Middletown transcript., 1870-04-02

at the wheel.
AS all this passed through my mind, l
asked him in quieted tone, "who or what
was it he saw p
II couldn't say sir" he replied, "that
it looked like any one in particular, or that
it was man at all. I had just glanced
aloft at the sails, thinking how well they
set, and as brought my eyes down to the
compass again, seemed to see something
just climbing over the top, and | sung out
to you sir, because couldn't help it, for
l had queer kind of feeling come over
me just then, that never felt in my life
before"
" How did you feel" enquired.
"Well, 1 don't hardly know sir" he
said, Z" but somehow as if my hat was off,
and very soft cool acind ,cas lifting up
my hair, and Jlo,cing through It,"
| turned away, feeling rather queer my
self, for the mans earnestness had its ef-
feet and walking to the main rigging, |
ran up the rattlins, thinking that perhaps
some skylarking scamp had really gone up
there for some purpose; but there was
nothing in the top, except the to- gallant
stu nsal gear, and came slowly down
again, thinking all had heard, read and
seen of the superstition of sailors.
AS | reached the deck, | was exceeding
ly taken aback, by one of the men coming
hastily out of the house and reporting
Peter the Swede, is dead sirp
looked at Tom, and Tom looked at me
for the full space of minute, and then
with low whistle he exclaimed
Z" His ghoSt!"
And | must confess that though mo-
ment before, had been internally ridicul-
ing the superstition of sailors in particular
and other people in general, felt a curl
Gus sensation creeping over me for mo-
ment, something more akin to Toms 'soft
cool wind lifting my hair and blowing
through it,; than | would have been will
ling, at that time to have acknowledged.
On questioning the man, he told me
that just as the bell was done striking
eight, he went into the house, and was
quietly wakening the watch below, one by
one, 50 as not to disturb the sick man,
when his attention was drawn to the berth
in which Peter was lying, by noise as of
some one making a slight struggle. Think
ing something might be wanted, he went
toward the berth, and looking in, he per-
ceived by the glazing eye, and the slight
conyulsions agltating his frame, that the
man was dying, and even while he looked
upon him, shudder passed through his
body and the unfortunate man was dead.
You will observe that this was nearly as
might be the exact moment at which Tom
saw the appearance of the man going into
the top. | glanced at Tom again, but his
eyes were fixed upon the top, and I saw
by the way his mouth was puckered up,
that he could hardly keep in another of
his significant whistles.
turned away, and went into the house,
and sure enough
" Peter the Swede" was dead.
ordered the men to straighten him out
ON his back, close his eyes, and cover him
up, and then turned away, saddened by
the thought, that like myself he might be
a runaway from some happy family, who
mourned for his coming, not knowing if
he were living or dead. Mother and sis
ters, and perhaps one dearer still, in some
little hamlet far away in his northern home,
would wait year after year, with a loving
hope, which would not die, but never
again would their eyes rest on the truant
'+Peter the Swede."
The second mate just then relieved me
and l went below, thinking of the dear
ones at home, and how they would suffer
should l die far away from them, and as
year after year passed, and no news came
from the wanderer, how their tender hearts
would bleed, as they would whisper to each
other when my name should be mentioned
that perhaps "he is dead"
Death and burial is at all times solemn,
but never more SO than when they occur,
on board ship, and the feeling is experien-
ced to greater degree ON board mer-
chant vessel, than in the more populous
man of war In the former the number of
persons are SO few, that the contact seems
closer, and comes more particularly home
to each individual. The departed face is
missed in greater degree, as one piece
of money taken from ten, shows its abstrac-
tion more clearly than it would if taken
from thousand.
After decks were washed down next
morning, no duty was carried on beyond
the necessary trimming of the sails, and
even that was performed so quietly In obe-
dience to the gently given orders of the
officers, that the stiffness of the ship was
scarcely disturbed.
At twelve o'clock the body was brought
out of the house, neatly sewed up in clean
white canvass, with piece of kentledge
at the foot, and laid on plank one end of
which projected overheard through the
gangway. The Captein solemnly read the
Episcopal service for the burial of the dead
at sea, and at the close, the inboard end
of the plank was slowly raised by two of
the men, and the body slid quietly off into
the water, making scarcely sound, as it
disappeared in the depths of the sea.
AS soon as the ceremony was over, a
sense of relief was at once apparent. The
mems heads were carried more erect, and
they moved about to their duties with
cheerful alacrity, which showed that