The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1880-05-15

erlng lips and fearful eyes, as each
successive flash of the almost blind
ing lightning would light up the dense
i, mass of angry clouds that was swiftly
approaching. At the side of the old
man the young girl stood, and sell
seemed entirely obliterated in her
anxious watchings and solicitude for
heraged parent.
1t was touching and beautiful
. sight, and one that moved the hearts
of all that beheld her. The wind
roared past, and the angry waves of
the ocean, as if eager to swallow up
its victims, leaped up and madly
dashed against the sides of the vessel.
AT length, there came heavy crash,
the vessel was lifted above the breakers
and went staggering forth with tim
bers riyen. She had struck rock,
and above the raging storm the voice
of the Captain was heard ordering the
sailors to prepare the life-boats. Into
these the passengers crowded, bearing
with them the devoted daughter and
almost helpless father. The vessel
went down, and the passengers were
drifted out upon the broad and limit
less eXpanse of the ocean. For several
days, the boat in which the young
girl and her father had taken refuge
with the other passengers, drifted
along, but no friendly sail gladdened
their sight. That gaunt and grim She
wolf, famine, almost paralysed their
sensibilities, and demon-lile, they
watched like beasts of prey, ready to
devUur each other. One morning as
the boat rested quietly on the bosom
of the ocean, and the sun streamed
down upon them from a sloudless sky,
the young girl beheld her old father
with trembling hands, steal from his
bosom a crust of bread. With a
spring of tiger, she grasped it from
his hand, ard in the struggle, the old
man fell back with his face under the |
wafer, and 50 the girl devourcd the |
precious life-giving morsel, the gurg-
ling sound of the drowning man,
mingled with the demoniac laughter
of the wretchod daughter 1t is said
that no devotion is so great, but that
it can be overcome by the desire Of the
preservation of ones own life. Satan
tempting Job, after he had stripped
him Of all his worldly possessions, and
he still retained his integrity, said:
"Skin for skin, all that a man hath
will he give for his own life.
Selma is called the Central city from
her location. Her broad streets and
beautiful avenues of trees and subur-
ban residences nesting among the
groves, are lovely to look upon. Selma
boasts of many large and well con-
Quoted business houses. Her incom-
parable hotel, the St James, managed
by Col. Dedman, is situated only a
few feet from the banks of the Alabama
river, and as L write, | can see the
broad sweep of the current as it goes
rushing past, and can hear the meas ,
ured puff of a steamer, as she moves
away from the wharf, mingled with
the happy voices of the "roust-abouts," d.
as they sing that inimitable steam c
boat song, Long down shiny" Col. |
Dedman, during those dark days in [
the history of our country, commanded +
the old Goth Alabama regiment. This a
was shown the battle f
scared flag which had been borne by [
the regiment through most of the r.
battles fought in Virginia Rent by C
age and pierced by the bullets of the 5
it is held as sacred relic by y
the old Colonel, who beheld it wave
over so many hard fought battlefields. c.
Most of the men over whom it fioated, Ii
1aptised it with their blood, and the II
,ause for which it was unfurled was II
ost, but the memory of that old flag
S still dear to the hearts of many.
selma is one of the last battle grounds
# the Confederacy. A line of heavy
,reast-works still encircle the town, +,
behind which, some gallant spirits II
ell in its defense. b'
This evening, in the company of a II,
riend, l walked out to the cemetery ci
n which monument forty feet high, la
apped with a life-szed image of a I'll
soldier, has been erected al
Y the Ladies' Monumental AssOcia- bc
on. On one side is inscribed, "Hal- fie
,wcd the dust where sleep the brave" vi vi
It its base quite number of the
ames of Confederate soldiers are tn
arved. Among them / noticed that
two Mississippians. Not far away II
eeping quietly among the dead, |
Dticed a beautiful marble shaft bear
lg this inscription: Rev. Arthur an
[. Small, Presbyterian Minister; born q.
Char eston, 5. c.; killed April End.
'65. " In sight of the church where fir
2 had so often preached the unsearch-
lle riches of Christ, he fell in defense NO,
the country he loved so well. The br,
onument was erected by his beloved cal
Here, too, rests all that ne ne
mortal of L:eut.-Gen. Hardee. But cot
would take book to write the ever .
-entful histories of our historic towns. tur
will not be many years before pill d,
images will he made over the new, .
they are now made over the old
Orld, and the traveller will be rea
inted out as many eventful spots zee
ade historic by heroic deeds and boo
devotions, as he can Nv
Id on the old continent.
sha
the courtesy of Col. Ded. "
an, who furnished me with a key, %
d accompanied by that clever gem ahC
man, Mr.. Watson, paid visit to son
e Masonic Hall. When l say il is cha
e of the most elegant lodge rooms boi