Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-06-03

Zenith, stretched fine lines Of pale yellow light,
4 Look there is the proof Of my words; and
,eeD he continued, climbing to the highest
noint. which gave us an 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 It's beautlini'y-
curved edge was bordered with strip OF clear
silvery hue.
ave shall hardly have time to roach home
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 low moments
with richer splendor, the sun disappeared
beneath il. and its black shadow fell on land
and sea Then came the muttered thunder,
followed by the crinklng lightning. There
was a pause, while the light streak near the
horizon rapidly widened, 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 ns--not of mere rain-drops, but q
thick, binding, hewildering spray and mist,
driven before the fercest OF winds.
Adrian Vannessc drew his strong arm about
me, and started for the firherman's hut the
only accessible shelter; but he proceeded but
low pdceb DctOTo uc ooopPCu oAaoA ', oNosA''''o
in n tone Of horror
| Good God what madness !"
And, following tho direction Of his glance, ]
saw, through the thick mist and spray for one
moment, tho white fai Of boat, few rods
distant from the rocky point we had just LETT ,
/ for one moment, then camo u loud, shrill, fear
ful cry Of agony and deathly fear, swelling
above the storm; and the boat and he who ut
tered it, went down beneath the leaping waves.
Make for the hut " shouted Adrian Van
nessc
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
breathcd, until Vannesse emerged from the
water, followed by our old boatman bearing
in his arms a human body; then fled to the
but, and reached it in time to see them enter,
and lay down upon the floor tho body OF the
boatman's only son. The man looked at no
one, needed no one, nor even replied to his old
mothers scream Of terror but, lifting the lads
head to his knee, wrung tho water from the
tangled, sun. bun ned locks and chafed the cold
wet hands.
Hold your tongue, motherl he cried, at
last There's lifs in the lad yot Get up,
you cd fool, and gle mo the blanket, can't
ye?D
"Oh! Dave, Dave, man! tho lad never II
breathe again he's clean gone! screamed
the old woman, but he cut her short with q
voley Of curses, and, with sudden jerk, drew
the ragged coverlct from beneath her old
bones, and wrapped it round the child.
Adrian Vannesse knelt on the carthen floor,
and lent all his aid to- Assist the father in his
efforts to resuscitate the boy-but in vain. At
| L. 10 do hrv,,a an tnys.
pie he said
My poor friend, this is useless. Your boy
will never speak or move again. He is dead +"
I" Not speak again-not move-my Billy
the handiest, snartcst lad in the whole Cove
dead y said the man, dreamingly. You lie"
he shouted, turning suddenly upon Vannesse,
he never mindeda ducking--he amt dead /"
and, he again set to chafng the stiffcned
limbs.
Adrian did not reply otherwise than by pla-
cling the miserable fathers hand over the pulse-
less heart The man drew back with n 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! deads He'll never hail the skif
again-never Oh, my boy my boy!" and
the groans of the strong man in his agony well
nigh oyerpoweIed the raging OF the storm.
Suddenly tho old woman raised herself up,
and said, in n tone that was strange blend
lug Of ch,ldshness and authority:
les the hand o. God, Davcy-the hand O.
| God!D
"Then why didn't he take you you old
worthless hulk, or me, who am good for moth.
ing but to die and not the laughin', happy
boy said the miserable man, angrily. "Ah,
Billy, lad--the last o. ten--all gone all gone
gone where u he muttercd, as ii u new thought
was struggling in upon his grief Then turn
ing to Adrian Vannesse, he seized his arm, and
said, eagerly:
aye are larned man, sir, an believe a
good un I've heard We and tother un readin'
nm talkin' in outlandish tongues, sech as the
likes o me don't understand, an yc know
great many thngs-say, where is my boy gone
Shall ever scc him agin Z"
And ho--the all accomplished man Of the
world, tho rare scholar the deep thinker,
who prided hiinself on the strength of his rea-
son, and boosted that mans intellect was suf-
ficicnt for his wants stood dumb before the
mighty mystery Of Dsath! Among all his fine
wrought arguments and subtleties Of the intel
lect, there was not one which could give com
fort to that wretchcd questioning father, or
hit his bruised spirit above the lifeless lump Of
clay at his feet
"lrs ~ in the Bible, man" mnttered the old
crone. "Surely, Dave, gin ye good schoolin'
in the days long sin'."
"Ayc, aud bad enough sin, mother" muir
INJURED the man--"so it il cen "a broad as I'll,
long, and again he bent his deep, earnest
gaze upon Vannessc; but before his lips could
utter again the startling, where is he gone?"
n slight figure with dripping black garments
clinging to her delicate limbs and long golden
curls streaming over her shoulders, came softly
from remote corner Of the room, and laying
her small white hand on the arm Of the giant
boatman, said, earnestly, in low, slvery tones
that seemed, somehow, to carry with them
conviction:
"Ho has gone to God sir--fhat," pointing 10
the lifcless body, dis only the form, the shell,
in which your little boy lived while here. Now,