The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1859-12-31

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mand of a ship.
The man who owned the ship which
first commanded was named Thornton
lie had a daughter named Carrie-one o!
the sweetest, purest, and loveliest crea
lures that ever graced this poor life OF
earth. She was four years younger than
myself; but even when | first knew her
and she was not then more than fourteen
she was a woman in intellect and grace
though child in simplicity of love and
confidence Mr. Thornton did not object
to my suit, SO | loved her with all my soul
and was blest to know that she loved me
in return. 1t had been arranged that we
should be married when she was twenty
years old that had been our plan for
more than two years, Mr. Thornton having
set the bounds himself 1t lacked two
months of the time, and | had arranged
to remain at home until we were married.
But--Thornton had heavy ship freighted
for Copenhagen, and her captain was dying.
He could find no one to take his place but
/ me, and he asked me to 60 | could not
refuse but j asked that | might be mar
ried first Mr.. Thornton shook his head,
and said no. But he had another plan
which he said would be better He had
been planning to visit Copenhagen, where
| he had two brothers III business-they
We're in company with him-aud he said
he would take the next ship, and bring
| Carrie out with him. and we should be
married there. | finally consented to take
out the new ship, and Mr. Thornton, with
/ ms daughter, was TO meet me In Copenha-
! gen, and there we were TO be married, and
all three come home together. The even
ing before | sailed spent with Carrie, and
/ when | left her felt that | was leaving
my very life.
Wen" continued Lester, wiping his
! eyes, went TO Copenhagen. ! waited a
month-then heard that the American
| ship, White Fdtgr,' with William Thornton
and daughter on board. had touched at
| Dover and that all were safe and well
! when she left. | waited another week,
and then | crossed over TO Hamburg; but
/ ! could learn nothing there Next went
| 10 London and there | learned enough to
assure me that the ship had been lost
/ On the second day after she left Dover a
severe storm had arisen, and several yes
sels had been reported lost. ! sen: my
/ ship home in charge of the mate, and
spent four months in searching after the
! lost ones: but | could gain no trace Of
them. Not even piece of the wreck
I could find-not :. mark Of the ship nor
of one of its crew / came home with
al and heavy heart
I Maurice Lester stopped a few moments,
and bowed his head upon his hands, for
his feelings had almost overcome him
/ In little while, however, ne looked up
/ again, and added, in a touching tone
".Ah my dear friend, you do not know
what | have sufiered-tongue cannot tell
it, nor can pen write it. That blow did
break my heart-broke it in the rending
of its tenderest cords, and in the crushing
of an its earthly hopes DO you believe
in dreams 2
The mate started not so much at the
character Of the question, rs from the sud
den manner in which it was put
"Well, said Lester, in a lower tone, i
have had dream repeated many times;
but never has it come 10 ne so directly
srrri so wildly as within the past three or
four DAYS. C'l7rie fNoynfoa Is not dead i
,f.,s- she is 10. t-sie has appeared 10 me
repeatedly in a dream, and calls upon me
To save her Tonight, as ! stood all alone
by the mizzen rigging trying to peer out
into the thick gloom, | heard her voice as
plainly a you nov hear mine, and she
called out for me TO save her OF course
what followed was mere fancy, though even
that affected me much; ! thought | saw
her, standing not far off, upon a huge sea,
with her arms stretched implorilgly to-
wards me-saw her then, with my eyes
open, rs | have often seen her in my sleep
Ing dream -
At this point the captain was cut short
in his speech by the cry of "LIGHT-Ho -
from the deck. They hurried up and
found the men crowding forward
What is ~ Lester asked
I" / think it is light, sir, replied Par
ker
Here, sir,-iust stand here-Now turn
your eye about four points upon the lar
board bow Wait, now, till she rises-Ha
there there See Did you see it,
sir?"
Ies-he had seen it; and he knew it
must be light upon the shore but it was
great way Oft He watched until he had
seen it several times, and then he remark
ed to his mate that it must be a light
house. The light was bold and distinct,
and evidently at a considerable height
above the level of the sea- for, had il not
been so, it could not have been seen at that
distance After a short consultation, du-
ring which reference was had TO the chart
of the northumberland coast, it was deci-
ded that this light must be upon Dorton
Point TO the north of Dorton, as the
captain knew from personal experience, as
we'll as from the chart there was a snug
harbor, of easy entrance. These things
were settled.
As soon as it had been determined
where the light was, Captain Lester made
all possible haste to determine his course
of action. Had the thing been practica-
bic, he would have laid his ship to; but
that could not be done No one even gave
it serious thought SO it was determin-
I Il, 1,.,r H. 1,,1. d.!
! till something further was discovered
At halfpast twelve the gale had moder-
ated considerably. The light was now to
be seen very plainly whenever the ship
rose, and the captain and his officers felt
sure that they were right in their calcula-
tions.
cat all events said the former, eve
have no choice but to stand on, at tleast-'
He was interrupted by cry from the
bows that made every soul start with hor-
ror:
"BREAKERsi BEEAKEEs."
Captain Lester leaped forward, and in a
very few moments he was satisfied that
the warning had not been a false one; for
he could not only hear the awful roar of
the breaking seas, but he fancied that he
could see the cleaning of the white foam
as it flew high in the air. As quickly as
possible the topsail was taken off, and the
anchors cut loose The ponderous crap
plings plunged into the kissing sea, and
the iron cables were spun through the
hawse-holes like lightning Snap went
the starboard chain; and in moment
more a shock was felt as the larboard an
chor found bottom, but it could not hold
The cable parted as though it had been
hempen string and on swept the devoted
ship
"In heavens name!' gasped Griffin,
"what does this mean? See! The light
is still burning as brightly rs ever-at least