National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1870-10-14
THE PERILS OF THE DEEP.

THE PERILS OF THE DEEP.
4, eighteen | was my dear husbands
,1rlish little wife-so girlish that, as we
oscended the side of the great ship Ba-
tayiau at Grayesend | saw the sailors
vhispcring to one another and | felt my
cheeks burn. because | knew that they
were saving | was such Il mere child.
For il was all like dream-that hurried
welding. and the hasty preparation for
our voyage Ny uncle had said that it
would be suicidal for Give to give up
his good appointment and though he
felt il bitterly. he considered with Give
that SIX wears was too long separation.
"H4I it been three" he said, "he would
have considered it our duty to wait y
hnt as it was for the longer period, he
Welded easily to Gives solicitations ;
and m one short fortnight all was settled
farewells had been said, and the great
ship WAS slowly sailing down the ever
Widening river.
The days glded by, even as the great
ship ghded past tho shores of the old
country. and soon we had seen the last
of the great rock-point which they told
me was the Lizard, and we were far at
sea
The davs grew into weeks, and, with
almost invariably pleasant weather, the
sip sailed ON. There seemed no danger
nothing To- apprehend and as | sat
with the soft breeze tanning my cheeks,
al the perils Of the sea which had read
seemed 80 distant and impossible, that
could hardly believe the gentle ripping
waves, and the soft cloud hetked sky,
could possibly he guilty of the cruelties
of which we hear
A. last, though, came cloud, and
that cloud seemed to settle upon my
husbands brow. asked him the reason
and he mwillingly told me that it was
on account of the vessel
1t wa upon one soft tropical evening
that elected that response from him
and as he spoke, he drew me closer to
him u, We leaned over the side, looking
down at the glittering starlight reflected
from the dark bosom of the sea
% Are You keeping anything from me,
Give 2 | said gently Am | not te
,.arrthe trouble a, well rs the happines,
ofbfa2 ?"
Trouble little one, he said .'troublt
ought never to come near you.
Btt why - said 9 What /, there
tu make ypu uneasy =
Look along the deck, and tell mo
what you see.
What do | see ? The man at the
s'oe~ag-wheel. the men of the watch
i anil ,ae four men pumping.
'Hte Was silent
What makes YOU uneasy, then 2
a,a'd4'cr while.
Darling he said, "if you had no
a~knd me, should not have told You
hat cannot bring myself to seem want
us confidence. Have YOU not notice,
any change III Captain Webster and Mr.
Gteeu
Ihcy have seemed little NOR
cheerful and merry than usual, SAID.
" luthc cabin-yes; but when on deck
II has not been SO. Mary, darling,
ieu there is trouble at hand those fou
men pumping looks ominous.
umluuus @
' Yes, love. Three days ago, one ma
wits employed pumping; the next day
'"o men were at work at once. and the
Nef" relieved again and again vestei
1N io1r men We're pumping all day Il
'"Nlng today, 1t was commenced Il
lay-W"ak, and orders have, know, bee
gwen that II is to be kept up all night
And what does that mean p | asked
tonsh | felt that knew what the al
svcr would be.
1t means, love. that we are n thoui
and miles from any land. and that tn
siil has sprung leak.
We were interrupted 10y little di
pay ot excitement forward, and III I'll
'lIn hght We could see that the captai
ana hoth the mates were there. Order
were lurrlcdly given, and soon there W,
t'I' elanklng noise Of another pump har
"t work, with the splashing of the wat,
a" Ntrcamed down over the side. Lai
''rns were busily moving about, now q
4''k, now disappearing below. Then
n'lrd calls for the carpenter, and Il
captain giving loud orders and SOC
U''r there was a good deal of bust
.i',e to the ships bow; and Give e
P"nrd 10 me that they were drawing
ul under the bottom of ship, So
" Try and stop the flood Of water, for
wis cvldent that the danger wns grown
greater.
Nd1 through that long dark night '
''lld on deck, listening 10 the clankii
mpSs n, ct the pumps, and the ripplil
'USh ni the water ns it ran over the sid
u'' When morning broke, il was ovidc
'''! lhr danger was not lcsscncd. "
uI'olh looked pale and anxious, III
,i'Io was sullen discontcnted lo
I"Ut the men, who could with Difficult
prevailed upon to keep 90 their wo
w. pumping. About midday, they bro
Wv. INTO open mutiny, and refused
LUMP any longer for the carpenter hi
,l'R bcen sent below. came up with
1 1lu report that the men left their We
Urectly. and in spite of commands. II
AZ Az 'lreats, they vet their officers
e,,I'hce' and began to make prcparntio
'"t leaving the shin.
hook here, Cnpen Webster" NJ
"' "lu oluii-looking sailor "we'rc rcll
u"gt' w obey, only it amt no good
'P mere, with the ship sinking I'M,
w. w. ihc murders out now, and viii
Wv good of fighting again II ? ~
soI''d plank that's what she's dor
, ". WI the pumps. end twice IA mi
V,o, could not keep the water und,
John Jackson" said the captn
N you're the last man I shoull IA
tain. '"'" "R"'"' so"'
~ am, capen-hang me II ] ain