprinkling of the spray, the
dash of foam cap, or the heavy sound OF
the wind pressing on my ears.
"At length she moved her hand leebly
in mine. How my heart leappd at that
slight evidence tha, l was not alone on The
wild oceao. | redoublpd my exertions. ]
passed one Of her arms over my neck 10
keep it out Of the water while chaied the
| oil hur Io,l yt,;H- b~,f, ~ ,,o;p f,,lt h.,
clasp Of that arm tighten, and bowed my
head towards hers She drew me close TO
her and laid her cheek against mine. I
let il rest there---it might warm hers, and
so help to give her life. Then she nestled
close 10 my bosom and whispered, s'Thank
you" Why did my brain SO wildly throb
in my head at that whispered sentence
She knew not where size was, that was
clear. Her mind was wandering. At
that instant the end OF the spar struck some
heavy object, and we We're dashed by
huge wave over it, and to my Joy were left
on floating deck. cut the lashingS from
the spar, and fastened my companion and
myself to part Of the new raft or wreck,
knew not which, and all the time that
arm was around my neck and rigid as If in
death. Now came the low wild wall that
proceeds the breaking Of the storm. The
air seemed filled with viewless spirits
mournfully singing and sighng. never
thought Of her as anything else than hu-
: man being. 1t was that humanity, that
: dear likeness of lie that endeared her TO
me. I wound my arm around her, and
drew her close TO my heart, and bowed
my head over her, and in the witness OF
moment pressed my lips to hers in long
passionate kiss of intense love and agony.
That kiss again unlocked The prison OF her
SOUL She gave it back, and murmuring
some name Of endearmcnt, wound both
aims around my neck, and laying her head
on my shoulder with her forehead pressed
against my cheek, fe! into a calm sumber.
That kiss burns on my lips this hour. Half
century OF the cold kisses of the world
have not sufliced to chill lis influence. II
thrills me now as then II was madness,
with idol worship Of that form God gave
us in the image of himself which in that
hour | adored as ever God feel the un-
earthly Joy again to-day, as | remember the
clasp o! those unknown arms, and the soft
pressure of that forehead. knew not, |
cared not, if she were cid and haggard, or
young and fair.
only knew and rejoiced with Joy untold
that she was human, mortal, OF my own
kin by the great father Of our race.
s'It was night OF thoughts and emotions
and phantasms that never can be described.
Morning dawned grayly. The first faint
gleam of light showed me driving cloud
above my head, it was welcomed with a
shudder. | hated light wanted to- float
on, on over that heaving ocean, with that
form cinging TO me, and my arms around
it, and my lips ever and anon pressed 10
the passioness lips of the heavy sleeper.-
, [ asked no light. It was an intruder on
my domain, and would drive her from my
embrace. | was mad
"But as saw the face OF my companion
, gradually revealed in the dawniug light, as
| my eyes began to make out one by one the
features, and at length the terrible truth
> cume slowly burning into my brain,
Y mourned aloud in my agony, God of hea-
: ven, she is dead!' And it was Mary Sin
5 clair.
!. "But she is not dead
Y "We foated all day long on ihe sea, and
s at midnight OF the next night I hailed a
n ship and they took us off, Every man
|. from the Foam and the other vessel were
j. saved with one exception. The other YES.
il sci was the Fairy, schooner yacht, be.
d longing to friend Of Miss Sinclair, with
n whom she and her brother and party O
1t ladies' and gentlemen had started but thre,
e days previously for weeks cruise. neeS
d not tell you how | explained that strange
1t thrill as the schooner crossed our bow tn,
,t night before the collision, and which f-l
Y again at the moment of the crash, nor wha
n Interpretation gave TO the wide tumut O
HI emotions all that long night.
,g 81 married Mary Sinclair, and burie,
her thirty years aflerward and | some
ID times have the same evidence of her pres
IN enceRow, that used to have when sh,
te hve the same earth with me-"
II NNaniey, one Of Mr.. Stevens ExplO
II, rnlg party, says that the distance from Mi;
K sisippi 10 the Pacific is 1900 miles iha, III
AL connlrv ia rich and layaI onJ Al.