Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1876-05-11
THE LOST MAN.


sweetly and simply told by the great
English poet? 1t is tire story of man
who went to sea, leaving behind a
sweet young wife and little daughter.
He wss cast away on a desert island,
where he remained several years, when
he was discovered and taken off by a
passing vessel.
Coming back to his native town he
found his wife married to an old play
mate-a good man, rich and honored,
with whom she was living happily.
The poor man unwilling to cause her
pain and perplexity, resolved not TO
make himself known to her, and lived
and died alone. The poem has remind
ed me of a very similar story of my
own New England neighborhood
which have often heard, and which
/ will try TO tell, not in poetry, like AL
fred Tennyson's, but in my own poor
prose. / can assure my readers that, in
its main particulars, it is atrue tale.
One bright summer morning, more
than three-score years ago, David Mat
son, with his young wife and two
healthy, barefooted boys, stood on the
bank of the river, near the dwelling.
They were waiting for the Pelatian
Curtis to come round in his wherry, to
take the husband and father to the port
few miles below. The Lively Tur-
tie was about to sail on a voyage to
Spain, and David was to go in her as
mate. They stood there in the level
morning sunshine, talking cheerfully;
but had you been close enough you
could have seen tears. in Anna Mat
sons blue eyes, for she loved her hus-
band. and she knew there was always
danger on the sea.
And David's bluff, CHEEKY voice
trembled little now and then, for the
honest sailor loved his snug home on
the Merrimac with the dear wife and
pretty boys. But presently the wher-
~ came alongside and David was sjust
stepping on it, when he turned back
to kiss his wife and boys.
In with You man, said Pelatian
Curtis. There's no time for kissing
and such fooleries when the tide
serves
And so they parted. Anna and her
boys went back to their home, and Da-
vid to the port from whence he sailed
off in the Lively Turtle. And months
passed; Autumn followed the Summer,
and Winter the Autumn; and the
spring came; anon it was summer on
the riverside and he did not come
back. And another year passed, and
then sailors and fishermen shook their
heads solemnly, and said the Lively
Turtle wasa lost ship, and would new
er come back to port. And poor Anna
had her bombaZine gown dyed black,
and her straw bonnet trimmed in
mourning ribbons, and thenceforth was
known only as the Widow MatsOn.
And how was it all this time with
David himself?
Now you must know that the Mo.
hammedan people of Algiers and Trip.
oil, Mogapore and Sallee, Oh the Bar
barry coast, had for long time been in
the habit of fitting ont galleys and arm
ed boats to seize upon merchant vessels
of Christian nations and make alaves
of their crews and passengers, just
as men calling themselves Chris
tians in America were sending yes
sells to Africa to catch black slaves
for their plantations. The Lively Tur-
tie fell into the hands of one. of these
rowing sea robbers, and the crew was
taken to Algiers and sold in the mar
ket place as slaves, poor David Mat
son among the rest.
When boy he had learned the trade
of ship carpenter with his father on
the Merrimac, and now he was set al
work in the dock yards. His master,
who was naturally Kind man, did moi
overwork work him. He had daily
bis three loavef of bread, and when his
clothing was worn out its place was
supplied by the coarse cloth of wool
and camePs hair, woven by the Berbet
women. Three hours before sunset he
was released from work, and Friday
which is the Mohammedan Sabbath
was day ofentire rest. Once year
at leisure whole week.
So time went on-days, weeks
months, years. His dark hair became
gray. He still dreamed of his old home
on the Merrimac, and of his good An.
ma and her boys. He wondered wheth.
er they were yet living, what they
thought of him, and what they were
doiug? The hope of ever seeing them
grew fainter and fainter, and at last
nearly died out; and he resigned him
self to his fate as slave for life.
But one day handsome middle
aged gentleman, in the dress af his own
countrymen, attended great officer o.
the day, entered the ship yard, and
called up before him the American cap
tives. The stranger was none Other
than Joel Barlow, Commissioner o.
the United States to procure the liber-
alton of slaves belonging to that gov,
ernment. He took the men by the
hand as they came up, and said they
were free. AS you might expect the