Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1860-01-28
MISCELLANY.
The Sailors Dream

king the quarter deck of a fine ship running
down the northeast trades VIM. Thornton,
an old weather beaten sailor was at the wheel,
and [ could occasionally hear him humming
the air of :" Black Eycd-Susan, when my
back was towards him lie was an excellent
helmsman, and kept the ship to her course
true as the needle to the poles Although it
is still, as it was then, contrary to rule to en-
ter into conversation with the man at the
wheel, yet observing William smile and raise
his hat upon nine hairs" | asked him sym
pathotically, What are you thinking about,
William" % " About my sweetheart, sir
Are you going to get married again, when
you return b" | was never married sir nor
never will be, if | should live a thousand
years, yet | have sweetheart. It's lust for
ty years this day since | saw her, and never
saw her but once But what interest can YOU
have in an old Salts love dreams ?" "Go a.
head, William, tell me about this sweetheart.
I'm in love myself, and can sympathizc with
you"
Wcll, sir, it is Just forty years this day
since stroled into one of the biggest church
: es in Broadway, and was invited toa scat in
grand pew by an elderly gentleman. There
we're two ladies with him. One of them, the
moment our eyes met, said as plainly as eyes
could speak," I'm glad to sec you again"
was sure | had seen her before | felt that
we were old playmates, but for the soul of me
could not tell where. could hardly lake
my eyes off her, she looked so good. When
the services commenced, she put prayer book
in my hand and pointed to the lesson for the
day. was then young, sir and cookbook
ing, too, and had about as much self-conccit
ag most young men, but the more looked at
that sweet girl, the less thought of myself.
When the services were over, [ followed her
to the door of her carriage, and could not help
saying as the gentleman handed her in, &" God
bless you, my sweet angel :" and to my sur
prise, instead of being offended, she replied
"Thanlt you, sir, and may Heaven bless YOU
too" The gentleman raised his hat to me
and smiled "Good-byc, Jack" said he
good luck to you" 1t was the voice of Il
"a az, -4-iSs- no doubta retired sea capt
Both the ladies, though had neglected one
entirely bowed to me out of the carriage win
dow In moment they were gone and
have never seen them from that time to this.
yet from that day to this have truly loved
chat sweet girl !"
"Dd you ever try to find out who she
was" l inquired.
No, sir, what was the use? felt my
self IA poor ignorant sailor, hardly able to
write my own name--and | was not sllv
enough to think that such lovely girl would
care anything about me. Thinking about her
took all the self-conccit out of me-"
But you said you thought you had seen
her before how was that?'
1t was only dream, sir / never saw
her before. Now, as Pm growing Old, have
been thinking very seriously about trying to
be good, that [ may meet her in Heaven
Every Sunday, for the last forty years, has
tic scene ia that church been before me and
every time think upon my sweet girl she
looks more lovely than before | could never
think of marrying with hcr image ever pres
ont, in my mind. DO you think, sir it is
possible for an old sinner like me to be good
enough to go to Heaven 2"
Why not, William?'
"I'll tell you why. About eight years ago
left the sea, for then [ dreamed that saw
my Dear angel 90 to Heaven, and tried to be
good. [ worked along shore with niggcrs
and stcvedorcs, and had over two thousand
dollars that saved, so [ got along very com
1ortably. 1 joined church, and thought
had religion, when a rascally deacon cheated
me out of fifty dollars, | was so laundering
mad that 1 gave the fellow an awful hiding,
and before he could set the law dogs on me,
was at sea again | think now that did
very "IobSj DuC Ill 80 naTu hearted tnat !
can't, in my soul, forgive the fellow, even to
this day.
My sweet angel tells me in my dreams
that must forgive him, and that if [ wish
to join her | must be good"
lie said much more, but the above affords
glance at his inner lfe and shows the puri.
ty of his soul. 1t must not DC thought that
he was whining old fool on the contrary,
he was man of dauntleas courage; bold even
to recklessness, and quick to resent an insult
No men are thrown more upon their rcsour.
ccs for mental food than seamer
For weeks, and even mo, tbs, sky and wa
ter are their only companions and long voy-
ages, when they have and-watch, their
labor is very light 1t is then their minds
dwell upon the pleasant scenes of the past and
make the dross of earth appear divine. Bill
Thornton's case is not singular. Almost every
sailor AS some beauteous Iovedream, and
Hence the reason why so few of them marry
The ideal has moro charms for them than the
reah
Withall their faults sailors are not bad men
as GLASS, in rude way they love the true,
the beautiful and the good and are provcrbial
for their generosity. May they all go to
Heaven at last
IT is better to love person you cannot
marry, than marry person you cannot have
This is a short toxt for long sermon, which
human experience will continue to preach