The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1874-11-16

Win tne nghly-colored and rather
ludicrous pictnres-intended, no doubt,
70 be suggestive and appropriate..which
headed the respective columns Of
birthS,0 baphsms, marriages, and
deaths, OF arst attracted my attention,
but Twas still more interested when
my eye fell upon the following entry,
the last but one under the latter head
ing:
4 "William Hemphill, youngest son Of
Aaron and Nancy Hemphill, aged 90
years, sailed from ClifNlle, August
10Th, 1sl9, in the brig Starlight.
Neither he, the vessel, or any Of her
crew were ever heard OF afterwards"
sets a sad story that paper tells,
sir" remarked the old man, as he
noticed me looking intently at the
register. ga story Of long waiting,
disappointment, and mourning" ~,
He was your son 2" I yentured, after
q moment OF silence. N
"Yes," he replied, with something
Of trenor in his voice. 'tThe only
one left Of three. The others died
when they were children. He was o
| noble lad, and good seaman. I was
80 proud OF him, sir, so proud, and
used TO look forward with pleasure to
the time when he would command his
own vessel" Tears ran down the old
mans cheeks and his lips twitched con.
vulsiyelN MsiaGiil
Alas the dream OF his old age was
dispelled-his idol lay buried beneath
the waters Of the cold, cruel sea.
"And the little one" / asked, " is
she his child2" '}'an' Hi 'in' 7
He did not appear to hear me. He
was gazing abstractedly into the fire
witha peculiAr, far-off expression. His
wife answered in his stead, (" Yes"
| And her motherp' ! resumed
"Died, - answered she, "three years
ago. She, never was very strong, and
when she realized that all hope was
vain, she seemed to- lose interest In
Everything. We did all we could for
her, but as the doctor snid, there was
mo medicine, in this world that could
save her. One night she called us TO
her, and told us that she was going to
leave us, md wished TO bid us oil fare
well and when she saw the tears rise
TO our eyes-for we loved heras II she
had been our own--she. looked up, and
smilingly said--' Father, mother, don't
mourn for me ! shall be happy, very
happy, soon-for I am going to meet
him, my husband, in q land where
nothing can ever part US, We lifted
her child up TO the bedside. She kissed
her tenderly, and with its fathers name
unfinished on her lips passed quietly
away -.Wf.tda agsi
was much moved by this recitnl,
md it was not without difficulty that I
oyercame the choking sensation / felt
in my throat, and suppressed the mois.
ture That came TO my eyes. The old
man having aroused from his reverie,
was gazing sadly at the sleeping child.
I felt o desire TO know more OF William
Hemphill than the sad entry upon the
family register told. I listened TO the
wind, moaning through the naked
branches Of the trees outside, and
whistiihg through every hole and
crevice Of the old house, and wonder.
ing how they. must feel who hear its.
demopiac screeches through thsrigging
OF o doomed ship, far away upon the
ocean beyond the reach Of aid. For
some moments, no one spoke-no sound
broke tho stiffness except the ticking
OF the clock, the scfacking OF the fire
and, the heavy. breathing OF the little
woman in the corner who, following
the example Of the child, had gone TO
sleep. b ] was the tito break the
silence. i idrai % sgf.ipll lssll
aWhere was the Starlight bounds"
I ventured, hoping to draw forth the
story. n '''9t l',2 Z W. ta'i..al'I
aTo tho northern seas" replied the
old man. "She was n whaler, and as
pretty a craft as ever sailed. Why, sir,
Il was considered an honor to be one
OF her crew, For four years. William
had been frst mate Of the Dolphin. 0
sta1nch, slov-sailing brig, that could
stow away q larger cargo than any. craft
that sailed from California, yet he had
often expressed wish to sail on the
Starlight. The Dolphin got in on o
Sunday about sundown. We were seat.
cd around the table In thisyery room,
that evening, q happy party. listening
to Williams description ofthe strange
and wonderful thingshe had witnessed
far away in the Arctic seas, when there,
came o knock at the door. Maria,
Their" e"-and he pointed to the slum.
bering little woman-''opened the door,
and who should step in but Nathan
Ross. The captain of the Starlight, He
drew up achair and joined the party,
and entered into conversation and told
us many strange and interesting stories:
AT last as he arose to 60, he turned
toward William and asked whether 1t
was true that lie had made his last
voyage on the Dolphin. Yes, re-
piled our boy. Three voyages on 0
slow tub like her are quite enough for
my temperament How would you
like the Starlight2 Inquired the cap.
tain. There's not o craft that would
suit me better, he answered. i want
a mate, the captain went on to explain.
Isaac Denton is down with fever,
and as know you to be o good sailor,
dropped in tonight to know whether
you will ship with me2' William's
lace lighted up ns he answered, 'With
no man sooner than yourself, and on no
craft with more pleasure than the Star.
light ~ ig'.u p.
"The next day everything was ar-
ranged, and William was the first mate
Of the handsome little brig, which sail.
ed two days after upon q six months
voyage. There was o crowd on the pier
when she left, composed Of fathers.
mothers, sisters, brothers, wives, and
sweetheartg, collected there 70 soy