Muscatine journal. [volume] (Bloomington, Iowa) 1849-185?, 1854-03-31

WELL nHu was ready 70 n0n0r a. WorSny
Of her love When at length saw, ~ sap
posed, very satisfactory evidence Of th,
truth Of the rumor, left London and met
them no more. The same tumor follow q
me in letters, and yet wss mad enough II
dream of Mary Sinclair, until months aftsl
l awoks to the sense Of what a fool hat
been. Convinced Of this, went on board
my yacht about midsummer, and for four
weeks never sat foot on shore.
cone sultry day, when pitch was fryin,
on deck in the hot sun, We rolled heavily
in the Bay of Bisuay, and l passed the af
ternoon under sail on the larboard quar-
ter-deck. Toward evening, faneied q
storm was brewing, and having made al
ready for it, smoked on the trsfrail ill
midnight, and then turned in. Viii! ysd be.
lieve me, felt that strange thrill through
my veins, as lay in my hammock, and a.
woke with it, fifteen seconds before the
watch on deck called suddenly to the man nj
the wheel, Port-pors your helm = sal
on the lse-bow. Steady! sop
81 was on deck in an instant, and saw
that stiff breeze was blowing, and small
schooner, showing no lights, had crossed
our forefeot within pistol shot, and wat
now bearing to up the north west. The sky
was cloudy and dark, but the breeze was
very steady and went below again, aad
after endeavoring vainly to express the
emotion ] had felt, in any reasonable way !,
| at length fell asleep, and the rocking of
my vessel, as she few before the wind, gave
just motion enough to my hammock to lull
me into sound slumber. But dreamed
all nighs Of Mary Sinclair. dreamed Of
her, but it was in unpleasant dreams. Isaw
her standing en- the deck of the Foam, and
as / would advance towards her the form OF
Waller would intcrpose. would fancy, at
times, that my arms were around her, and
her form was resting against my side, and
her head lay on my shoulder; and thon by
the strange mutations Of dreams, it was net
I, but Waller, that was holding her, and
was chained tea post, looking at them; and
she wsuld kiss him, and again the kiss
would be burning on my lips. Tho morn :
in, found me wide awake reasoning myself
out Of my fancies. BY noon had enough
| to do. The ocsa an was reused. A tempest
Twas out on the sea, and the Foam went be-
fore it.
"Night came down gloomily. The very
blackness of darkness was on the water as
We flew before the terrible blast. was on
deck lashed to the wheel, by which stood,
with knife within reach to cut the iashing,
If necessary. We had but rag Of sail on
her, and yet she moved more like a bird than
a boat, from wave to wave. Again and a.
gain blue wave went over us, but she
came up like duck, and shook off the wa
ter and dashed on. Now she staggered as
blow was on the weather bow, that might
have STAYED o man-of-war, but kept gallant
ly on; and now she rolled heavily and slow
ly, but mover abated the swift flight towards
shore. 1t was midnight when the wind was
highest. Tho bowling of the cordage was
demeniacal. Now a scream, now shrisk
new wall, and now laugh of mecking
madness. On, on we flew. l looked mp
and turned quite around the horizon, bu,
could sec no sky, no sea, no cloud-all wa,
blackness. At that moment felt again thai
strange thrill, and at the instant, fancied .
denser blackness ahead; and the next, with
crash and plunge, the Foam was gone J.
Down went my gallant boat, and with hel
another vessel, unseen in the black night
The wheel to which had been lashed, had
broken loose, and gone over with mo befor,
she sank. 1t was heavy and cut away,
and sei1ing a spar went down in the deer
sea above my boat. AS came up to thu
surface, hand graspsd my beat. Iseixet
it, and thrill of agony shot through me Al
l recognized the delicate finger Of woman
I drew her to nae and dashed her to the spal
by my side, and so, in the black night, WI
two alone foated away over tho stormy
ocean.
"My companion was ssnseless for augh
l knew, dead. A thousand emotions passet
through my mind in the next Eve minutes
Who was my companion on the slight spar
What was the vessel had sunk? Was
with the body only human being, or wa
there . spark of life left? and how esuld
fan il to fa,2e? Would it not be better 4
let her sink than tioat of with me, thus alon
to starve and die Of thirst and agony?
81 chafed her hands, her forehead, he
shoulders. In the dsnseness couid not se
a fsstrre of her faes, nor tell If she YER
old or young ssaresly white or black. Tn,
silence on the sea was fearful. So lon,
whistlings through the ropes and around
the spars had made continual sound; bu
now l heard nothing but the ocessiona
sprinkling Of the spray, tho dash Of foam
cap, or the heavy sound Of tho wind press
ing on my ears.
CAT length she moved her hand fesbly il
mine. How my heart leaped at that sligh
evidence that was not alone on the wilc
ocean. redoublsd my sxsrtions. pass
cd one Of her arms over my neck to keep i
out Of the water while chafsd the othe
hand With both Of mine. felt the clasp o
that arm tighten, and I bowed my head to
wards hers. She drew me close 10 her AM
laid her cheek against mine. let it res
tbsrs-it might warm hers, and 50 help t
give her life. Then she nestled close to M