The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-11-11
A BEAUTIFUL STORY.

Belle. one OF the 0nCEC crafts that
ever foated. [ was an old sea dog,
and had dwelt so long on salt water
that i felt almost hatred Tor the
LAID.
received orders to put mysel. in read
iGeEs to sail for Cayenne. l was to
transport seventy-hve soldiers and q
convict. / had orders to .eat this
individual well, and the lo-ser I re-
ceived from the Directory inclOsed
another, with huge red seal, which
/ was not to open until between II
and % deg. west longitude; that is
just before we were about to cross the
line.
The letter was a long packet, so
we'll closed on every side that it was
impossible to catch the slightest
glimpse of its contents. am not
naturally superstitious, but there was
something In the look of the letter
that did not altogether like, though
/ could give no reason why. How
ever, 4 carried it into the cabin, and
stuck it under the glass Of little old
shabby English clock, which was
fastened above my head. was busy
fixing the letter under the clock, and
who should come into my cabin but
the convict and his wife This was
the first time | had seen either OF
them. and may say that more pre-
possessing couple | never met. The
woman was scarcely more than fifteen,
and as handsome as a picture; while
her husband was an intelligent, mag
nihcently formed man, on whose fea-
lures nature had never written ''vil-
liam"
His crime. to be plain. was the
misfortune of being a hundred years
ahead of his age. He and others
had attempted something which our
Government called treason, and
which is punished with death. 1t
therefore oecasioned me considerable
wonder that he should be placed
under my charge-but more of this
afterwards.
He had, as I said, his wife hang
ing upon his arm. She was as merry
as bird; she looked like turtle
dove cooling aud nesting under his
great wing.
Before a month passed over our
heads / looked upon them as our
own children. Every morning | used
to call them into my cabin. The
young fellow would sit, waiting at
my table-that is to say, at ny chest,
which was my bed. He would often
help me at reckoning. and soon learn
ed TO do better than1 could. l was
amazed at his ability. His young
wife would sit upon one of the round
stools in my cabin, working at her
needle.
One day we were all three sitting
in this way, when | said:
DO you know, my young one as it
seems to me, we make very pretty
family picture2 Mind / don't mean
to ask questions. but maybe you have
not much money to spare, and you
are, both of you, as think, too hand
some to dig In the burning sun Of
Cayenne, like many a poor wretch
before you. It's bad country
bad country, take my word for it. /,
who have roughed it through tempest,
wind and sunshine, till I've got the
skin of rhinoceros, might get along
there; eut you'll au afraid of you.
So, if you should chance to have
bit Of foolish friendship for your
poor old captain, I'll tell you what
I'll do. I'll get rid of this old brig;
she's not much better than al old
l.
with you, if you like. You see / have
net living soul IN the world to care
for, or that cares for me. | want re-
lations, | want q home, l want q fam
lily. / should like to make my home
with you, my pretty young onesl
What say ye?"
They said nothing at all, but sat
looking, first at each other and then
vUh "a bnw
they understood what | said.
At last the little bird threw her
arms around my neck, and cried like
q baby.
But" said she, suddenly pausing,
You haven't looked at the letter with
the big red SEAL
Hang it," / exclaimed, ut slipped
my mind entirely"
With a cold, dreadful sensation,
went to my chest to see where we
were. / found that we had several
days remaining before we could reach
the proper longitude for opening the
letter.
Well, there We stood, all three of
Us looking up at the letter as if it
could have spoken to US. As it hap
pened the sun was shining full upon
the face of the clock case, and fell
upon the great staring rcd seal of the
letter. could not help fancying it
looked something like a big monster,
ogre's face, grinning from the middle
of the fire; it looked horrid.
Gould not one fancy" said /, to
make them laugh, tits great big eyes
were staring out Of its head?"
''Ah, my love-" said the wife ut
looks like blood"
Pooh, poohl' said her husband,
taking her arm under his; ut looks
like q letter Of invitation to 4 we'd
ding. Come, come, leave the letter
alone if it troubles you so. Let's 20
TO our room and prepare for bed"
And on they went. They went
upon deck and left me with that beast
of letter. l remember that kept
looking at it as / smoked my pipe (;
it seemed to fix its great red eye
upon mine, fascinating like tho eye
OF a serpent. It was red, wide, raw,
staring like the NAV of fierce wolf.
l took my great coat and hung it
over both clock and letter, and went
upon deck to finish my pipe.
We were now In the vicinity of the
Cape dc Verde Islands; the Belle
was running before a fair wind at
the rate of ten miles an hour. 1t
was a splendid tropical night-the
stars large and shining, the moon
rising above the horizon, as large as
a sun Of silver, the line of ocean
parting it, and long streams Of bare
shimmering light falling upon the
waves, which, as they broke, sparkled
like jewels. l sat upon the deck,
smoking my pipe and looking at
them.
All vas still except the football of
fha officer Of the watch "a he nacad