Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1858-05-12
For the Reporter.
Hours of Adversely.
BY G. F. NC EVEN,

restless commotion. The heavens an6
earth seemed to be commingled in wild
confusion: there was scowling sky
the sudden flash and the distant thun
der, which clearly told of little repose
to the tempest-tost mariner. It was or
such night that the beautiful and fast
sailing steamer Atlantic, letting 90 hel
moorings near the city of New London
put forth upon the rough and agitated
bosom of the troubled ocean. The
scenes ofthat disastrous voyage, though
years have since transpired, are perhaps
still fresh in the readers mind. The
newspapers Of the day placed on record
the various particulars describing the
gallant ship amidst the awful conflict OF
the elements, while she moved forward,
firmly coursing her way over the troub,
led deep, tottling with the winds whose
ferocity threatened momentarily to tear
in shreds every fibre of her noble frame
work
There were some Of that ships com
pany who from the outset had not liked
the threatening aspect Of the lowering
sky. They seemed to have had a pre-
sentiment that there was about to be an
extraordinary revolution in the diurnal
breezes, and trembled to commit them
selves, in the face of so much danger.
to the mercies of the treacherous bill
lows. Others, however, saw no danger
to deter them from the contemplated
voyage; accordingly, all dreamless of
harm, they entered their names of pas
sengers on the ill-fated steamer. AT
length the hour of peril arrived, and
brought with it such unlocked for mis-
fortunes as appalled, the sternest cour-
age and astonished the hearts of the
brave.
Should | attempt to recapitulate those
melancholy scenes Of the ocean wave,
which ended in the death of so many
from the various ranks of society, the
story would run of differing themes, va
rying from point to point in the sad
drama Of severe suffering and over
whelming disaster.
1t is sufficient that we derive lesson
of moral instruction from calamity so
sudden and SO awful. What, then, is
our brief passage through life but a
scene that resembles ship at sea as
she battles the ocean wave and strug-
giles to outride the madness of the
tempest? The passage Of life is, to
say the least, short enough. 1t does
not admit Of much repose. 1t is the
journey of day. At best, it's engross-
ing cares must be estimated as the fan
tastic visions Of an evening. Could we
ever calculate upon arriving at the ne
plus ultra of human being, our life
would speedily come to close. Well,
them, how important to sum up the cost
in forming plans for the future, since
time is SO brief, and since all worldly
good is only Of temporary duration!
In like manner our life wings its way
through scenes Of tempest and change.
Shakespeare has justly described ap-
plause as
s'such a noise
As the shrouds make at sea in a stiff tempest,
As loud and to as many tunes"
And such are the rude winds of ad-
versity, as they blow angrily athwart
the journey of time. They put to the
test the frmest courage of the SOUL
Who has not experienced more or less
of sad reverse and alternately met with
the sunshine and shadows of time, suf-
ficiently to know that storms will ever
more linger over the horizon of life p
Disappointment is peculiarly the lot OF
man. 1t turks in every prize. Bitter,
ah! bitter is the fate of multitudes who
encounter the rough and thorny path
way of life. What numbers at the
green age of youth, poisoned with pleas
ure's cup, build air-castles which ever
and anon give place to the dread Wis
ions of sober reality. Loss of health,
loss of friends, failure in business, the
victims of contracted adventures, OF
forced into the vortex of crime fol
worldly gain, how many from these and
other causes rush into guilty courses OF
conduct, and at length sink to the grave
of the lost. The approach Of death
the coffin and winding sheet, close the
tragedy of life, and they are utterly
and forever blank in the recollections
of men. Like ship at sea, lashed by
the crushing weight of the storm, sc
they leave the scenes of mortality, let
ting go the plank of life to which they
had always SO fondly clung. Many
there are that make a disgraceful re
treat from earth; perishing in the mids
of scenes of moral ruin. Their SUI
I