Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1856-09-19
MI 5 G. L. LII A y Y.
THE sHRIFT OF THE RAFT.

coast Of Norway on tho 10Th Of October,
lTIT, was remembered in that country long
after the hand OF time and tho industry Of
man had oblitcratcd the marks Of is fury
As sudden as IL was tremendous, il arose
after several weeks Of settled weather, and
having wrought moro havoc in a few hours
than ordinary tompcst' effect in days, il sub.
sided with corresponding rapidiiy, leaving
upon the minds Of the PEASANTS, who wit
ncssci IT, tcrrors, singular impression n
to it, origin. For years, tho hcrlsmcn Of
that rugged land, and the sailors ol that
dangerous sca, believed that the dreadful
storm. which had swept away sheep anil
shepherd amid the ruin Of house anl fold,
and hal dashed the largest craft upon the
rocks that received the shattered fishing
boats, was caused hy a sudden cK5rtlon
among tho demons of the Pole. who. forbid
den hy the mandate " Heaven to enter earth
while it shall move in IT, appointed orbit,
arcperpctually laborins to disturb Is charm.
ed circle, that they may rush in to havoc by
land and by -'a.
Sirln., tale. arc told Of tho events of ila,
fatal day. and Of the night which cn'ucl
aud the following legend, relating t, one of
the ypylerrs who suiT.rcdin th' storm. hears
some evidence OF the feeling with which ihe
N1rwcs.ars regarded % terrible a visitation
"a feeling ia which il mingled some uru.
recollection OF the time when Norway itself
WI. on, of the most unfortunate of thcst,kc.
in the game played by the great continental
powers.
The tcmrr't was roriily 'uh.ilinr as dusk
drew on. but the cessation of the ,iolcn,
turmoil brought no c1m'ur, % tho scanty
crew Of ,ho Inflated ship nronthoim, which
hlA ,ailrl from the port of t'ntuamc on thc
preceding day. and mo- the wrath or the
storm in full career. : had been bound
ior France but 40 ,hc time wc speak of,
she was q naked and hrlrIr,, hull. drifting
whittier The caprice oi tho wind, which
seemed - blow from all points or tho com.
pas, at once, chose % hurry her. She was
now making her rapid but involuntary
cpur., u1rihwarl, bot % thr i.w human
being, who YET rlun- % her docks. tho state
or Der shattered .ilrs, through which ihr
ntcr wa. lprrinc it,vnyattwruiywouuls,
lrt tia matter or hiIepus concern whrr
thry mi.', mr.t ,hc certain ha which
awaited them. Il was obvious that many
MINUTES could not clapsr before the vessel
anlall she contained should b. sucked in'1
the troubled ahys. 900 which shc ya' A1ntrJ.
Her smaller boats bad long since ben car.
ri.l away by burst Of thr storm, which
hur,iu. t'rrr or four monster waves arr1s.
her dsrk, hal swept every movable thing
from her surface, including more than One.
thirl OF the wrrtrhrl crow. IN ,h' next
moment. one of terrified madness, tho sur
yiy8r, had crowded the hult, which hardly
touched ,hr iolmirc hlluvs cr' it wa.
.v,mr,l. anil went down with every soul
i, bore. N1t a dozen mon remained ou
the at.d .hip, when ,hcsullcu and hnu.hl.
chang, in motion which announced a.,
muuI,rin, or a ship, took place. >aec.a,rI
q, max, way-thc violent ariuu.n vhi.'
bad f1r hour, rendered t nearly inIrs.ini.
Z, stand upon her deck was exchanged I1r
sudden lurch. rllpv.l hy % second auI
third and then the hiLa,us roar or th.
v,trr. ru.lin- in ON every hand. told a..
frantic crow tlat an hopc was over. Ami,
the loud and ari,at1I PRAYER, oga few. an.
the bll.phcmous rayiug, Of the rest, th.
wave. Of the Northern "a clcsci over III.
Dr5nthrim forever.
4. bc ,ar,.y caused hv m, sinking o.
tho vessel liapp,ar,d. ON, man alono va
struggling in the water in thc energy Of dc
srair. III, rich dress rather cncumhyrcl hi
movements, bat he was in thcrrimr OF man
hood, and praciiocd swimmer, and ".
putting forth his full strength, in the hop
or finding some relic Of the ship IN which t,
l5at for the chance Of lrr,. but his hop.
wazcl fainter with his limbs, ror the gather
in, dusk was rapidly reducing his chance o
d.sco,griu, any object around him, and th,
wave, still ran To, hi.h ndaucrily to ALLOW
hmm n ,bane, Of endurance much LONGER
ue still swan. but hi. despair was almo,
total when he cdisccrncla a dark body at few
yards distance. H. struck vigorously for
ward, and, to hi, inczprcssiblc relief, dis
covered that it was small raft, on which