Union County star and Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1859-1864, 1860-01-13


"How is it?" the mate asked, as n
SAL his commander lay down the dl
viders.
Il have been makinga reckoning
and | find that we have but llttl'
more sea-room left. The course WI
have made since We wore, has been
as near as | can calculate, northwest
by-west, so that We must have beer
driving towards the coast Of North
umberland. l 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 tina
time | know not what we shall do"
The captain started up from hi;
chair, and would probably have walk
ed across the cabin, but at that moment
a heavy sea caught the ship, and gave
her pitch forward, which caused hin
to catch his seat as quickly as posi-
BILE. As soon as the flood had gont
from the deck, and the vessel had
struggled up from the shock, he look
ed into his companions face, and said
in voice made tremulous by deeper
emotion than he had before manifested
"Grifin, l have something upon my
mind more than you know; and l am
anxious to communicate it, too. l
must tell it now, for have a strange
foreboding of coming i'll. Something
is to happen that will bear great ca
lamity to some of US. l am not croak'
ing-[ am only reading what the Un-
seen has written in my soul. How
ever, you shall hear my story. You
have heard that my parents were both
lost at sea ?'
Yes" said the mate.
"Ard perhaps you know that they
were lost in this sea ?"
Il have heard so, sir"
"Aye-so it was. | was a boy
then. They were on their way to
Copenhagen. as we should be now.
Ny father commanded the ship-she
was called the 'Clara Jane. She was
named for my mother; and she was
a staunch, noble craft. | was at
school then, in Troy and when |
knew that my parents were dead |
was well nigh mad with grief. l
fancicd then, in my first hours Of Or
phanage, 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 ar
ranged that l should 60 to sea. And
l prospcred-prospered so well that,
when | was twenty years old, they
gave me command Of ship.
"The man who owned the ship
which | first commanded was named
Thornton. lie had daughter named
Carrie-one of the sweetest, purest,
and lovcliest creatures that ever gra-
ccd 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 a child in simplicity Of love
and confidence. Mr.. Thornton did
not object to my suit, so l loved her
with all my soul, and was blessed to
know that she loved me in return. 1t
lad been arranged that We should be
married when she was twenty years
had been our plan for more
than two years, Mr.. Thornton having
set the bounds himself. 1t lacked
Two months of the time, and l had ar
ranged to remain a. home until We
we're married. But-Thornton had
, heavy ship freighted for Copenha-
gen, and her captain was dying. He !
could find no one TO take his place
but me, and he asked me to 60. l
could not refuse but asked that
night be married first. Mr.. Thornton
shook his head, and said no. But he
lad another plan which he said would
DC better. lie had been planning to
'isit Copenhagen, where he had two
brothers in business-they were in
with him-and he would
axe the next ship, and bring Carrie |
,ut with him, and we should be mar
led there. finally consented to take
,ut the new ship, and Mr.. Thornton,
With his daughter, was to meet me in
Copenhagen, and there we were to be
and all three come home to-
,ether. The evening before l sailed
spent with Carrie, and when left
Ter felt that | was leaving my very
ife.
"Well," continued Lester. wiping
lis eyes, Il went to Copenr~.en. l
waited a month-then l heard that
he American ship, White Fa,on,' with
William Thornton and daughter on
,oard, had touched at Dover, and that
Ill were safe and well when she left.
waited another week, and then l
,rossed over to Hamburg but l could
earn nothing there. Next l went to
london, and there l learned enough to
assure me that the ship had been lost!
On the second day after she left Do
Ier a severe storm had arisen, and
several vessels had been reported lost.
sen. the ship home in charge of the
nate. and spent four months in search
ng after the lost ones but | could
ra;n M tro,o of xbo,n Nof oron n ,