Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1860-01-07


bosom OF the deep, seeming every moment
ready TO whelm aud engulf the frail bark
that struggled 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
sign yet Of the passing away Of the storml
The frightful bowling Of the temptest seem
ed rather to have increased than abated.-
The men gathered upon the quarter deck,
clinging for support to the racks and rails
for the life-lineS swayed so mnch that they
were afraid Of them-gathered as near to
the light Of the binnacle-lump as they conld,
as though even from such feeble beams they
might find some comfort. But not all we're
there No-not all Four stout, true
hearted men had been swept away by the
storm. Near score were left; hut how
many shall see the light Of another day
At nine o'clock Captain Lester went be-
low He took down 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.
How is it1" the mate asked, as he saw
his commander lay down the divders.
II have been making a 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 North.
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 l 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 heavy sea
caught the ship, and gave her pitch for
ward, which caused him to catch his seat
as quickly as possible. As soon as the
food had gone from the deck, and the yes
sci had struggled up from the shock, he
looked into his companions face, and said,
in a voice made tremulons by deeper emo
tion than he had before manifested:
"Grifin, have something upon my mind
more than you know; and | am anxious to
communicate it, toe must tell it now,
for l have strange forboding of coming
i'll. Something is to happen that will bear
great calamity to some of US. | am not
croaking-l nm only reading what the I'm
seen has written in my soul. However, you
shall hear my story You have heard that
my parents were both lost at sea Z"
"Yes, said the mate.
"And perhaps you knew that they were
lost in this sea 7"
81 have heard so. sir"
"Aye-so it was. / was boy then
They we're on their way to Copenhagen, as
we should he now My father commanded
the sbip-she was called the Clara Jane.
She was named for my mother; aud she was
q staunch, noble craft. / was at school
then, in Troy; and when | knew that my
parents were dead / was well nigh mad
with grief. / faucied then, in my first
hours Of orphanage, that my heart would
break; aud, 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 il was finally arranged that
l should go to sea. Aud l prospered-
prospered SO well that, when | was twenty
years old, they gave Inc command Uf ship
TIE msn who owned the ship which
FIRST commanded was named Thornton
He had daughter named Carrie -one oI
the sweetest. purest, and lovelieSt creatures
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 more then fourteen-she was wo
man Of intellect and grace, though chile
in simplicity of love and confidence. Mr.
Thornton did not object 10 my suit, SO
loved her with all my soul, aud was bless
ed to know that she loved me in return
IL had been arranged that we should bt
married when she was twenty years old, -
that had been our plan for more than two
years, Mr.. Thornton having set the bound
himself 1t lacked two months of th,
, time. and l had arranged to remain a
home until We were married. But-Thorn
| Ton had heavy ship freighted for Copen
hagen, aud her captain was dying. HI
I could find no one to take his place but me
aud he asked me to go. could not refuse
but asked that might be married first
= Mr.. Thornton shook his head, and said no
I But he had another plan which he SaiC
3 would be better. He had been plSnninG
! to visit Copenhagen, where he had two
/. brothers in business-they we're in com
!. pany with him-and he said he would take
the next ship, and bring Carrie out will
him, and we should be married there
7 finally consented 10 take ont the new ship
I. and Mr.. Thornton, with his daughter, wa
to meet me in Copenhagen. and there W
l were to be married, and all three come HON
together The evening before sailed
!. spent with Carrie, and when / left her
n felt that l was leaving my very lie
Well continued Lester, wiping his eyes
II went to Copenhagen. waited mont
!. then heard that the American ship
4 'WAise FalOn,' with William Thornton an
daughter on board, had touched at Dover
s and that all we're safe aud well when sh
left. waited another week, and then
!. crossed over to Hamburg but conl
i learn nothing there. Next went to Lol
don, and there l learned enough TO assuT
o me that the ship had been lost ! On Oh
. i