The free South. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1863-1864, 1864-10-01

summit we looked into guI:s from which
it seemed impossible We could re-ascenG.
Seriously alarmed, I called to the boat
man, entresting him to put back. l
pointed landward-per:laps toward the
rocks and the breakers-and begged him
to land us over there. His answer was,
"We viii keep her atioat as long as we
can" But his perplexed look, his wand
ering, anxious eye frightened me more
than his words. The storm increased
land disappeared-the autumn afternoon
drew on. No sign of q steamer in sight.
Terror took hold of our souls the men
were white with fear. Beside me was the
little old Scotch woman, her widows cap
closely circling her small face, her hands
placed on her bosom, her eyes looking
neither at the sea nor sky, but immovably
directed straight before her her lips in
cessantly repeating, in clear steady
voice, heard distinctly amid the roar OF
wind and waters, an accumulation OF
texts which it seems surprising that her
mind could at once collect on the same
subject. "The voice of the Lord is on
the deep; the voice of the Lord is Oh
many waters" Such words came calmly
sounding out amid the roar OF the ele-
ments with wonderful power, at least on
my own troubled mind. When our heav
ing boat rode on the crest of a mighty
mighty billow, and the valley of the
shadow of death seemed to open to us
from below it, that calm, devout voice
brought me that sense Of relief which one
feels when knowing that you are net in
danger of meeting death in the midst of
goddess companions. "He holdeth the
winds in the hollow of his hand Fear
not. for I am with thee; be not dis
mayed, for I am thy God. When thou
passeth through the waters, Twill be with
thee"
There is something in the retrospect OF
storm at sea SO terribly magnificent,
that those who have ever witnessed such
can imagine what strange sublimity was
added, by such visible commentary, to
words in themselves SO sublime. Never
did 1 at all fully conceive the weight OF
these expressions until, while our mortal
life seemed almost the playtl!ing of the
raging ocean, 1 heard that quiet old
widow, saying Fearful in praises ; do
ing wonders. He holdeth our soul in
life. He arose and rebukel the wind,
and said unto the sea, be STILL"
That our strange boatman was now
thoroughly terrified, and, indeed, at his
wits end (which, 1 believe, it Was not
very hard to reach,) became quite evi-
dent and bis exclamation, after another
survey OF the dark horizon, gave an ad-
ditional cause OF fear, as We gathered
from it lis own apprehension that the
steamer he had SO madly come out to
look for might have already passed on
her way. A murmur OF horror, and,
from the two male passengers, OF rage,
against him, broke forth as the fearful
doubt arose but, on my part, it was
somewhat quieted by the voice beside
me "He maketh path in the waters
He rideth on the wings of the wind. His
footsteps are not known.
There was a short interval of deep
silence. Evening was fast closing in; the
sky was darkening and darkening. My
old comforter was, perhaps, silently pray
ing for could still see the hands clasped
on her black dress. The eyes were now
closed but, after some minutes OF such
e;Ianoa ubather II was the conclusion OF