The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-06-15

down upon his head, and his red flannel shirt
sleeves rolled up above his elbows. spIicing a
parted rope. Adrian exchanged word or two
with him about their plans for the next morn
| ing, ana we passed on to where the lee of q
rocky point prop!sed some hope of shelter
from the sun. Here we sat, and pertinaciously
called up visions of icebergs and Polar seas, of
wintry shipwrecks and frozen mariners not
forgetting
| The schooner Hesperus
| That sailed the wntry sea-
| AND the skipper who took his little daughter,
TO bear him companie.''
| But 1t was in vain; we could not even raise
an imaginary breeze. The pale, coppery sky
seemed to shut down closer and closer over us,
and We could only sit and laugh Mt our own
follv. At length there came one or two slight
puff OF air from the westward, and Adrisn,
who was we'll versed in the signs of the weather,
suggested that we should go homo before the
storm overlook u.s.
| laughed at the idea of storm: but help
ing me up the rocks which had sheltered us on
the west, he pointed to where, all along the
western sky, from the horizon towards the
zenith, stretched fine lines of pale, yellowlght,
saying
"Look there is the proof of my words; ard,
see," he continued, climbing to the highest
point, which gave us al outlook beyond the
range of hills to the north and west "there it
comes, in good earnest"
| And all along the west stretched cloud,
black as night, save where its beautifully
curved edge was bordered with strip Of clear
silvery hue.
awe shall hardly have time to reach home,D
observed Adrian, as he watched its giant strides
up the western sky.
Still we fingered, in awe and admiration
until, lighting up its edge for few moments
with richer splendor, the sun disappeared
beneath it, and its black shadow fell On land
and sea. Then came the muttered thunder,
followed by the crinklng lightning. There
was pause, while the light streak near the
horizon rapidly widsned, and the ocean moan
ed and rocked in long, undulating swells; and
then came a roar as of many waters-a rush
as of the wings of mighty Withstand the storm
was upon us-not of mere rain-drops, but
thick, binding, bewildering spray and mist,
| driven before the fiercest of winds.
| Adrian Vannesse drew his etropg arm about
me, and started for the fsherraan's hut, the
only accessible shelter; but he proceeded but a
fewpaces before he stopped short, exclaiming,
in q tone of horror
Good God! what madness"
| And following the direction Of his glance, |
saw, through the thick mist and spray, for one
moment, the white sail Of boat, few rods
distant from the rocky point We had just left;
| for one moment, then came loud shrill, fear
full cry Of agony and deathly fear, swelling
above the storm and the beat, and he who ut
tered it, went down beneath the leaping waves.
"Make for the hut - shouted Adrian Van
nesse.
And the next moment was alone, and he,
followed by another wild, bare headed figure.
that came rushing along the beach, had dashed
into the surf
| did not heed the storm, scarcely moved or
breathed, until Vannesse emerged from the
water, followed By our old boatman, bearing
in his arms a human body; then fled to the
| hut, and reached it in time to see them enter,
and lay down upon the floor the body Of the
bostnlan's only son. Tho man looked at no
one, needed no one, nor even replied to bis old
mothers scream of terror but, lifting the lads
| head to his knee wruBg toe water from the
tangled, sun bun ned locks and chafed the cold,
wet hands.
"Hold your tongue, mother!n he cried, of
last. "There's life in the lad yet Get up,
you old fool, and gle me the blanket, can't
ye?"
ooh! Dave, Dave, man the lad never'll
breathe again-he's clean gone!" screamed
the old woman, but he cut her short with
voiley OF curses, and, with sudden jerk, drew
| the ragged coveriet from beneath her old
| Adrian Vanncsse knolt on the esrtheD floor,
and lent all his aid 10 assist the father in bis
| efforts 10 resuscitate the bCy-bIlt in vain. At
length, pointing to dark bruise On his tenn
pie, be said
My poor friend, this is useless. Your boy
will never speak Or move again. He IS dead "
Not speak again-rot move--my Billy
the handiest, smartest lad In the whole Cove
dead " said the man. dr.amipgly. Yon lie !"
- I'D
" he never minded 6ucking-he amt dead"
and, he again set to chafng tho stiffened
limbs.
Adrian did not reply otherwise than by pla-
cling the miserable fathers hand over the pulse-
less heart The man drew back with 8 start
and shudder that ran through his giant
frame, then, sinking down on the floor, he sat
gazing into the child's pale open face with
look of vacant dumb misery.
"Dead! dead! He'll never hail the skiff
again-neyer. Oh, my boy my boy!" AND
the groans Of the strong man in his agony well
nigh overpowered the raging of the storm.
Suddenly the old woman raised herself up,
and said, III a tore that was strange blend
ing Of childishnesa hpd authority:
It's the hand o Cod, Davey-the hand O
God!"
"Then why didn't, he take you, you old
worthless hulk, or NE, who am good for moth
ing but to die, and not the laughin', happy
boy!" said the miserable man, aOgrily. All,
Billy, lad--the last O ten--all gone all gone!
gone where ~ he n1uttered, rs if new thought
was struggling in upon his grief. Then turn
ing to Adrian Vannesee, he seized his arm, and
said, eagerly
aye are a larned man, sir, an [ believe q
good IN Eve heard ye and tother IN readin'
an taikin' in outlandish tongues, sech as the
likes O me don't understand an We know a
great many things-sey, where is my boy gone?
Shall ever see him agin Z"
And he--the all accomplished man Of the
world the rare scholar, the deep thinker,
who prided himself on the strength CT hs rea-
son. and boosted that mans intellect was suf-
fcient for bis wapts-etood damb before the
mighty mystery Of Dsath Among all bis fine
wrought arguments and subtleties of the intel
lect, there was not one which could give COM
fort to that wretched, questicning father, or
lift his bruised spirit above the hteless lump OF
clay at his feet
dts o. in the Bible, man" muttered the cid
crone. "Surely, Dave, gin sc good schooiin'
in the days long SIM"
gave. and bad enough sin, MOTHER MUIR
INJURED the man-Gso it is cen as broad as tits
long, and again he bent bis deep, earnest
oaze upon VanDesse; but, before his lips could
utter again the startling, Where is he gone"
o slight figure, with dripping black garments
clipe to her delicate limbs, and long golden
curls streaming over her shoulders, came softly
from a remote corner of the room, and, laying
her small white hand on the arm OF the giant
boatman, said, earnestly, in low, silvery tones
that seemed, somehow, to carry with them
conviction:
uUa has oone To God sir-thGt," pointing to