Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1860-11-09

.s.,, a.4o CEDAR FALLS, %. ]
like struggle for gold. was 50 fortunate
as to secure one, and on it I placed my poor
wife and elder child, rolled together in our
only cloak; while through the lvelong night
passed to and fro beside them, with the
little one wrapped in the breast Of my coat,
striving In vain to still its cries and as /
walked, my feet clung to the frozen pave
mcnt beneath them, and the cold shot up
through my limbs like an icy fire, causing
intolerable pain. da FaG -lst'a's29TH
}Asothc night passed on the cold increased,
or else we felt it more; and many times, as
looked on the shivering beings croaching
around me, thought that few among them
would survive till morning But thanks,
under Providence, to the officers Of the ship,
lowanccs Of spirits, the day dawned on all
save few small children, my own dear babe
among them. And truly, when Hooked on
the wide waste Of waters around US, dotted
here and there by silvery icc-iclds, but un-
cheered by single sail, and thought Of our
desolation, our misery, and probable fate,
felt II was mercifully called away from the
evil to come, But the mother could not feel
SO, and amid her own sufferings, her tears
fell fast on the sweet placid face that would
never weep again. 71s50 1,sai g ."}i 81 Z
With the morning, the ships company and
passengers were mustered, to ascertain if any
were missing, and great was our cons ernation
to find that Mr.. Grant was absent. Every
inquiry was made, and every search among
the creviccs and crannies of otlr rugged ice
raft but all in vain. In the confusion and
misery Of the night, none had missed him,
nor was any trace of him to be found, and
We were at length compelled to believe that
our kind friend and master had either per-
ishcd in the wreck, or else in his passage to
the zee. f'7 t6s'b alfal5i ~ h7"a.iG bai
Meanwhile many were the eager eyes con-.
tinually scanning the horizon in the vain
search for friendly sail As the day wore
on, the sun, shone, brilliantly out, and his
beams flashed in thousand dazzling rays on
our icc-raft, until we were almost blinded by
their radiance. Yet they shed, a warmth
through our chilled frames for which we were
most thankful, and in many spots they melt
ed the ice, which ran in little rills, enabling
us to quench our thirst without filling our
inouths with ice. Twice in the day little
bis uit and raw pork were distributed to us,
and thus sadly and suffering passed the day,
till a second night of misery set in. This
proved far worse than the former, for, ere
long, wild gusts began to howl over the ocean
wastes out among which we now had drifted; !;
and heavy waves lashcd and around US,
and dashed themselves against nor refuge;
and though they had not power to put it into
motion, we knew not how soon they might
sweep. over it or shatter it in pieces 1t was
a fearful night, and so exhausted and des-
pairing did it leave us, that we scarce could
rouse, ourselves to eXerton, until sailors
cry Of Sail ho!'' awoke fresh hope. & i
How many fearful eyes frightened and
heavy hearts throbbed quick and gratefully,
as they watched that sail speed on toward us
before the last breath of the expiring gale -
As she drew near the only fear was, lest she
should not have space for. ALL, Nearer and
Still nearer she came, until we could see the
mon upon her decks, and then--we scarce
could believe our cycs--shc passed us by,
unobserying or unhecding the signal we had
raised upon i spar, and tho dark group Of
human beings clustered round it. If unheed-
ing, Heaven forgive, them, for it was fear
full depth of despair into which to fling back
SO many of their fellow-ereaturcs. The wo-
men sank down too heart stricken for words,
and the men lifted up, their voices in bitter
indignation AT at the cruelty that could thus
leave women and children to perish Death.
in one OF his most fearful forms did indeed
seem pressing close upon US, for our scanty,
stock of food was exhausted. Many flung
themselves at full length upon the ice, utterly
indifferent to all outward objects; while 9th,
ers prayed earnestly over the dear ones for
whom all earthly hope was past. 4 ~, H., ..I
Suddenly loud shout rose above the
splash OF the waves and the murmur Of ,sor-
rowful voices, and echoed cheerfully over our
frozen resting place. Every eye turned sea
ward, and there, but few fathons from us
lay a large vessel, which, absorbed as we were
inourmisery, had approached us unperceiyed..
Her bulwarks We're filled with sympathising
faces, and toour feeble cheer Of welcome there
came back SO hearty response that it, sent q
glow through our shiyering frames. n ]at :"
Never was kindness greater than we poor
icc-wrecked voyagers received from the crew
and passengers Of that ship, crowded though
she already was. To their care and attention
we owed not only our lives, but those of the
dear ones who seemed about to die: and never
can, we feel sufficiently grateful for thcircood
offices, or the many sacrifices they made on
our behalf. -
The ship was westward bound and on our
arrival in Canada, the account Of our misfor-
tunes brought us many offers Of employment.
Years have passed since, and the world has
gone well with us, but nothing can erase from
our minds the haunting remembrances of the
days and nights Of suffering we passed upon
that fearful icc-fieh ft.g 4..s, ~ -.
THE VoYAcE OF LIrE.--Thc analogy oe.
tween 2 voyage and mans life has been fire.
quently and beautifully noticed. The princi-
pie moral OF thcs, allegorial allusiop, centres
in the uncertainty Of every thing in this life,
and that from the examples of the vessels
getting safe into port, after being exposed to
the most imminent danger Of sinking, we
should learn not to give up hope in adversely
but invoking the Divine. aid, use our best en-
dcayors to meliorate our condition, on, the
other hand, that in prosperous state. Of
things, we should not be too confident because
we seem to hare 4 favorable gale. placid sea.