The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1881-03-18
THE F4sHERszAN OF DEVON


Which the little children hear"
.-- [Good Words.
THE F4sHERBdAN OF DEVON.
BY g. c. H.
1t was as calm an evening as ever
came from heaven, the sky and the
earth were as tranquil as if no storm,
from the one had ever disturbed the
repose of the other; and even the
ocean-that great highway of the
world-lay as gentle as if its bosom
had never betrsyed-as if no traveller
had ever sunk to death ia It's mbrace.
The sun had gone down and the pen
sive twilight would have reigned over
nature, but for the moon, which rose
in her full-orbed beauty, the queen
of an illimitable world, to smile upon
the goodly things of ours, and to give
q radiance and glory to all she shone
upon. 1t was an hour and a scene
that led the soul 10 the contemplation
of Him who never ceases to watch
over the works He has made, and
whose protecting care displays itself
alike upon the solid land'and the
trackless wastes of the deceitful sea.
On the western coast of the county
of Devon, which has been termed and
it may be added, justly, "the garden
of England" and upon such an even
ing, group assembled around one of
the fshermen's cottages. The hnbita-
tion was built in the true style of the
olden time, when comfort was the
principal object of the PROTECTOR. At
either side of the doorwere scattered
the linas, nets and baskets that heto-
kened the calling Of the owner, and
the fisherman taking his farewell for
the night of his happy, loving family,
who were bidding him "God speed"
on his 7oyage. A fine old man was
leaning his arms on the railing, and
talking to an interesting girl whose
hand lay upon the shoulder of q
younger sister. The stout fisherman,
dressed in his rough jerkin and large
boots that reached far above the knees
was in the act Of kissing a little che
rub, who seemed half terrified at be-
ing elevated so high as the fathers
lips; while the wife and mother, with
her :infant nursing on her lap, vas
looking anxiously upon her husband
as she breathed the parting blessing,
and the prayer for his return. A lit
| tie boy, the miniature Of his father in
countenance and in dress, bearing a
huge cloak across his shoulders, and
the lantern that was to give light
when the moon departed, completed
the group-if we except noble New
fOundland dog, some steps in advance
of the party, watching for the nod to
command his march, to kind Of pier
where the fisherman and his boy were
to embark.
Good luck, good luck" exclaimed
the old man; good luck and safe
home again, John; ye wants no more
but Gods blessing, and that ye may
have for asking; but We may as well
take mine, too-God bless ye, and
goodbye to We"
The blessing was heartily wslcom>
ed by his kind partner and hia chill
dren, and whistling as he went, with
his boat-hook on his shoulder, his dog
Neptune beforehand his boy following,
he trudged along to the beach.
With the earliest dawn Of morning
the fsherman's family was sstir, the
elder girl was busily arranging their
little parlor, while the younger was
preparing the breakfast table, and
the mother spreading before the
Gre the clothes of her husband and
her boy. An hour passed, and she
grew somewhat uneasy that he had
remained abroad beyond the usual Pc
riod of bis return. Another hour had
elapsed, when she said to her father
Father, 90 out to the hillock and try
if you can see his sail upon the water
? he seldom stays out so long when the
sea is calm and the weather fair. Ny
little boy, too. was not quite well last
p night, and this alone would have has
tened him home"
The old man went forth, and one BY
one his grandchildren followed min
= until the mother was left alone, rock
ing the cradle Of herunconscious babe
: After the lapse of another hour hel
daughter entered with the news tina
a neighbor had spoken to her fathe,
in the night, and that be would Ger
tainly be at home soon.
"God grant !" said she, and ah'
spoke in a tone of deep anxiety. "H
never WAS away so long but once, enc
thst was whsn. he saved the crew o
the ship Mari, aad then the whirl 0
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