Smyrna times., 1865-11-08
NJ is T. ELL A NEO US.
THE ARCTIC PRISON.
A THRILLING STORY OF A CHILD AND A DO

! A THRILLING STORY OF a CHILD AND DOG.
| The ship swung heavily to and fro-the Ions
yards creaklng and shivcriny upon the masts
The wind wkistled with shrill weird sounC
| among the shrOuds, and the shrOuds bent in
wards as though unseen bands Of heavy footed
| men were ascending them. 1t was dark night
yet not so dark but that we could see the lofty
lcebergs by which we were surrounded loom
ing 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 wlnd-our position was a dangerous one
We had already begun to prepare RATS, and to
| hoist our chests on deck-expeeting every mo-
| ment 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 shiyer from
stem to stern, as though every timber was
about to give way At times the concussion
would be so violent that all hands would be
thrown off their feet and tumble on top of each
other, in a manner that was far from agreea-
BILE. Suddenly a white face with wild glaring
eyes and quivering lips appeared among US
1t was that of the captain wife. She laid her
hand upon her husbands arm, as he stood
near the bow.
Lillian! Lilian!" she gasped, "where is our
LiEanY'
Lillian! Good heavens wife, what do YOU
mean? left her with you in the cabin ="
=, one Is not there now-I have looked in all
1 one rooms rooms Oh, God! my child my child !"
anu the mother wrung her hands in anguish
while her white face grew still whiter.
lie wife r. exclaimed the captain. half
sternly, Lillian was with you when l left the
cabin; surely you did not let her leave your
side at such time as thisY'
Eyes, yes'' cried his wife, in accents of the
most piercing grief ''It is all my fault-she
is lost? My little Lillian is lost and l am the
cause!'
=, For Gods sake explain YOURSELF" gasped
the captain.
Il left her down in the cabin" faltered the
agGonlzed mother, "and came on deck, as wan
te Tea TO speak to you. | thought you were in
the waist, so groped my way there and tried
10 ma you. Not seeing you, i started on my
Teturni Tearing to lleaye Lillian 50 long alone
Dnt when reached the cabin again. she was
not th1eire-gone! gone God only knows
Lillian Lillian has any one seen IilianY"
Fore and aft, troni+eE6rS hp, in lstartlinc ac-
cents, the cry went upIamid the storm.
But the loud wind only answered with deem.
er howl. The long yards creaked unon tba;r
rusty rivets. The heavy icebergs croaned and
shook as they had done before. The silver
accents of little Lilian's voice came not to orr
ears, ana We IeiC as II III. were huShed foravar
But the wailing tones Of the poor mother. and
the despairing shouts of the father--neitber
whom could bear to give up their chd-con
tinued long after our own voices had ceased
Thenwe-rough- hearted, cEildless men though
We were-forgetting our own danger, gathered
about the afflicted pair, and tried to console
them / don think we succeeded very well,
for our voices trembled great deal; and the
tears would come to our eyes, though we kept
wiping them away with the cuffs of our heavy
jackets. No one of us but had loved little Lii
ian almost as we'll as the parents themselves.
She was but seven years Of age; yet the ear
nest glance of her large blue eyes would go
straight to our hearts, and make us feel kind
and good towards each other. To utter an
oath when She was near would have seemed
like sacrilege Like a lily she had bloomed in
our midst, shedding heavenly influence about
Strong-ahl strong is the power of innocent
eflhuh0ed over a.sinful heartl
It was while we thus stood clustered near the |
pinnacle, Offering what little consolation we
could 70 the captain and his wife that one of |
the smp,s crew--an old tar, BY the name of |
blii B,rtier--came towards us, holding few
little torn shreds OF cloth in his hand.
j found these ere hanging on a ho6lk on the
outside of the bulwark, said Bill ina mourn.
full voice.