St. Mary's beacon., 1861-04-25
LEONARD TOWN. Md. THURSDAY MORNING. APRIL 25 1861

Il
good then a. il is now. We we're some
tunes fof months without getting let.
ter. sud knew nothing Of what was hap.
psniag at home. sr anywhere rise. W.
hsd . sick time too on board, aud q,
last he got . fever. He bore up agains,
il like . man. and wouldu't knock of
duty for long time. He was midship.
man ofSsy watch % nsea ts make
him turn in early, and tried TO ease
things 70 BIN a. much a. conla; bu,
sshe did nsF pick up. and began to get
! very anxious about him. talked &c
the doctor. and turned matters over in
my mind. and at last I came to think
DC wouldn't &c. any better unless be could
sleep out OF the cockpit. So one night.
the 10Th Of October it was-I remember
it we'll enough. better than I remember
any day since-it was = dirty night.
blowing half gala Of wind from the
southward and VIC were under close
reefcd .ops.ils-l had tn: 6rs. watch. and
at nine o'clock I sent him down to my
cabin to sleep there, where he would be
frcsher aud quieter. and was to turn into
bis hammock when my watch was over
was on deck three hours or SO af-
ter he went down. and the weather got
dir,ier aud dirtier, and the scud drove
by. an! :he wind sang and humuei through
tie rigging--it made me melancholy
to listen to it. | could think of moth
ing but the youngstcr down below, and
! what | should say to his poor old un-
Gle if anything happened. Well. soon
after midnight | went down and turned
into his hammock. ! didu't 90 to sleep
1T once. for remember very we'll listen
ing to the creaking of the ships timbcrs
as she rose to the swell. and watshing
the lamp which was slung from tho ceiling.
anil gave light enough 70 make out the
o,hsr hammocks swinging slowly togeth-
er. At last. dropped of. aud reckon
It mnss have been shout half an hour,
when | awokc with start. For the frat
m"rent didu's sec anything but the
swinging hammocks and the lamp: bat
then suddenly / became aware that some
one Was stsn!ing BY my hammock, and |
saw the 6gurs as plainly as see any
one Of you now. for the foot of thc
hammock was close to the lamp, aud
the light struck full .cruss on the head and
shoulders. which WAS all that could sec
Of hiin. Their he was. the old commodore;
his grizzled hair coming ont from under
II red woolleB night cap. and his shoulder.
wrapped in sn old threadbarc, blue dres-
sing gown. which had often seen him in
His face looked drawn aud pale, and there
was n wistfui disappointed look abont the
eyes. was so taken aback couldu',
sleep, but lay watching him. He looked
full at my face once or twice. bat didn't
seem to recognise me; and just AZ was
getting back my tongue, and going to
speak. he said slowly. "Wherc's Tcm :?
this il his hammock. can't see Tom"
and then he looked vaguely about and
passed away somehow. but couldn't zee
lu moment or two l jumped out. and
hurried to my cabin. bat young Holds
worth was fast asleep. sa, down. and
wrote down just what had seen. making
note Of the exact time twenty minutes to
two. didu't turn in again. but set watch
lug the youngster. When lie woke asked
him il he had heard snyshing Of biz grca,
uncle by the las. mail. Yes. he had
heard; the old gentleman wa. rather fee
bic. but nothing particular the matter. l
KEEP, my own counsel. and never told n
soul III the ship; aud. when the mail came
to hand few days afterwards. with let
ter from the commodore to bis nephew.
dated late in September. saying that hc
vas we'll. I thought the figure by my ham
mock must have been oil my own fancy
However. by the next mail came the new.
Of the old commodore death. II hsd
been very sudden break mp. bis ex-cu-
tor said. Hu had left all bis property.
which was not much. to bis great nephsw
wbo was to get leave TO come home ..
soon ~ he could.
The Erst time we touched at Malta, Ton,
Holdswerth left ss, and went home. We
followed about two years afterwards, an.
the 6rs. thing did AFTER landing was to
tiud out the commodorc's executor. lie
was quiet. dry little Plymouth lawyer.
and very civilly answered all my questions
about 'be last days Of my old friend. At
las, asked him - tell me as near ss he
cootu Inc nale OI Hts OeaaD ana ne E0t
on bis sPcc,scles. and got bis diary. and
turned over the leaves. was quite per-
vous till he looked uP and said Twenty
Ave minutcs TO two, sir. 4. H.. on the
morning Of October 3lss; q il might ae
= few minutes later
"H"w do you mean. sr:" asked.
Well" he said. Il, is an odd story.
The doctor was sitting with nc. wa,chiag
the old man. and, as tell you, q, twenty
five minatcs 20 two. be got up and said j.
Was all over. We stood together talking
in whispers. for it nigh, be. four or Eve
minutes when the body seemed to move
He WAS an odd old man. you know, the
commodore. aud We never could get hsm
properly 70 bed. hMt he lay in his red
nigLt-esp. and old dressing gown. with a
biankss over bin. It was no, q pleasant
sight. I can tell you. sir. / don't think
one Of yea gentlemen. who .are bred to
iaes. I'D HsnBss Of dsagess, would haze
liked H. As waa saying, the body ars.