The Portland daily press., 1864-01-22
Noble Biusco.


Noble Biusco.
The ship swung heavily to and fro, the
long yards creaking and shiyering upon the
mast.
The wind whistled with . shrill, weird sound
among the shrouds and the shrouds bent in
wards as though unseen bands of heavy footed
men were ascending them. 1t was a dark
night, yet not SO dark but that we could see
the lofty icebergs by which we were surround
ed, looming up like spectres through the
gloom. We were tossing about on the waters
of the Arctic Ocean, and subjected TO heavy
sea and gale of wind, our position was a dan
gerous one. We had already begun to prepare
RATS and to hoist our chests on deck, expect
ing every moment that the ship would be stove
by the ice. Heavy masses were continually
crushing against the bows, and laundering
under the counter, causing the vessel to shake
and culver from stem to stern, as though
every timber was about TO give way. At
times the conclusion would be so violent that
all hands would be thrown of their feet and
tumble on top OF each other, in a manner that
was Tar from agreeable. Suddenly a white
face, with wild, glaring eyes and quiveripg
lips appeared among us Il was that of the
captains wife. She had her hand upon her
husbands arm, as he stood near the bow.
"I.ilianl Lillian" she gasped, "wherc is
our I.iIian?'
LILLIAN? Good heavens! wife, what do you
mean? left her with you in the cabin.'
'She is not there now--I have looked in all
the rooms. Oh, God my child. nv child Pr
and the mother wrung her hands in anguish,
while her white face grew still whittier
"Wiie! wifer' exclaimed the captain, half
sternly, "Lillian was with you when left the
cabin surely you did not let her leave your
side at such time as this.'
sYes. yes p cried the wife in accents Of the
most piercing grief 1t is all my fault-she is
lost Ny little Lillian is lost. and / am the
causel'
''For Gods sake explain yourself!r gasped
the captain.
II left her down in the cabin" faltered the
sgonized mother, "and came on deck, as /
wanted to speak to you. thought you were
In the waist, so l CROPPED my way there and
tried 10 find you. Not seeing you, started
on my return, fearing to leave Lillian so long
alone. But when reached the cabin again.
she was not there-gone' gone. God only
knows where.'
"Lilian. Lillian has any one seen Lillian ~
Fore and aft, from every lip, In startling ac-
cents, the cry went up amid the storm.
But the loud wind only answered with a
deeper howl. The long yards still creaked
upon their rusty riyets. The heavy icebergs
crashed against tile bows and timbers groaned
and shook as they had done before. The sill
very accents of Iians voice came not TO our
ears, and we felt as If it was hushed forever.
But the wailing tones Of the poor mother, and
the despairing shouts of the father-both of
whom could not bear to give up their child
continued long after our own voices had
ceased. Then We-rough-hearted, ehildless
men though we were-forgetting our own
danger, gathered about the afflicted pair, and
tried TO console them. don't think.we sue
ceeded very well, for our voices trembled
H. 81.
eyes, though we kept wiping them away with
the cuffs OF our heavy jackets. No one of us
but had loved little Lillian almost as well as
the parents themselves. She was but seven
years of age; yet the earnest glance of her
large blue eyes would go straight to our hearts
and make us feel kind and good toward each
other. To utter an oath when she was near
would have seemed like sacriIege. Like a
lily, she had bloomed in our midst, shedding
heavenly influence about her.
Strong-oh strong is the power OF innocent
childhood over a sinful heart!
II was while we thus stood, clustered near
the pinnacle, offering what little consolation
we could to the captain and his wife, that Que
OF the ships crew-an old tar by the name of
Bill Butler-cane towards us, holding few
little torn shrcds OF cloth in his hand.
Il found these ere hanging on hook Oh
the outside of the bulwark," said Bill in a
mournful voice.
1T Is part of Lilian's dress shrieked the
captains voice.
The captain buried his face In his hands
with groap, and we looked al one and anoth-
er In sad silence. There could no longer be
any doubt about the matter. Lillian had fall
len overheard.
The few remaining hours Of the night wore
away. The gale subsidized Mraculously, rs
it seemed to US, the ship had escaped being
stove; and as the sea had gone down with the
gale, there was now no more danger. Over
whelmed with grief. yet feeling il his duty TO
try and console his wife, the captain descend
ed into the cabin, leaving the management of
the ships affairs in the hands of the mate
Presently the steward came on deck. He
wished to know II any Of the hands had seen
Blusco that morning. This was the name Of
large Newfoundland dog, which had been a
great fayorite with Lillian, and she had taken
especial delight in feeding him. The dog had
grown extremely fond of his young mistress,
and would show his attachment in many ways
peculiar TO his kind. Now that the darling
was lost, the captain had ordered the steward
70 bring Blusco to them-thinking that the
sight Of him might afford melancholy conso-
iation to his wife. Having searched the cabin
through without being able to find the ami
NAL, the steward came on deck, as we have
said, to inquire II he had been noticed by any
OF the hands. We all answered in the mega
tive. None OF us had seen the dog since the
previous night. Thereupon the shin was ran
sacked fore aud aft for the missing snimaI;
and although we searched in every nook and
corner he was not TO be found.
While we were all wondering what had be-
Come of him, the man at the masthead sung
out that there were whales astern. The mate
instantly ordered the boats to be lowered and
before we had scarcely time TO divest ourselves
of the idea that we were still looking for the
dog, we were padding swiftly in the wake of
great fat bow head. The whale made straight
for a field Of ice in the distance, and went down
when he had got in the midst OF it. We fol-
lowed him almost TO the spot where he had
disappeared, and then lay motionless and ST.
lent, waiting for the next rising. Large mas
ses OF Ice, flashing gloriously in the early rays
Of the sun aud moulded into a thousand differ
enf shapes, surrounded our little craft on every
hand, floating by with majestic slowness, and
now and. then crashing against each other
with q force that caused some of them to be
rent asunder. Strange, beautiful monuments
are these fashioned by the hand OF nature
monuments Of the frozen mariners that sleep
below.
"There ii goes again. said old Bill Butler
in whisper.
what ?" asked the mate.
THAT barking noise, "'replied Bill; "Ive
been hearing iteyer since we left the ship,
SIR