Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1869-12-07

oi~my uistant nome, my aged parents, my sis.
tters' chased themselves madly through my
crain. My whole past life rushed In review be
tore my mind. Again was boy in my hap.
py boyhoods houe But, alas I was neve, eve
20 see that home again. Then my train OF
thoughts changed, and wondered who would
set my vacancy; if the admiral would give it
20 either OF the mates in my own ship, or if a
stranger would get it and if so, if he would
purchase my uniform. These, and hundred
such thoughts chased each other RAPIDLY
through my BRAIN
Ihe night began to close in Darker and
darker fell the shades of evening, but now the
wind and sea began sensiby to decrease. / was
cold, weary, and half stupefed. Ny senses
Ing over me, an inclination to thrust nv frail
support from me- In order that the end might
come sooner than it otherwise would Pres
emily the moon rose in an unclouded sky, and
shaking off the morbid thoughts which op-
pressed me, again anxiously scanned the hor-
lzon- But all was black-not sail broke the
line of my vision. Still clung to the hope of
being picked up. I could recall to mind num-
bers OF instances Of people in as bad a plight,
and yet mercifully preserved Hour after hour
passed, and had almost given up looking
round Tor sails, when suddenly l fancied l saw
light. Long and anxiousy did | gaze in the
direction In which | fancied | saw it, and pres
emily distinguished the red and green lights
of fast approaching steamer NV heart flew
to my mouth. But no pen can tell, no words
express what my feelings we're, and had not
tears come to my relief l should have gone
mad.
She was fast nearing me, and shortly could
plainly hear the thump, thump of her paddles.
She was steering direct for me, my only fear
was should not be able to make myself heard
by those on board her.
Presently she was but short hundred yards
from me, and exerted all my power and hailed
her. Again, and again, but still no answer.
but on she came, seemingly as if bent on my
destruction. Excitement now overpowered me.
Confused noises rang in my ears-my eyes los.
their sight, and then followed utter forgetful-
ness-the stupor of the dead, or rather that
trance between life and death, when the body
IS exhausted, but the vital spark not yet fled
that one dread pause between this world and
the next.
My recollection is one of excessive pain On
coming to myself before rousing fire, kind
but strange hands were busy in chafng my
limbs. Some one held glass of something to
seemed to whirl around me. In this state |
remained some hours
On recovering my senses, | found myself in
berth on board the French merchant E'uge-
me, bound for Genoa They told me that they
did not see me until [ was clese under her
bows, and on picking me up they thought I
was dead, but by chafng my limbs and employ
ing stringent restoratives they recovered me.
Nothing could exceed the kindness of the
captain of the steamer, and when parted from
him two days after in Genoa it was with sin
cere regret
| must not neglect to say that when / re-
joined my ship at Malta, some three weeks af-
ter my involuntarily leaving her, I was vel
coined with the greatest joy by captain, officers
and men; the only person, perhaps, who had
reason to feel aggrieved being an unfortunate
mate, who had been promoted by MY supposed
death
Years have passed since then, and | have
oft-times had to rehearse my escape. yet | al
ways shudder to recall those terrible hours when
was overheard = Cossers Magazine