The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-03-27

are wrung, hopes crushed, and love
blighted. Still there is something left
sy mpathy, home, food. The wome1
> and children living in the midst of wal
have none of these. They lose their all
; and there is no moan. They shiver
they starve; they die living death day
after day, and night after night. They
know the meaning of war, end none
others. They can translate without
flaw.
Everything tended toward a depres.
sion of spirits, even the pale-faced
cabin-boy whom we had on board, q
poor lad, evidently prey to bait from
the days of his infancy. The days work
was done. He had come upon the deck
to rest little. He stood with legs
C. ossed, and arms placed upon the rail-
ing. He looked mourpfally down upon
the murky wave. I do not think he was
guilty of dreaming of battle-felds,
strewn with CORY slain but he certainly
hummed one of the saddest airs ever
invented by mortal man. It went to
our hearts. It thrilled our nerves. 1t
drove us frantic. With one accord we
could have taken him by the heels and
gently tilted him into the depths of the
river. We refrained, however. Per-
haps fancy that the hitherto refresh
ing waters of the Cumberland would
never again tas SO sweet, repressed
our murderous feelings. Then, there
was that nun, who never, since her en-
barkation upon the Hazel Dell, had
visibly crossed the threshold of her
state-room, pacing the farther deck like
a Gagged lioness-
There was something in the noble
physique and manner of the woman that
struck me as familiar, as she walked to
and fro, in the mist, with hands locked
firmly at her back, and bowed head :;
and once when, in q moment of self
forgetfulness, she passed so close to us
that the end of her robe almost touched.
US, on catching sight of the neither
part of her face, [ felt almost confident
that | had seen the woman at some past
| period, where, or when, could not re-
call. That at such time and at such
| place, however, she acted not in the Ca
pacity of a nun, I felt morally certain.
Every movement of the woman proved
itself antagonistic to the cloth the
locked hands gave no sign of ten
derness; the compressed, Handsome
mouth no sign of commisera ion or pity.
The last shade of daylight was with
drawn. The darkness became intense.
The smoke and steam, issuing from an
hundred chimney stacks, Overburdened
by the density of the fog, fell about MS
in smutty, sluggish shower. To say
the least, our situation was trying; yea,
even though we had reached q pass in
life where personal appearance and love
were at discount. Still, we remained
upon thu deck, watching the feet trail
ing it's monstrous, palpitating proper
tions around the curves Of the river.
The fires, glowing lurid and fitful
through the darkness; the myraids of
red, white and blue lights, lifted high
above the boats, shining amid the fog
like the eyes of demons, and the vol
umes of sparks, surging from the stacks,
rendering the scene frightfnl in the ex-
treme. On'y the plash of the wheels
gave us TO realize that we i'll remained
this side of hades.
The night wore on. We sat riveted,
spell-bound, speechless. Instinctively
we felt that words were wholly made
quate to express our appreciation of the
scene.
We were brought to our senses by a
scream from the nun, who still con-
tinued, uninterruptedly, to walk the |
deck.
"We are run into u we heard her ex-
claim; and the next instant there was a
rushing in our ears, followed immedi- |
ately by loud crash.
"What is it? What is the matter ?" |
we eagerly asked of the nun, who had |
come close to us.
Nothing" she replied, in a calm
tone of voice, having regained her COM
posure; "nothing-only a detached
boat, brushing too close to us in the
dark, has torn the trellis-work off the
side of the little Hazel DELL Moth
ing serious, I know"
We felt exceedingly relieved but
the spell of enchantment was broken
Finding ourselves alone-our gentlemen
friends having forsaken rs at the first
cry of danger indeed, this does some
times happen in America-8e descended
the dark trap, and picked our way to
the cabin, dripping as we went, over
the few "boys in blue" who lay Sleep
ing peacefully on their army blankets,
in the storage-room,. in the midst of
tubs and pals. The poor fellows were
returning from a leave of absence, on
account of sickness. God help them!
They seemed filter subjects, with their
emaciated forms and haggard faces, for
the grave than for a field of battle
I think we had slept about an hour
and half, when we were awakened by
the shrieking of whistle. Our blood
ran cold. 1 knew all the signals, but,
in my confusion, could not make out
whether I had heard two long and one
short, or two broad and one short. We
were not kept long in doubt. Boat
after boat took up the signal of danger.
In an instant we we're seetling in an
abyss of confusion and wild turmoil.
The very air seemed rent with the
shriekiDg of whistles. It seemed that
all the demons of the internal region,
escaped, were holding high carnival in
the air about us.
At the first sound of danger the boats
up, and darted for ward INTO
line with lightning rapidity; and, what
with the shrieking Of whistles, inter
mineling with the shouts of officers, the
curses of men, the clang of musketry,
and the trampling of horses preparing
for landing, our situation was truly ap-
palling and when the boom of a can
non mingled with the uproar, I felt that
our days upon the land were numbered.
That we never more should gaze upon
the verdant pastures, or look upon bit
of bright blue sky, we felt morally GER
tain.
There was a mysterious noise in the
cabin. Having succeeded in partly
dressing myself, 1 cautiously pushed
open my state-room door, and peered
out. The cabin was deserted by the
men. At the side of the table stood
the nun. arrayed as she, had been in the
evening. She was evidently prepared
for battle. She held in her hand a
coarse leather belt, from which were
suspended ten or twelve TASKS, while,
with her beautiful white fingers, she
to pick open the obstinate
buckle. She muttered to herself. but '
could not see the expression of her
bowed face. 1 watched her intently. !
After a few seconds, as if attracted by j
my fixed gaze, she looked up and saw
me.
Glad would have withdrawn into !
my rt ON; but before had time to do '
SO she spoke.
"Come here, please, and be kind
ano,,rI, 70 holm me- a TnOuoaDt Her