Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1882-06-14

iAiu UHipi hHh 'hph W" WIZ N"'N wv
IN the hand. Of Providence, Ven
geanee Is mine, ! will repay saiIl, III
Lord
With u sliaed sob she turned haslil
away, then moved by al irreslsllbl
impulse, came back and laid her han
on her companions bowed head, as b
sat In speeohless agony,
he brave, dear do your liie's worl
well and cheerfully, that ] may hear O
aud be proud Of you In my heart,
And then, rs lle pressed one long
heart-brokeu kiss upon the little hand
she passed from his sight,
A week later two men sat IN ia,
Captains cabin, each, In the parses 0
consideration, casting furtiye glenceS q
q little instrument that hung upon Ih'
wall.
You don't like the looks Of that bar
omeier, | see, Mr., Wallace, said th'
captain, neither do !, to tell the truth
| don't likc cyclones with ship full oI
passengers to think Of, aud tho glass Il
certainly limiting strongly at one.
must hurry off now and see all taut iol
u tusscl with the storm-king.'
Two hours later the stout steamer
began to feel the long, rolling SWELL
that prcsagcd the approach of u yet
roughcr sea, and in five hours after the
first warning had been given by the
faithful barometer, she was pitching
and tossing in the middle Of such n
fierce warfare of the elements, rs even
the veteran captain had seldom cncoun.
tered.
All night and all day the steamer
battled bravely with the raging sea,
and yet the storm showed no signs of
abating, but rather grew more and
more violent, aud when the second
night drew on, the heavy seas began
to break over the laboring vessel.
Lest the steamer should indeed plunge
to her death, in the midst Of the tower
ing waves that rose before her, the cn-
gines were slowed, and each moment
the captain feared, lest unhappily the
report should reach him, that the waves
had ontnrod tho ongino-room. and "v-
tinguished the fires, for that he knew
would mean that the end had come.
And standing at the captains side,
stern, silent, and with face drawn
and haggard, not with fear for himself,
but for one dearcr to him than his own
life, one who sat in the great saloon,
calmly waiting for the end of it all, was
Robert Wallace; statdiug there, in the
flying spray and whistling wind, that
he might be the first to know when the
end had actually come, so that he might
try to save her, or failing at that to die
at her dear side.
For he knew that the man who had
so basely parted their two lives would
afford her no help, even if help were
possible ; he had seen him covering in
abiect fear, wringing his hands and
moaning while she sought in vain to
impart to his cowardly heart some of
the brave spirit that beat in hers.
Mr.. Wallace had deemed that in
their present extremity, her embargo of
his silence might be broken, and from
time to time he crept across the wave
swept deck, and had gene below to
give her such words of comfort as he
might, but he quickly saw that they
were not needed, nor believed, and so
he made his perilous way back again to
the captains side.
Ink black gloom surrounded the ves-
sci on every side, save when the flash
ing lightning for an instant illumined
the scene and revealed its horrors.
Stout hearts quailed as the wind
roared through the cordage with II saw
age. relentless howl, and the ship
shook and groaned as if in an agony of
fear.
Gallant hearts shrunk small and be-
came almost still in the presence of the
Creator (feelipg themselves to be in
the hollow of His handy to be crushed
Or delivered, as might be best unto
Him.
Still, all through the night the noble
ship buffeted bravely with the mighty
sea, and so the hours of darkness
passed away, and the light of morning
came stealing over the foaming waves
like ray of life and hope.
And that ray crept into tho hearts Of
all on board the sorely tried steamer,
and widening as the first
fear that the wish was parent to the
thought died away in the certsinty that
The winds and the waves were actually
abating at last, and that the worst was