The Morning herald., 1876-11-20
CORD AND CRRESE.
CHAPTER V,

CVkU AMI Vhkkoh.
CHAPTER
THE MYSTERY OF COFFIN ISLAND.
ate had been against him; but yet, per
"A, here on the lonely island, he might
that turning in the long lane which the
verb speaks Of. "The day is darkest
bre the morn," and perhaps he would
have Fate on his side. .I.
But the sternest and most courageous
nit can hardly maintain its fortitude in
utter and unmitigated solitude. St.
nesn Stylites could do so, but he felt that
the top of that piller there rested the
es Of the heavenly hosts and Of admiring
Inkind. 1t is when the consciousness Of
Ter solitude comes that the soul sinks.
hen the prisoner thinks that he is forgot
BY the outside world, then he loses that
eneth which sustained him while he be-
yed himself remembered.
It was the lot of Brandon to have this
nse Of utter desolation; to feel that in all
e world there was not one human being
lat knew Of his fate; and to fear that the
se of Providence only saw him with in
Eaerence.N With bitterness he thought Of
be last words Of his fathers letter. flf in
hat other world to which I am going the
lisembodied spirit can assist man, then be
lure, 0 my son, I will assist you, and in
he crisis Of your fate l will be near, if it is
bnly to communicate to your spirit what
you ought to do"
A melancholy smile passed over his face
as he thought Of what seemed to him the
utter futility Of that promise, !
Now, "A the weeks passed, his whole mode
Of life affected both mind and body. Yet,
If it be the highest state Of man for the soul
to live BY itself, as Socrates used to teach,
and sever itself from bodily association,
Brandon surely had attained, without
knowing it, mest exalted stage ofexist-
ence. Perhaps it was the period OF pa
ridcation and preparation for future work.
The weather varied necessarily, calms
and storms alternating; sometimes all the
sea lying dull, listless, and CLASSY under
the burning sky; at other times both sea
and sky convulsed with the war Of ele'
ments.
At last there came one storm 30 tremen.
dous that it exceeded all that Brandon hao
ever seen any where.
The wind gathered itselfup from tht
southeast and for whole day the force'
Of the tempest collected themselves, till q
last they burst in fury upon the island. ir
sustained violence and in the frenzy of 1T
assault it far surpassed that first storm: Be
fore sundown the storm was at its height
and, though yet day, the clouds were sc
dense and 80 black that it became like night
Night came on, and the Storm. and roar
and darkness increased steadily every hour
So intense was the darkness that the hand
when held close by the face, could not bF
distinguished. So resistless was me foIc'
Of the wind that Brandon, on looking ou
to sea, had to cling to the rock to preven
himself from being blown away. A dens'
rain of spray streamed through the air, ant
the surf, rolling up, flung its crest al
across the island. Brandon could hea
beneath him, amidst some of the pauses
the storm, the kissing and bubbling Of foam
ing waters, as though the whole island
submerged by the waves, was slowly set
tling down into the depths OF the oceat
Brandon's place of shelter was sufficient
ly elevated to be out of The reach OF tn
waves that might rush upon the land, an
on the lee side of the rock, 60 that he wa
sufficiently protected. Sand, which he ha
carried W, formed his bed. In this place
which was more like the lair ora VII
beast than the abode Of a human being, n
had to live. Many wakeful nights ne ha
passed there, but never had he known suo
anight as this.
There was a frenzy about this hurrlcan
that would have been inconceivaole II
had not witnessed it. His senses, refine
and rendered acute by long viglls ana sle!
der diet, seemed to detect audible wofos
the voice of the storm. Looking ot
through the gloom his sight to discel
shapes fitting by like lightning, as thoug
the tabled spirits fthe storm had gathere
here. ',,,.
1t needed all the robust courage OF b
strong nature to sustain hlmsell III u
presence of the wild fancies that now can
rushing and thronging before his MIN
The words of his father sounded IN ms eat !.
he thought he heard them spoken from ron II IL
air; he thought he saw an aged sPectral la
wan with suffering and grief, in 1roni !.
his cave. He covered his eyes WIN n
hands, and sought to reason down MS 81
perstitious feeling. In vain. Words raj
in his ears. mufled words. as though mu
tered in the STERN, and his mino, Mn.s Sn..s
had broodedso long over ms fatner 'e''<