Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-08-08

meeting Of the parents Of the lost Johnnie, or
the despair Of his botrothcd, lucy May. to
whom il now seemed as il the light had gone
out Of the world.
But if it was hard for Captain Baker to re-
main Mt home before this tragedy had over
taken him. it was still harder now. Every
thing remind Il him uf his lost son, and Of
the blasted hopes which had centred around
him. Although ten years seemed to have
been added 10 his age, and a slight un-
certainty seemed to some TO have altered the
firm trend of his massive frame, yet to the
outside world he preserved steady, almost
cheerful dcmcanor. But the sea drew him
again with II strange irr' sstiblo influence, with
the glamour Of n witch.
~ can't live this way, mother; I must
take another v'ygo. oven cf / don't never
come back here again"
Not only did Mrs. Baker not hinder his 60
ing, but she decided to go with him; what
ever be the fate before him, she would share
it, and, great rs Was her sorrow, she knew
that his WINS in some sort increased by the
shadow Of self-accusing remorse self-blame
not wholly unnatural for n calamity which it
was out Of his power to prevent. Leaving
their daughter and Lucy May in their house
with n maiden aunt who had been invited to
make her home there during their absence,
the faithful pair. at an age when most people
nrc laying aside the burdens Of life sailed
once more ON the rough, troachcrous ocean
which so emphatically symbolizes the troub-
lous life of man. The gossips of the Cape,
with Il knowing shake of the head and pursed
mp lips, acknowledged to n presentimeut that
he would never rcturn-that this was destined
too truly to be his last voyage, notwithstand
ing that he asserted with grim smile that ho
WAS heading for the Cape Of Good Hope this
time, which was true enough for Hs if TO
tla iayg pf aarlv manhood (faptoiu
Baker now took command of the Dhulep
Singh for Calcutta, the port to which his first
voyages were made
The voyage out was unattended by any un-
usual incidents The ship reached the IIoogh-
ly in safety, and having discharged her cargo
and reloaded she started for home. If the
outward voyage had often seemed mouoto-
nously melancholy to the old sailor and his
wife, oppressed by the weight Of their loss
and the blasting Of their hopes, the home
ward voyage was more hopeless for they felt,
if they did not shape their thoughts in words,
that the blank drcariness of their home on
their return to it would tend to reopen the
hoart-wounds but partially healed. Gradually
the Dhulcp Singh ploughed her way across
the Indian Ocean toward the Cape Of Good
Hope. She had escaped the violent gales
which accompany the change Of the mon
soons, aud was running before a very fresh
bul tAHplttlt ana httllluBiN NAtttll biftLc Oh
the quarter, and it was hoped that she would
weather the cape and take the southeast
trades without meeting any heavy gales. But
it was otherwise ordained. Having taken his
afternoon nap, Captain Baker got up and took
a look at the barometer. The result was SO
unsatisfactory that he rubbed his eyes and
gave another glance at the mercury, which
only confirmed his first observation. He
went on deck without delay. A great change
was impending A terrific gloom was over
spreading the heavens, reaching up from the
horizon across the zenith III ragged, hyid
streaks, like the arms of demons stretching
out to clutch their victims. The SEA under
this pail rolled black and ominous, boding no
good, while ever and anon the black curtain
of mist which was rapidly approaching from
the southwest was rent by appalling fiashes of
Lightning, nov white bolts irving tho skies in
twain, now IN vivid sheets which circl,d the
whole ofing aud trimmed the sea with ring
of fire. The distant but coasel,ss roll of
thunder, every moment growing louder, was
of "a character to impress the stoutcst heart
with awe and apprehension.
III, officer OF the deck had already begun
to take precautions to meet the storm, and
most Of the watch were aloft furlug the light
sails hut Captain Baker. who was better nc
quantcd with the weather Of those seas than
the mate, saw that not moment was to be
lost while the ship still had whole topsails and
courses set
Com, down from there :" he roarcd to
the men alon don't wait to fur the top
gallant sail ;" then, turning TO the mate, he
bade him call the watch below. The words
were scarcely ont Of his month whom th- ship
was taken ahack by fierce -guall right in her
teeth. The tremendous pre- ssurc Oh the top
sails made it useless 10 let 20 the halyards or
start the sheet, and driven stern foremost
the ship began to bury her talIrail under the
| combers; the water boiled over like a sluice,
rushing forward into the cabin and the waist
she was apparently entirely beyond human
control, aud in another minute would have
gon" down, a. lightning, thunder, darkness,
wind, and rain burst with q sublime confus-
ed and irresistible roar and fury over tn do
voted ship. But at that supreme mom' Mt the
crew, 10y almost supcrhUluau effort, succ, ed
ed in lowering the spanker and hmcing the
for6yard. The noble ship, writhing and
wrestling for life, fcll of IN the trough of the
sea, lying over almost on her bram-ends,
while the sails were blown out Of the bolt
ropes and few of to leeWard like scraps of
vapor. For the time she was saved, but how
long could she live in that position was the
| question, especially if the storm settled down
! into a continuous hurricane. By skillful man
agcnent they finally got the slip paying OF
! before the wind, scudding with rag of can
vas in the fore-rigging BY the next morn
! ing the Dhulcp Singh had run out of the vor-
tex of the cyclone, and they were able to
| heaye to, although a soa absolutely mountain
Gus rolled mp from the south pole in a man
ner that sometimes thr, atoncd TO ingulf tho
| ship.
Tho sun set that day in a clear otling, fes-
| tooned with the pageantry of crimson and
! golden clouds, aud the wind having shifted
and greatly moderated, they were able to
make sail Two days after the Cape of Good
Hope was sighted, like a gray cloud against
the pale green of the horizon sky. The
weather was fine, the ship jogging along un-
! der royals, and the crew engaged IN repairing
| such damages as had occurred to the rigging
| in the late storm. Two of the men, squatted
on the deck in the gnugway, were mcnding a
| topsail Mrs Baker was seated by the COM
! panion-way sewing and chatting with the
Captain, who spy-glAss in hand, scanned the
| oliing from time to time. Neptune, their
white Newfoundland dog, was standing on
the tatlrail snufling the land, and gazing at
| the sea with an expression truly human. 1t
sometimes does seem as if, with their other
| gifts, some dogs may be permitted to claim a
certain dim far-ofI sense of the poetic feeling
II was, in a word, one Of those average days
between the repose of calm and the excite
| ment of a storm such rs come in the life of a
ship as in the life Of man.
To-day is our Johns birthday. Had you
thought of it, Abijah He would have been
twenty-eight years old, said Mrs. Baker.
Yes, mother, itwas the first thing thought
of when l woke up
"Wel one thing is sure-he's where he'll
have no more hurricanes to fight Although
she had been heroichlly calm throughout the
late storm, it had naturally made a lasting
impression upon her, and being the least bit
| sllDerslitious like most peOple or call il be-
lief in Providence if you prefer, she sincerely
believed it was for some purpose she had
been spared when others were overwhelm-
ed by the wind and waves never more TO see
their homes.
Il suppose that's so We don't know much
about it still, I'd be glad to see him back
again, and don't believe but what, to please
his old parents and his poor girl mourning for
him on the Cape, he'd be willing to come