The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1874-10-17


angelic at the solemn hour of midnight,
when all nature was silence and repose,
there came sudden rushing on the surface
of the bay, as if the still and quiet air had
been Tapped into whirlwnd by myriads
of invisible wings sweeping onward. The
water seemed to be seized with convulsive
fury. Uttering deep groan, it rolled
several times from one bank to the other
with rapid oscillations, and then gathered
itself up into a towering column of foam
ing waves, on the crest of which stood a
mermaid-more wondrous beautiful than
any dark eyed houri of even Percy Fenton's
dreamings, when the gates of Paradise are
opened to his enraptured vision. Looking
with magnetic eyes, which seemed to draw
almost everything to her, she burst into a
low melodious song, chanting with voice
which fascinated almost unto madness
The Indians, whose ancestors had emerged
from the sea, and the venerable priest,
their guest, rushed to the sanded shores of
the bay to contemplate this supernatural
spectacle. When the mermaid saw them
she turned her tones into still more be-
witching melody, and chaunted sort of
mystic song, with some such oft repeated
ditty as this
"Come to me, come to me children of the sea:
Nor book, nor bell, nor cross, nor prayer,
Shall win ye from your queen"
The Indians listened with growing &C.
stacy, and one of them plunged into the
bay to rise no more. The others, men, !
women. and children followed in quick |
succession. moved as it were by the same
irresistible impulse. When the last of the !
race d;sappeared. a wild exultation was |
heard-down returned the waters to their |
bed with the roar of a cataract, and the /
whole scene seemed to have been bnt i
dream. Ever since that time is heard the |
distant music which has excited SO much |
attention and investigation.
The other Indian tribes in the neighbour
hood have always thought that it was their /
hh"sicai oie'nren' why pun hep' up .n.il
lesels III ,e pa'aIe u 'n Tdtin "'u f d. tnr
poltoin y! tne o"y. ileul.ion 'u : 'nel
agony of grief, and that he attributed this |
awful victory of the powers of darkness to |
his not having been in perfect state Of
grace when he attempted the conversion of
these intidels. Tradition further saith that |
on his death-bed he persevered in saying
that these deluded pagan souls wonld be
redeemed from their bondage, and sent to
the kingdom of heaven, if on Christmas
night at twelve of the clock, cathedral |
time, when the moon shall happen to be at
her meridian, a priest should dare to come
alone to that musical spot, in boat pro-
PEELED by himself, and should drop cruel
fix into the water. But alas if this be
ever done, neither the holy man nor the
boat are to be seen again by mortal eyes.
Thus far the attempt has not been made.
Sceptics have sneered, but no one has been
found brave enough to try the experiment.
There are various other legends and ira
ditions respecting this mysterious music.
They are, however for the most part, but
the undergrovth of a too luxuriant soil. |
They seem to have been imported from
some foreipn market To supnlv one already
abundantly supplied They are sad and
somber things
uherai oakeu lheats,
hlcn coidiy lulh!sh lortn the larflaSe
ieas''
to which more genial guests had been
invited. They are received cum 1rane sails.
and wander about in peoples memories
nrettv mucb as susnected scane oraces
upon whom the ewes of vigilance commit.
tees are fixed. They pass in and ont with
out recognition from the deyout The
footprints of their comings and poinrs
make no impression which the recurring
wave NAV not wash from the enchanted
shores, Tbey are sorry set. and even the
most curious will have none of their pleas
ipps.
few of the incredulous residents a1ono
the bav nresume. however. to doubt oven
the accented traditions. They are mostly
new corners. They seem to boast that they
live in world of stern realities. The
pleasant breezes of fancy never rutf1e the
stagnant pools in which thew move and
have their being. They listen to the mys-
FERROUS music, and smile increduously at
The traditions which have made their abid
TIev would fain attribute the wonderful
sounds to some sort of musical fish which
they saw abounds in these waters, and at
other noints along the same coast They
tell us that Sir Emerson Tennent mentions
the occurrence of a somewhat similar phe-
nomenon in certain situations on the coast
Of Ceylon. And very recently, they add,
one of Uncle Sam middies-in his voyage
ings around the Worthwhile anchored on
pleasant evening near the beautiful coast
of Teneriffe one of the Canary Islands,
heard the same pleasing 4Eolian music.
At first he thought it was the sea breeze
sweeping through the strings of his violin
the bridge of which he had inadvertently
left standlng-but after examination found
it was not so. He then placed his ear ON
the rail of the vessel when he was charmed
with the most heavenly strains that ever
fell upon mortal ear. They did not sound
as close to the vessel, but were sweet, mel
low. and aerial: like the soft breathinps of
a Thousand lutes touched nv tinoers of the
deep sea nymphs at an immense distance.
A few EVENINGS after this he determined TO
fish. His luck was astonishing. In a
short time he had filled his bucket with
the finest white catfish he ever saw. and #
beinp late. the cook asleep. and the moon
SHINING, ne hliea ms bucket win water
anu .ooh iisii anu an ii.'e ms oa1in lor the
the same sweet notes fell upon his ear, and
upon getting up he found his cat fish dis
coursing sweet sounds to his bucket. He
examined them closely, and discovered that
there was attached to each lower lin. An
excrescence divided by soft wiry tibres
Rv the pressure of the upper lin thereon
anu py 'ne , eAnala , anu 1ischaige OF
And thus TINS lhcredulous mlddy attempts
to explain the mystery OF tnlS submarine