The weekly Anglo-African., 1859-12-17
THE ANGEL OF DEATH.

.to the Last Indies, was crossing IHe DOutL-t
west trades, with all drawing sail set Lit
was the last dog watch, the time betweenI
six and eight o'clock, and several of thel
watch who ought to have been on deck
were below, listening to a yarn which Toni
Gray was spinning.
"Catch that pigeon" said Bill Graves
I nterrupting the yarn, and springing FROM
!. his seat, " catch that beautiful pigeon be-
j fore it flies on deck again"
"What pigeon?' demanded half dozen
voices, eve don't see anything"
In the mean time, before the sailors could
make further inquiry, an order was issued
from the quarter deck, to haul the main
stopmast staysail down. This brought the
sstragglers of the watch on deck, and those
below requested Tom to continue his yarn !;
| but Tom, apparently unconscious of their
request, said, in sorrowful tone" Poor
bill, he is not long for this world The
/ white pigeon which he saw was the angel
] of death, who appeared to me as he has
done before, like young man with AM
] hour-glass in his hand, the sands OF which
shad nearly run out He was rugged I'M
white, fastened round the waist with al
! band like fire, and the name OF Bill Graves
on it.
Hardly had he finished his description,
when the thrilling cry rang fore and att,
q" A man overboardp In an instant all
Hands we're on deck, the ship hove too, and
1.-THE lee-quarter boat lowered. But all I'M
l vain. Poor Bill Graves, who had been
Thrown overheard by the staysail Sheet
sank to rise no more. By the time the boat
was hoisted up, and the sails trimmed, the
adog watch was out. After the exchange
] Of sorrowful regrets the watches separated,
sbut the fate of Graves was the theme on
! their conversation; even after the watch
! below had turned into their hammocks,
J they spoke of him, and his many fine
Qualities as a seaman-for he was a gen
] eral favorite.
The watch on deck formed a group
around Tom Gray, who said that he had
Frequently seen the Angel of Death be
sfote "The first time, shipmates, | saw
/ him, was when belonged to the British
7 ten gun pelter Vulture, lying in the harbor
I of Sierra Leone We had the fever on
board, and over thirty men were down
! with it. / was sick at the time myself.
{ THE Angel of Death came down the main
shatchway, and walked down deliberately
forward among the hammocks. He was
I then dressed in long flowing robe of
orange yellow, and in his right hand he
Y held scroll with the names of dozen
men on it, and in his left hand was the
/ same hour-glass that saw this evening
He was very beautiful, had long, curly
I hair, of raven black, encircled by band
1 on which the words Angel of Death seem
led to blaze and burn. He looked at me
! as he passed. Our eyes met, and Thought
III knew him. He smiled, and said, MOI
Ayet' Then passing from hammock tt
{ hammock, he retraced his steps towards the
i main halfway, followed by the men whose
I names were on the scroll. A dozen mel
sdied that night He paid us visit almos
@every day, sometimes taking one or more
@from our number, until we had lost twenty
five men.
81 The next time / saw him was il churcl
jim Bermuda. He entere the pul pit, anC
stood beside the minister lull five minutes
4 docking at the hour-glass. I could see the
sand distinctly running, and when it was
out, the parson staggered and fell. l wa'
Sthe first to rush to his assistance, and as
Il raised him in my arms, / saw his form fol
]! low the Angel of Death down the broad
6 aisle, and disappear. The last time | wa
B in New York, l saw him take poor sui
d fering child from its mothers arms into hi
Il own, and kiss it and disappear. The chile
Hdied few minutes afterwards, which make
Il me think that the soul leaves the body be
fore life is extinct. The angel was the
Mrobed in green"
III Tom told many other strange stories o
Is the Angel of Death and his doings, whic
Eleft deep impression ON the minds of hi
hearers, who believed his every word
n Boston TlGUeler.