Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1875-01-07
gu 0rigiual Storg.
z A N ITA,
THE CIRCUS GIRL.
BY MRS. HENRY DEAS.
CHAPTER I.
4 MAN OVERHEARD.
Written for the Yorkville Enquirer.

rying masses of dense clouds that obscured
the skies, followed in swift succession by deaf
enng peals Of thunder that seemed to rend
the armament with their crashing roar. Each
flash lit up, with red glare, the crested SUR
face of the leaping, tumbling waves, and the
black form of struggling ship that was
ploughing its perilous way across the breast
Of the angry sea.
The "Ocean Queen had set sail from Liv-
erpool some days before, under the most ia
vorable auspices A serene sky, a balmy tenn
perature, fair breeze, had all seemed propi-
tious for the voyage, and the captain had
reckoned, confidently, on making short and
safe trip. But, alas forty-eight hours before
the vessel was due in New York, one OF the
equinoctial gales, that in the fall OF the year
rage with peculiar violence along our Allan
tic coast, rose in sudden fury, threatening des-
truction to many gallant bark, and placing
in jeopardy many valuable lives and vast
amount of property; for, by a strange fatality,
an unusual number of richly freighted crafts
were, at this period, exposed to the violence OF
the storm, which had broken sometime earlier
than common, and was, therefore, in great
measure, unexpected.
With one only of these, however, it is our
present purpose to deal. The panic-stricken
passengers of The "Ocean Queen who but
few hours before had been looking forward with
light hearts to the speedy termination OF their
sojourn on ship-board, now thrilled with ter
ror at the thought Of a more sudden and tear
full termination to this sojourn than they had
at all anticipated for there was no conceal.
ing the fact that danger was imminent, and
the chances of escape but few. And notwlth.
standing the caution of the officers, who used
every effort to inspire with confidence the
trembling souls under their charge, the alarm
spread with the rapidity of wild-6re, and fright
and confusion reigned supreme. A few cour-
ageous spirits there were, who sustained with
fortitude the ordeal through which they were
called upon to pass but the majority proved
unequal to the test, and even strong men
blanched and shuddered in their fear, like
helpless children. Husbands and wives, pa
rents and children, brothers and sisters, clung
together with a tenacity that seemed IN ITS
desperation to defy the power OF death itself
to unclasp their embrace. Wailing sobs, bro
ken calculations, frantic prayers, mingled to-
gether with the din of the tempest, the creak-
Ing of the laboring ship, the hoarse voice OF
the mate shouting his orders to the crew, all
added to the general misery and destruction
of the scene.
Many writer has described, many paint
er has portrayed, the horrors Of storm at
sea; but the most graphic description, the
most vivid coloring, cannot but fall short OF
the horrors of the reality and none but those
who have themselves passed through slm-
lar experience can fully understand its awe,
or the numb, icy dread, that seizes upon the
heart at the approach of the destroyer in this,
one of his most fearful forms. Perhaps one
of its greatest terrors consists in the complete
isolation from all human help. We feel our
selves cut loose from every friendly hand,
drifting impotently at the mercy OF the ele-
ments, mere feeble atoms i'll giant clutch,
and around us raging impossible boundary
of cruel waves, shutting us up together with
our despair. A yawning gulf lies between us
and the fair green earth we long to reach, and
the soul shudders at the backness Of that un-
tathomable abyss that is waiting to engulf us,
and feels itself so hopelessly alone
Amid the pallid groups huddled together
in the cabin, sat solitary, childish figure,
looking strangely deserted and forlorn. Ap-
parently she belonged to no one present, tor
no one noticed her; and she crouched in
corner apart from everybody, clinging to one
of the slender posts supporting the root, in Or
der to keep herself from being dashed upon
the floor. A white-faced, wisttul-eyed little
creature, apparently not more than four or
five years old, and bearing mutely whatever
sentiments of distress or terror she might feel
shedding no tear, uttering no cry, only ga
zing pathetically around her with the ques-
tioning expression we see in the eyes Of a dumb
animal that finds itself placed in peril it
cannot understand. A touching little figure,
appealing in its helplessness and desertion to
the sympathy Of every ordinarily feeling
heart; but those surrounding her at present
were too fully engrossed by their own fears
and danger even to notice her.
Suddenly, above the tumut OF mixed
sounds, came a sharp, loud cry-a cry that
sent new, nameless thrill through the frames
of all upon whose ears it fell. Trumpet-like
it rang out through the Storm
"a man overboard p
The first sacrifice exacted by the craving,
hungering sea-the first victim offered to its
fury. There was hurrying of feet, Babel
Of cries, questions, explanations, one or two
persons essayed to stumble up the stairs; but
a sudden lurch sent them recling backwards,
making them feel how vain all efforts at help
must he in such case as this. And truly
all effort was vain, as any one might have
divined from the beginning. In the pitchy
darkness which encompassed them, it would
have been next to an impossibility to discover
the whereabouts of the unfortunate man, even
had there been a chance Of rescuing him from
the laws of the foaming, surging waves. He
was gone in second struck blind, some
body said, by the electric flash which revealed
him for one fearful instant, a black, writh-
ing form, plunged swift to destruction into
the chasm below, whose uprising walls, meet
ING with a mighty crash, closed over him
forever.
"Who was it?' was the question that went,
in an awe-struck whisper, from one to another.
"One of the sailors, of course
"No, it was not sailor,' WAS he next piece
Conformation ''it was Il pas*ci. .er-one who
had gone out on deck only a couple Of mill
utcs before"
"What was his name? Did anybody know
him?'
"Nobody in particular his name was
Thompson"
"How insane to venture out there at such a
time"
"Poor creature! Had he any family ?
Were they on board?'
eyes; he had one child on board-a girl.
Where was he? Did she know?'
Nobody had seen her-nobody could tell.
But suddenly the man who was giving them
this information, caught sight Of the lonely
child clingine to the post, and made toward