The Lambertville press. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1858-1???, 1860-09-12
LAMBERTyILIE N. J, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER r. 1860


was young, then. sir, and good-look-
ing, too, and had about as much self
conceit as most young men, but the
more looked at the sweet girl, the
less thought of myself When the
services were over I followed her to
the door of her carriage, and couldn't
help saying as the gentleman handed
her in "God bless you sweet angel =
and to my surprise, instead of bling
offended, she replied, "Thank you, sir
and may he bless you too" The
man raised his hat to me and smiled.
Good bye, jack" he said, good luck
to you" Tt was the voice of sailor;
he was no doubt retired sea captain.
Both the ladies, though | had neglect
ed one entirely, bowed to me ont of
the carriage window. In a moment
they were gone, and / never saw her
from that day to this, yet from that
day to this I have truly loved that
sweet girl /"
Die you ever try to find ont who
she was p" inquired
No sir, what was the use ] felt
myself poor ignorant sailor. hardly
able to write my own name and |
was not silly enough to think that
such a lovely girl would care anything
about me Thinking about her took
all the self conceit out of me-"
But you said that you thought
you had seen her before, how was
that ?"
at was only dream, sir. ] never
saw her before. Now as Pm grow
ing older, I have been thinking
seriously about trying to be good, that
| may meet her in Heaven Every
sunday for forty years has the scene
in that church been before me, and ev-
cry time / think upon that sweet girl
she looks more lovely than before. ]
could never think of marrying with
her image ever present in my mind.
Do you think, sir, it is impossible for
an old sinner like me to be good en-
ough to go to Heaven 2"
"Why not, William ?"
TIL tell you why. About eight
years ago left the sea, for then I
dreamed / saw my dear angel go to
Heaven and tried to be good. I
worked along shore with niggers and
steve doors, and had over two thous-
and dollars that saved, so / got along
very comfortably. | joined a church
and thought had got religion, when
a rascally deacon cheated me out of
fifty dollars. / was so thunderstrnck
mad, that | gave the fellow an awful
hiding and before he could set the law
dogs on me l was at sea again. /
think now | did very wrong, but I'm
so hard hearted that / can't in my
soul, forgive the fellow even to this
day
My sweet angel tells me in my
dreams that I must forgive him, and
that if wish to join her I must be
good.
He said much more but the above
affords glance at his inner life, and
shows the purity of his soul. 1t must
not be thought that he was whining
old fool; on the contrary, he was
man of dauntless courage; bold even
to recklessncss, and quick to resent
an insult No men are thrown more
upon their resources for mental food
than seamen. For weeks and even
months, sky and water are their only
companions; and long voyages, when
they watch-and- their labor is
very light. 1t is then that their minds
dwell upon the pleasant scenes of the
past, and make the dross of earth ap-
pear divine. Bill Thornton's case is
not singular. Almost every sailor he's
some beautious love-dream, and hence
the reason why so few of them marry
The ideal has more charms for them
than the real.
With oil their fanlts, sailors are not
bad men. AS class, in a rude way.
they love the true. the beantious, and
the good, and proverhial for their gen
crosby. May they all go to Heaven
at last.