The day book. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1857-1867, 1859-12-28


The captain started up from his chair,
and would probably have walked across
the cabin, but at that moment heavy
sea caught the ship, and gave her pitch
forward, which caused him to catch bis
seat as 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 voice made tremulous by deep
er emotion than he had before manifest
ed:
"Grifin, have something upon my
mind more than you know and | am
anxious to communicate it, too. | must
tell it now, for have strange forebod-
ing of coming i'll. Something is to hap
pen that will bear great calamity to srme
of US. | am not croaking-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?"
Eyes, said the mate
"And perhaps you knew that they
were lost in this sea ~
~ have heard SO, sir"
"Aye-so it was. l was a boy then. -
They were on their way to Copenhagen,
as we should be now. My father COM
manded the ship--she was called the
CLARA Jane. She was named for my
mother; and she was a stsunch, noble
craft. was at school then, in Troy; and
when / knew that my parents were dead
! was well nigh mad with grief. l fan
cied then, in my first hours of orphan
age, that my heart would break; and, l
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 l prospered--
prospered so well that, when I was
twenty years old, they gave me command
Of a ship.
"The man who owned the ship which
/ first commanded was named Thornton.
He had daughter named Carrie-one of
the sweetest, purest, and loveliest crea-
lures that ever graced this poor lite 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 blessed 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, MIR. Thornton having set the
bounds himself 1t lacked two months
Of the time, and had arranged to re-
main at home until we we're married. -
But-Thornton had heavy ship freight
ed for Copenhagen, and her captain was
dying. He could find no one to take his
place but me, and he asked nae to go.
could not refuse; but l asked that might
be married first. Mr.. Thornton shook
his head, and said no. But he had an
other plan which be said would be bet
ter. He had been planning to visit Co.
penhagen, where be had two brothers 10
business--they were in company with
him-and he said be 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,a Mr.. Thornton, with his daught-
or was to meet me in Copenhagen, and
there we were to be married, and all
three come home together. The even
ing before / sailed / spent with Carrie,
and when l left her telt that was
leaving my very life.
"Well," continued Lester, wipins his
eyes, 81 went to Copenhagen. waited
a month-then heard that the Ameri-
can ship, While Faaon, with William
Thornton and daughter on board, had
touched at Dover, and that all were safe
and we'll when she left. waited anoth-
or week, and then crossed over to
Hamburg; but l could learn nothing
there. Next went to London, and
there learned enough to assure me that
the ship had been lostl On the second
day after she left Dover a severe storm
had arisen, and several vessels had been
reported lost. | sent my ship home in
charge of the mate. and spent four
months in searching after the lost ones
but l could gain no trace OF them. Not
even piece of the wreck could | find
not a mark of the ship nor one of its
crew! I came home with sad and
heavy heart"
Maurice Lester stopped few mo-
ments, and bowel his head upon his
hands, for his feelings had almost over
come him. In little while, however,
ne looked up again, and added,ia touch
my tone,--
"Ah, my dear friend, you don't know
what have uffered-tongue cannot tell
it, nor can pen write it. That blow did
break my heart--broke il In the rend-
Ing Of It's teuderest cords, and in the
Il - l.