Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1855-08-28

| and was impressed with my own unworthiness
| 10 love her or be loved by her. I knew her
associates were Of the noble, the educated, the
! fefned, and that | was none CT those. What
| then could expect but misery, if yielded to
the charms Of that exquisite beauty or grace
| which knew were in her soul!
| 4 year passed, and 1 was a very boy in my
continued thoughts of her. l persuaded my
selfa thousand times that did not love her,
and g thousand times determined to.prove it
| by entering her presence. At length 1 threw
myself into the vortex of London society, aud
was lost in the whirlpool
One evening, at crowded assembly, I was
| standing near a window in recess, talking
with lady, when l felt strange thrill
cannot describe it, but its effect was Visible to
my companion, who instantly said: 'You are
lHnweIl Mr.. Stewart, are you! Your face be-
came suddenly flushed, and your hand trem-
| Uled so as to shake the curtain
f. l was ineXplicabie to myself; but was star
| tied at the announcement OF Mr. and Miss Siu-
clair. turned and saw she was entering on
! her brothers arm, more beautiful than ever
! How | escaped | did not know, but l did so.
Thrice afterwards was warned of her pres
ence in this mysterious way, till I believed
! that there was some mysterious link between
us two, of unknown, but powerful character.
have since learned to believe the communion
! Of spirit, sometimes without material intcryen-
ton.
heard of her frequently now as engaged to
Mr.. Weller, Il man whom | knew well, ard
ready to do honor as worthy of her love-
| When at length saw as l supposed, satisEac
! tory evidence of the rumor. left London, and
and saw them no more. The same rumor fol
! lowed me in my letters, and yet l was mad
fDOuDl, IN Ironl,, Of NIurv C;uc.ir until
a,Jcr | woke to the sense Of what a fool had
been. Convinced OF this, I went aboard my
! yatch ab,ut midsummer and for four weeks
| L ;vcr set foot on shore.
! One svltry day, when pitch, was frying on
/ lie deck, in the hot sun, we rolled heavily on
! tie Bay Of Biscay, and passed the afternoon
Under a sail on the Iarbourd quarter deck
! Towards evening tiIncied storm was brew
ing, and having made all ready for it, smoked
OH tatfrail till midnight. and then turned in
! VIII you believe me, | felt that strange thrill
| through my veins, as lay in my hammock,
and awoke with it, fifteen seconds before the
watch on decl, called suddenly to the man at
| the wheel, 'Port--rort your helm a sail on
! the lee bow; steady 50 =
| was on deck in an instant, and saw that
a stiff breeze was blowing, and a small schocn-
er, showing no lights Ind crossed Our fore
foot within pistol shot, and WAS now bearing
up to the northwest, The sky was cloIdy
and dark, but the breeze was very steady, and
l went below again, and after endeaYoring
vainly TO account for the emotion | had felt
! in any reasonable way, | at length fell as
levp and the rocking Of my vessel, IS size !lew
before the wind gave lust motion enough 10 my
hammock to !ul! me into slumbcr. But /
dreamed all night Of Mary Sinclair. I dream
ed Of her, but it was in unpleasant dreams
] saw her standing on the deck Of the Foam
and as would advance towards her the form Of
Alr. Weller would interIosc ] 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 then by the
strange mutations Of dl cans, it rot !, bat
Weller that WAS holding her, aud | was chain
to a post looking at iIcm,aud she would kiss
hi,n, aud again the kiss would be bHrning on
my lips. The morning found me wide awake,
reasoning myself out ofmy fancics. BY noon
had enough to do. The ocean was reused
A tempest was out on the sea, and the Foam
went before it.
Night came down gloomily. The very
! blackness Of darkness was on the waters as we
few before the terrible blast. l was on deck
lashed to the wheel, by which stood, with a
| knifswithin reach TO cut the fastening, if nee
essary. We had but rag Of . sail on her,
! and sLe moved more like bird than a boat
from wave to wave.-Agan and again blue
wave went over us, l.ut she came up like a
duck and shook off the water and dashed on.
Now she staggered as blow was on her bow
that might have STAYED man-of-war. but she
kept oalIanlly on; and now she rolled heavily
ard slowly, but never abated the swift flight
towards shore. 1t was midnight when the
wind was highest The bowling of the cordage
was demoniacaI. Now scream, now shriok,
now wall and laugh Of mocking Madness
On, on we flew.
looked up and turned quite around thc
horizon, but could see no sky,nO earth no sea,
no cloud all was bIackness ahead and the
next, With crash and plunge the Foam was
clear gone; Down went my gallant boat,
and with her another vessel, pnscen IN the
black night The wheel to which l had been
lashod hai broken loose and gone over with
me before she sank. 1t was heavy and | cut
it away and it went down in the deep sea
above my boat. End, seeing a spar, seized
it, and thrill Of agony shot through me as |
recognised the delicate figure Of. a woman.
dree, her to me and lashed her 70 the spar by
nv side. and so, in tue black night, we two
foated away over the stormy ocean.
MY COMPANION was senSeless-tor aught l
knew, dead. 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 I
with the the body OF only human being, or
was there spark of life left /! And how
could 1 fan it to a flame? Would it not be
better to let her sink than float of. with me,
thus alone to starFe or die OF THIRST and
agony!
Icbaftd her hands, her forehead, he shoul4
ders. In the dense darkness l could not see
Eesture OF her face, nor tellife she We're old
or young-scarcely white or black. Tile 81
lence on the sea was fearful.
So long as I had been on the deck OF my
boat, the wind whistled through the ropes
and around the spars had made continual
sound but now heard nothing but the oc-
oasiOnai sparkling of the spray, the dash Of
the foam cap, or the heavy sound of the wind
pressing on my ears.
At length she moved her hand feebly in