Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1858-04-29
MORNING, APRIL 90, 1868.


line of blue water outside, went the launci
hurried along before the strong breez
which added to the strength Of the las
quarter ebb, bore her away at the spec,
that soon sunk the yellow ridge to {
mere line along the margin Of the wide
ocean, and the white cottages with We
netlan blinds. into toy houses dotted Will
green specks.-The colored water
which appeared from the cove only {
narrow strip dividing the white from the
deep azures of the ocean beyond-expand
ed into a broad belt of several miles in
width. But with the fine breeze and
strong outset of the tide. the boat sped
on while the novelty of their position
and the natural excitement induced by il
caused the time and space to fly UNDECIDED
BY the young voyagers, and a sudden
dread came upon them, as having gained
the blue water, they looked back towards
the shore and saw hills, fields, and or.
chards, blending and and glowing in.
distinct, and fading away in the dis.
lance. There was a sense of lonely
utter helpleesness. shadowing their bright
vision and there was a word of pathos
in little Jenny's sweet low voice, as she
laid her hand gently on her brother.
arm, and looking up in his eyes whispered
@, Willie, let US go home. Mother
wonld feel very bad if she knew we were
way out here.
Willie bent down and kissed his sis.
ter's pale cheek, as he replied !:
I'VE will go back home, Jenny I; [ was
naughty to come off so far from land. Blu
don't cry sister; I am sorry. DOM
blame me, couldn't help it. | loved the
sea too much.n
mo, we won't blame you Willie only
let us hurry back for see yonder a blacl
cloud coming up in the west, and | an
afraid
~ by
groan OF anguish from n6r pIotner, whose
eye for the first zine had been directed
towards a bank of dark murky clouds
heaving up in the western horizon b,
his sisters remark, and at the very in
slant that the vision first rested upon the
black pail, a chain Of brilliant zigzae
lightning rose quivering along its upper
edge, and a few moments later, there
came to their ears a low muttered roal
Of far off thunder.
The young captain had hauled his lit
tie vessel by the wind, but the clumsy
thing lay broad under i'll fitted sail. Be
sides, the wind, which she had scarcely
felt while running off before it had now
increased so much that she keeled over
till there was great danger of capsizing,
to prevent which, Willie, with the assis
lance of his two sisters set out r~eefing
the sail.
This was soon accomplished, and again
the boat was stsered as c'ose as she
would 60 which at the best was little
better than eight points, so that with her
great leeway, Willie 10 found that in
spite of his utmost skill, his craft was
drifting rapidly out to sea
Nearer and nearer rolled on the en-
battled legions of black storm clouds !:
louder came the fearful thunder crashes.
more vivid cleaned the red lightning's
flash, wider the shrieking gale swept by
bowling and screaming dread notes Of
terror to the young veyagers. The
water-which in with the land was quite
smooth-began to heave up the foam
crested waves here and there all around
them, curling over and breaking all fea-
ther-white in long lines Of Kissing spray.
Great round drops of rain came patting
down in the water and pelting on the
thwarts and gunwales of the boat with a
sharp, click noise. that smote startingly
dismal the ears of the. three little ocean
wanderers.
Young as he was Willie retained in
his mind much of what he had heard his
father relate at various times, in regard
to the management of a ship in a gale !;
and the knowledge he had thus gained
in theory, now stood in good stead. He
had heard of keeping a ship before the
wind in a squall, and Of scudding in a
gale-the dull sailing, clumsy boat was
his ship. The theory which he had learn
ed he proceeded to put in practice and
when the first mad gust Of the yelling
tornado fell upon the launch, she was
going dead before the wind-otherwise
the sail would have been swamped in an
instant. AS it was, she went flashing on
through the wild storm and screaming
surges, ~scudding away right out into the
mighty wilderness of waters.
Ten, fifteen minutes went by and still
the war Of the elements continued in their
terrible fury, and still the brave little
fellow stood at the helm, bareheaded, his
cap blown away, his clothes dripping
with water, and, steady to his purpose,
steered his tiny bark on and away, be-
fore the fierce bowling blast.
Once, only, he faltered, and that was
when the launch quiyered a moment, on
the crest of a mighty surge, and then
went Keeling and plunging standing al
most on end, down into the Kissing vor-
tex of the liquid ravine. Then a single
quick cry Of horror escaped the boys
lips but the next moment Jenny crept
up to his side and laid her hand upon
his shoulder and spoke in a low soothing
tone, and almost instantly called back his
confidence, and elicted from his lips a
cry OF admiration for his sisters heroism.