Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1859-12-30

men OF tue lHst duy-wrtclf lvf iliSif s;t-
tons, This calm can't hast great while.
You had better battcn down the matches
now, while there is nothing else TO do; for
| am sura there viii be need Of having
them close before the coming Of another
day.
Tie men had had no Thoughts Of going
below, for they could see and feel and they
were not wholly ignorant OF what was COM
ing so they went Mt work and secured the
hatches with thick tarpaulins; and wlen
this was done those who had no particular
station collected about the wheel. Another
hour passed away-and ano;h 4. Ten
O'Clock came, and still not ~ breath. The
ship lay upon the water like dead thing
with the ropes, and blocks, and sails, rattlina
and tapping as she wds swayed to and fro
by the lazy swells of the sea.
What does it mean ? cried Griffin, as
the boy struck five bells.
'ilark J sad the captain almost inst;ihtly,
! guess you'll soon sec. Did you feel thats
IIa and that 2
1t was a IuH Of wind. and lig'f nyin1
OF spray; or, perhaps it was spit OF rain,
AT all events, the puff was felt; and tho
drops of water fell upon other cheeks than
Maurice Testers; and other ears then his
heard the dull moaning which came ovef
the dark waters. So other ears heard the
roar which followed and other bodies quivs
cred beneath the shock of the storm-giant
when he came in his might.
Aye--ihe storm had come. II came with
wind and rain, and with an angry heaving
of the sea. it came with darkness like
Erebus, and with the voice of thunder,
EI., Ia naI I'D
the long night passed away. When tho
morning came the scene was one Of awful
grandeur. The wind was bowling with ter.
rifle fury; and the broad sea was lashed
into huge mountains, that foamed, and tum.
bled, and lcaped along over the bosom Of
the deep, seeming every moment ready to
whelm and enguf the frail bark that strug.
gled within the demon grasp.
When Captain Lester had observed the
signs of the morning, he feared that the
storm would continue through the day, and
so he told his men. The sky wore hue
of horror, and rain was now driving down,
mingling with the lashing sea. At noon it
was still worse.
AT length night shut in again, and not 4
sign yet of the passing away of the storml
The frightful bowling of the tempest SEEM
ed rather to have increased than abated.
The men gathered upon the quarterback,
clnging for support to the racks and rails
for the life-lines swayed so much that they
were afraid of them gathered as near TO
the light of the binnacle-lamp as they codld,
as though even from such feeble beams they
might find some comfort. But notall we're
there. No--not all Four stout, trne-
hearted men had been swept away by the
storm. Near score were left but how
many shall see the light of another day
AT nine o'clock Captain Lester went be-
low. He took down a chart Of the North
Sea, and having spread it upon the table,
he sat down to examine it. He was thus
engaged when Mr.. Griffin came down; but
he did not look up until he had finished the
calculation.
.IIow is it 2 the mate asked, as he saw
his commander lay down the dividcrs.
have been making reckoning, and
find that we have but little more sea-room
left. The course we have made since we
wore, has been, as near as | can calculate,
north. west-by-west, SO that we must have
been driving towards the coast of Nortfi<
cumberland. / think we have plenty Of
room to stand ON until midnight; but we
cannot stand on much longer If the gale
does not abate by that time know not what
we shall do
The captain started up from his chair,
and would probably have walked across the
cabin, but at that moment a heavy sea
caught the ship, and gave her 4 pitch for
ward which caused him to catch his seat rs
quickly as possible. As soon as the flood
had gone from the deck, and the vessel had
struggled up from the shock, he looked into
his companions face, and said, in a voice.
made tremulous by deeper emotion than he
had before manifested.
Griffin, have something upon my mind
more than you know; and am anxious to
communicate it, too. / must tell it now, for
| have strange forebodng Of coming Ill.
Something is to happen that will bear great
calamity to some Of US. am not crcking
i am only reading what the Unseen has
written in my soul. However, you shall
hear my story. You have heard that my
parents were both lost at sea 2
Yes said the mate.
and perhaps you knew that they were
los: at sea?
| Il have heard so, SIR
'Ayc-so it was. / was boy then.
They were on their way to Copenhagen,
as we should be now. My father COM
manded the ship--she was called the Cldrs
Jone' She was named for my mother
and she was a staunch, noble craft. l was
at school then. in Troy and when l knew
that my parents were dead was well nigfi
mad with grief. i fancied then, in my first
bours of orphanage, that my heart would
break; and, think such would have been
the case if they had kept me at school.
But some of those who cared for me came
TO see me, and it was finally arranged that
should go TO sea And | prospered--
pr)speied so well that. when was twenty
years old, they gave me command of q
ship
The man who owned the ship which
first commanded was named Thornton lie
had a daughter named Carrie -one Of ths
sweetest purest, and loveliest creatures that
ever graced this poor life OF earth. She
was four years younger than myself; b1t
f...-. xl.nr 7 fret ~.