The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1865-12-13

the cIin overlooking the sea ana mere they |
paused and gazed upon the strange and wild
view before them. Where the sea had
stretched all glorious in motion, expanse and
color, there was now deep valley, the bottom |
of which was rough with rocks, black for the
most part, but in places glittering with the |
white salt from which the water had evapora. |
ted and which the winds had rolled together |
Further out from the coast, where the sea had |
and far away over this newly exposed desert
rose other hills, clearly seen through the un- |
clouded atmosphere, and which they knew to
he the rocks of France, and il they should ar
rive there, what was the hope they offered
Scarce any-nothing but more pilgrimage.
Further wandering, Paulett and Ellen sat
apart while the children lay sleeping, side by
side. for an hour or two, at this point of their
Journey, and talked over the deSOlatiOn before |
them.
"Yet,'' said Paulett, 1" the more terrible is
the appearance Ohich material things put on,
the greatar feel the triumph of the spirit to
he. The worse it looks, the more immortal
feel and when perishing world shows itself
most pershable, exult most that you and I,
Ellen, have borne it so far
Eyes, I am glad tOo,'' said Ellen "your
strength strengthens me. In the midst of this
desolation the mind rises, for an hour an least,
higher, perhaps, than it would have ever done
If we had been prosperous"
80 Yet we might have used our prosperity to
the same good end, ," said Paulett. g 1t is not |
to be miserable in order to be noble.
Millions have died before us-some in agony,
some before the struggle began some hardly,
some at ease: they had all their chances; all
had their occasions of virtue, if they used
them, and some used them, some failed ours
is not over yet we have to struggle on still
and let us do it, dear Ellen, and be ready for
the good day when we, too, may be allowed to
die.'' And thus talking for while, they rest
I'd themselves in sight Of the desert they mad
to traverse; then, with renewed strength and
steadfast resolution, when the children woke,
descended the cliffs, and prepared to trace out
I path through what had been the bottom OF
%l~.nx IN
tiaitely difficult; the rocks over which the foot
of man had never passed 4: the abrupt preci-
pices over which had flowed the even surface
of the ocean, and then the height to climb
again, again to find themselves on lodges and
shelves of rock all these seemed at times hard
ly passable impediments. And when they got
to 4 distance from what had been the shore,
the unnatural place where they found them
selves pressed upon the imagination. There
was plain of sand, about which, at irregular
rose rocks, which, north and south,
stretched out beyond the reach of the eye; and
this sand, which had been at such a depth that
it never felt the influence of the waves, was
covered in places with shells, the inhabitants
of which had perished when the waters gra-
some skeletons Of fishes here q huge heap and
there small bones, which looked less terrible !;
and masses of sea weed, dried and color
less, under which, as it seemed, the creep
ing things OF the ocean had sheltered for
Il WHILE and some had crawled to the
surface when about to perish. But it was
not only the brute creation which had died
here there was in the middle a pile of rocks,
on one side OF which they came suddenly to
pit, so deep and dark that they perceived no
bottom; and here probably there had been
sea water longer than elsewhere, for there
We're human bones about it, and skulls OF men,
and human garbs which the sun had faded,
but which We're not disturbed by waves. There
was cord and metal jar attached to it, for
lowering into the pit; but Paulett, as he
looked At the attitudes of the remaining skele-
toms and observed how they seemed distorted
in death, fancied that they must have brought
up either poisoned water, or waters so intense
ly salt as to drive them mad with the addition
III thirst and that some had died on the in
stant, some had fingered, some had sought
TO succor others, and yielded, sooner or later,
to the same influence. Ellen and he would
not dwell on the sight after the first cOntem-
plation of it they passed on, shuddering, and
made toward the great wall of rock which
be their way to the land of France. Blu
before they reached it, the sun began to de-
cline; and without light it was in vain to at
tempt to seek Il path There was wind,
came from the west, and the little Alice
pressed on her fathers bosom to shield her
from it. He wrapped her closer in cloak.
and they resolved to put themselves under the
shelter of the first rock they reached, and pass
the night in the channel OF the sea They
pressed on, and found at last, the place they
sought-a cliff, which must once have raised
it's head above the waves, and which now
stood like some vast palace WALL bare and
huge, upon the ocean sand Screened from the
wind, they collected an abundance of the dried
vegetation of the sea, partly for warmth ana
to roast their corn, partly for Paulett to dis
solve some OF the diamonds into water and
here they rested, here they slept, many ia
thoms below that level over Which navies used
to sail. AT times during the night Paulett
fancied, when the wind abated, that he heard
Il sound like thunder, or like what used to be
the rushing of a distant torrent and occa-
sOnally he thought he felt a vibration i'll the
earth, rs if it We're shaken by some moving
body The region he was i'll was so strange
that he knew not what might he here or what
about to happen the sounds so imperfect that
he tOrmented himself to be sure of them, or to
be sure they We're not and when the time for
action came he was beginning to disbelieve
them altogether; but Alice brought all back
again by saying:
"My rock Nor her cradle was a rock
- shook my head, father
The child could explain herself no further
but the vibration he had fancied seemed to be
what she had felt. And now they climbed
again, and again descended, weary, rock after
rock it was strange chaos, which the tides
had swept and moulded, and which had, in
places, risen to the surface and caused the
lay under the rock they had split ulon but the
wandering family had no thoughts for them :
wonder and pity had been exhausted among
exciting and terrific scenes They thought
only of forcing their way over the rocks and
feared to think how much OF this they had to
traverse before they should come TO what had
been the shore and to towns.
Suddenly, rs they tOiled forward, Panlett
said in 4 low voice TO Ellen, don t you hear
it!'
II have heard it long time,' said Ellen, in
the same tone; and Charles, as Well as they,
said, g Father, what is thaty''
II can't tell, my boy said Paulett, listen
ing.
.'Watpr? 20 asked Ellen.
Paulett shook his head, yet they all pressed
forward, anu there grew II laundering, sullen
sound. There was Il valley and II ridge of rock
before them, and they had to Chamber first
down the rugged precipce they We're upon,
then to cross the valley, and then to struggle
up the opposite sde-a trembling motion grow
ing perceptible AS they advanced-befOre they
| stood on sort of 4 broad ledge, which they
perceived at the angles that jutted out went
down straight into q depth, and opposite
which was another broad table land Of rock,
between which and that they We're upon was a
rent, wider and narrower in the various parts,
and running along, rs far rs they could see, to
right and left. Paulett rushed on TO the
brink, and stood looking. Heput his hand out
TO keep Ellen back, when he heard her close
behind; but she also sprang to the edge, and
when she had seen, turned to catch Charles In
n. II