Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1855-03-08

1
tho song and dance drowned reflection by day,
and nobody thought any more about the Domin-
60 till fresh report got into circulation that
she wanted hands,
But were no enquiries made for the men who
had gone on board las no. Who should
inquire for men without money-men who could
only live by sponging on their drinking associates
or upon some one of the landlords about town.
The latter were glad they were gone, and il the
former should chance to say, " wonder what's
become of that young fellow that used to beat
everybody at checkers!" or +" Where that yal-
Ter man that left Aquilla!" somebody might
answer, . He went on board the Dominge!'
30, yes, so ho did he owes me about fifteen
reals"
"sAnd he's got jacket belonging TO me,
says another. -
"Well, he'd have had my pantaloons, too, if
he'd staid ashore"
" Ha! ha! Well, what's trumpsr'
" Hearts-hearts is trumps. Well, when 8
that old craft going to sail! %
"What, the Domingo-don't know. be-
lieve them cards is marked. That counts low
for me-"
And so the game, and the dance, and the rev.
elry went on, and the young fellow who played
checkers so well, and the young fellow who left
the Aquilla were thought of no more for sb.
sence, and death, and change, made little i'm
preston on sailors abroad. Homeless, ,houseless,
namelsss, land penniless, to snatch moments en-
Joyment from their hard tasks, to minglc day s
pleasure with their wearysome and cheerless
years is all to which they aspire. and death is
only one among the many changes and hardships
which they must endure.
The widest reports were sometimes raised
about the Domingo; but it were easier to find
the sources of the Nile, than to trace these
phantom tales up to their origin. 1t was said
that some people of the town, returning from a
spree in boat and passing under the stern oil
the old brig, near midnight, heard the rude
song, the loud laugh, and the jingling of glass
es, High revelry at midnight on board the dis
NAL brig, was report classed by all, excsp
the believers in wizard romance, with the Ger.
man chroniclers of faderland.
Another story, that a dozen colossal horsemer
were seen, by a drunken and homeless wander
er, horsemen Of gigantic size, land like thunder
cloud in aspect, like pillars of brass on steeds o.
iron-that at midnight, these terrible beings
were seen stationary on the summit of the rocky
pile which overlooked the old brig, and thai
lights flashed up and down the deck of the strange
vessel-this report too fell upon the ears of the
towns people like the voices of a dreap like
the rushing shadows of an inyalid'ss broken
sleep.
Yet vessel suspected is terror to seamen
and as senseless as reports may be, the convic
tion that where there is so much smoke, ther,
must be some fire, forces itself upon the nerve
of the superstitous.
Cruel and cold the Marguerite, known a
Aquilla, to all the young tradesmcn arouns
about Valparaiso, for she had fixed her affection
upon young American sailor named Newlan,
"a frank, fn9fellow, who had left man-of
war at Callow. and wandered alone through th
interior of Peru and Chill, breastng danger i,
every shape, and who had yet esca oed unscathed
save by slight scar on his white forhead ,whiel
scarcely marred his uncommon beauty.
Newland and Aquilla cohabted together b,
stealth till lovely babe was the result of thei
union, and now the means by which the youn,
American had, heretofore supported his brid
and himself began to fail. Starvation stare,
them in the face, but yet the love of the youn,
couple for each other continued as warm u
ever. But the mother, nursing her babe, ,fale,
before the keen assaults of hunger, till he
beauty began to decay. Then the frenzisd New
land had recourse to gambling Articles @
clothing were first staked at the card table
then furniture, till the wall of their tenemen
looked naked and forlorn.
Till now the young sailor had kept his spirit
up. His natural buoyancy had repelled despai
till he saw that nothing remained to him-tha
Aquilla and her child were fast failing, and ths
he had nothing wherewith to stay the footster
Of the destroyer 1t was in vain to cal upo
the relatives of Aquilla they had abandone
her as soon as her illicit connection with New
land had become known.
The young wife sometimes shrunk with terr,
at the moody expression which Newlands coul
tenance usually wore. He gazed sadly at he
and then at the child, with a strange and my
terious expression that alarmed her. It SCENE
to threaten harm to the infant, yet what cou
be the nature of the danger by which the your
child was msnaced surpassed her comprehensive
At length there came dark and stormy nigh
The unhappy pair had gone hungry to bed, f
even their usual meagre allowance had fail,
, them that morning.
The mother awoke about midnight and pc
ceived that her baby had gone from her arm
She hastily arose, and then discovered the a
] sence of Newland also
A deadly terror seized her heart. The viii
shook the easement and moaned through q
| hollow apartment. The rain was deluging Il
0 street without but not so much as putting
. covering for her head, she rushed wildly in
: the street, not knowing whittier she fled. s
= took her course towards the water and just
, she came in sight of the shore, she perceiv
Q that somebody was quietly pushing off from t
/ beach in boat.
Y Something told her that Newland and h
: child were there. She conjectured that by d
3 covering herself, she could do nothing, for t
i boat was already aaoat and moving off throu
. the frothy waves.
0 She crept to the shore. She was an excele
d swimmer, for she had lived in hot climate a