The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1860-02-04
.rha SAILORS Dream.

running down the Nortn-6dSt SFdoSS. ~ AHs
Thornton, an old, weather beaten sailor.
was at the wheel, and I could hear him oc-
casionally hpmming the air of Black Eyed
Susan, !" when my back was towards him.
He was an excellent helmsman, and kept
the ship to her true course, true as the nee
die to the poles. Although i: is still, as 1t
was then, contrary to rule to enter INTO CON
versation with the man at the wheel, yet
observing William smile and raise his hat
upon s'nine hairs, I asked him sympathet-
ically
"Wbat are you thinking about, William !''
"About my sweetheart, sir.
"AFe you going to get married again
| when you return 2"
81 was never married, sir, nor never will
be if 1 should live to be thousand years
cid. vet I have sweet heart. It's just
forty years this day since saw her. and
never saw her but once. But what inter-
est can you have in an old salt s love dream %
$50 ahead, William; tell me about this
sweetheart. I'm in love myself, and can
| sympathize with you.''
'sWell, sir, it is just forty years this day
since I strolled into one of the biggest
churches in Broadway, and was invited to
seat in a grand pew of an elderly gentle
man. There were two ladies with him
| One of them, the moment our eyes met,
said as plainly as eyes could speak-"1' m
| glad TO see YOU again" I was sure l had
! seen her before; felt that we were old play
mates, but for the soul of me l could not
tell where. could hardly take 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. I was Young then, sir, and good
/ looking, too, and had about as much self
concet as most young men, but the more
looked at that sweet girl, the less thought
of myself. When the services were over,
1 followed her to the door of the carriage,
and could not help saying as the gentleman
handed her in, '.God bless you, my sweet
angel % and to my surprise, instead of be-
/ ing offended, she replied THANK you, sir,
and may he bless you too" The gentle
man raised his hat to me, and smiled
Good bye, jack" he said, ''good luck to
you" It was the voice of sailor; he was,
no doubt, a retired sea captain. Both the
ladies, though I had neglected one entirely,
bowed to ME out of the carriage window
In moment they were gone, and l never
saw them from that day to this, yet from
that day to this I have truly loved that
sweet girl
Did you ever try to find out who she
was,'' I inquired.
''No, sir, what was the use? I felt my
| self a poor ignorent sailor, hardly able to
write my own name: and I was not silly
enough to think that such lovely girl
would care any thing about me. Thinking
about her took all the self-conceit out of
me- t'But you said you had seen her be-
fore; how was that %
cit was only in dream, sir. I never
saw her before. Now, as I am growing
old, 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 every time I think of my sweet girl,
she looks more lovely than before. could
ever present in my mind. Do you think,
sir, that it is possible for an old sinner like
me to be good enough to go to heaven 90
why not, William 90
''I'll tell you why. About eight years
ago left the sea, for then 1 dreamed that
[ saw my dear angel go to heaven, and tried
to be good. I worked along shore with
niggers and stevedores, and had over two
thousand dollars that I saved, so I got
along quite comfortably. I joined church
and thought had got religion, when ras-
cally deacon cheated me out of fifteen dol
lars. l was so laundering mad that / gave
the fellow an awful hiding, and before he
could set the law dogs on me. was at sea
again. I think now that l 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 must forgive him; and that if I wish
to join her l must be good.''
He said much more, but the above
affords a glance at his inner life, and
shows the purity of his soul. II must
not be thought that he was a winning
old fool; on the contrary he was man
of dauntless courage; bold even to rashness,
and quick to resent an insult. No men are
more thrown upon their own resources for
mental food than seamen. For weeks and
even months, sky and water are their only
companions and long voyages, when they
have to watch and watch, their labor is
very light. It is then that their minds
dwell upon the pleasant scenes of the past
and make the dross of earth appear divine.
Bill Thorntorn's case is not Singular
Almost every sailor has some beauteous
love-dream, and hence the reason why SO
few of them marry. The ideal has more
charms for them than the real.
With all their faults sailors are not bad
men. As class, in rude way, they love
the true, the beautiful and the good, and
are proverbial for their generosity. May
they all 60 to heaven at last
CHARIrY.-Charity embraces the wide
circle of all possible kindness. Every good
act is charity; your smiling in your broth
er's face is charity; and exhortation of your
fall