The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1858-02-17
Select Mliseellanp.
A pREAM


One beautiful Sunday afternoon, I was
walking the quarter deck of a fine ship
running down the north east trades. VIM.
Thornton, an old weather beaten sailor
vas at the wheel, and I could hear him
occasionally humming the air of "Block
eyed Susan when ny back was towards
him. He was an excellent helusman, and
kept the ship to her course true as the
needle to tho poles. Although it is. still
as it Was then, contrary to rule, to enter
into conversation with the man at the
wheel, yet observing Williams smile, aud
raisiDg his hat upon mine hairs,"I asked
hiu alphabetically, "What are you
thinking about, William Pr
About my sweetheart, sir"
Are you going to get married again
when you return ?"
II was never married, sir, nor never
will be, if / should live a thousand years,
yet | have a sweetheart. It's just forty
years this day since I saw her, and | neY
or saw her but once. But what interest
eau youhaye in an old salts silly love
dreams 7p
eGo ahead, William tell me about this
sweetheart. I'm IN love myself, and eau
sJmpatbizs With YOU
~ Shho
day since / s,roIfed into Que of the biggest
churches in Broadway, aud was invited to
. seat in a grand pew by an elderly gen
tlemen- There we're two Iadies-with him
Que of them the moment cur eyes me-,
said as plainly as eyes could speak Il
am glad to see you again" / WAS sure /
had seen her before; l felt that We we're
old pIaymates, but for the soul Of me |
could not tell where. I could hardly
keep my eyes off her, she looked SO good.
When tho services commenced, she put a
prayer book 10 my hand, AID pointed to
the ssIesson for the dsg." was yousg
then, sir, aud good looking, too, aud had
about as much self copceit as most young
men, but the more l looked at that sweet
girl, the less l thought Of myself. When
the services were over | followed her TO
the door of the carriage, and could not
help saying as tho gentleman handed her
IN, Good bless you. my sweet ape ell ~ aud
and to my surprise, instead of being of
Tended, sne replied "Thank you, sir, and
may He bless you, too" The gentleman
raised his hat TO me and smiled. sGood
bye, jack he said, ''good luck to you"
It was the voice of a sailor; he was, no
doubt, a retired sea captain. Both the
ladies, though 1 had neglected one en-
tirel5, bowed to me out of the carriage
window. In a moment they wero gone,
and I never saw them from that time to
this. 1 have truly loved that sweet girl"
Ibid you ever try to find who she was,
I Inquired"
.sNo, sir, what was the use? l felt
myself a poor, ignorant sailor, hardly able
to write my own name; aud | was not
silly enough to think. such a lovely girl
would care anything about me Think
ing about her took all the self.coDceit out
of me-"
But you said you thought you had
seen her before how vas tbat?"
1T was only In a dream, sir. never
saw her before. Now, as I'm growing
old, I have been thinking seriously about
/. trying to be good, that 1 may meet her
in Heaven. Every Sunday, for forty
years, has the scene in that@churrh been
before me, aud every time | think Upon
my sweet girl she locks more lovely than
before. 1 could never thing of marrying
with her image ever present in my mind,
Do you think sir, it is possible for an old
sinner like me to be good enough to go
to Heaven? ?"
.sWhy not, William ?"
sI1I tell you why. About eight years
ago i lett the sea, Ior tnen 1 dreamed
that ! saw my dear angel go to Heaven,
and tried to be good. | worked along
shore with niggers and stevedores, and
had over two thousand dollars that ]
saved, so l got alorg very comfortable.-
Eioiued a church, and bought ! had GO
religion. when a rascal deacon cheated mS
out Of City dollars. / was SO LAUNDERING
mad, that / gave the fellow an awful hi
ding. and before he could set the laws
dogs on me, l was at sea again. l thing
now that / did very wrong but I'm 81
hard hearted, that | can't in my soul
forgive the fellow, even to this day.
"My sweet angel tells me in my dream
that I must forgive Linn, and hat If
wish to join her, 1 must be good"
He said much more, but the above afford
: glance at his inner life, and shows tb'
purity of his soul. 1t must be tho't tina
he was a winning old fool on the con
trarv he was a man of eauntless courage
bold even to recklessness, and quick t
resent an insult. No man are throw
more upon their own resources for msntA
food than seau en. For weeks and eve
months sky aud water are their only com
panions: and long voyages when the
have watched -and-vatched, their labor j
very light. II is then their minds dive