New-York tribune., 1884-02-17


between AS Wild soa-scene as over Witnessed
happened upon one of the nights OF the ten days
am talking about. whom tho small green moon III the
north was flying like meteor through the sweep
ing smoke of the socty scud that shot ont OF the
backne-s in the mort Invest; eho hlmg wet silver
CLEANS down, az though they were sparkling lanccs
darted by some hnrng hand up there; Ike ARROWS
they seemed to fall through the rents III the masses
of torn and sweeping yapor mat1ne gl's oi an' ,
in manner TO stnrtlo tho eye. gazing from thnmiddo
of the stormy scene; il would have passed for a
constant faring of torches. burning white. and cX-
tingulshcd by tine breath of the gale as fast as they
were kindled. Never star was to be- noticed.
nothing with CLEAN in all the bowling, dIngy palo-
ness overhead tho moon. that would blazo out
bright for Il second. then vanish in the snuff Ike
black smother of the scud, or show FAINT behind
thinner body of vapor. the very ghost Of herself,
cutting-as she would seem-wIth incredible yeloc-
ity through the tlmy stun till with leap ont Sio
would sparkle glorious, with hur OF her metallic
light down upon the mad sea. and then ave INTO
a dense cloud big enough to wrap the whole ocean
i'm shadow, though for space you'd SEQ the moon
light rushing off the wate" upon thc lee BOWS rs
though it wore being blown away by the gale. Bui
in about latitude forty degrees east the strong wind
died out in a squall, leaving us to mediate upon
the thousand miles oi ocean that sun foIl9 I
betwixt us and Australia. Then for space ol c'ght
days we had spoil of gland weather. Nafitoic
brcczcs ranging aft from either bow, but never lor-
ward: sometimes blowing tenderly, sometimes n
merry wind. but always managing to make true
Pacific weather of it for u.s. soft. heavy pIuc IN
the sky that looked to swell out like the belly o
sail between the great white clouds ana iolg'
shining azure swell that made one feel IL II move
nm thc shin with n slantng rush as if il were mo-
I'm of he deem created bv the revolution of the
globe so rhVthmic tho sweep OF H. so measure
less the dim blue distance ont OF which II CANE .
II was weather to ENJOY to the fullest; ghsn oi
delight coming from God knows where making the
air sweet tnat tho taste of was III your huhln
when Won went below, lingering like the favor of
milk and the wonder OF IT seemed TO 60 no IiIo
the ocean too, for never did see so heavenly blue
upon salt water; the sunlight iOatcd on ot IL Ike
mist and I'd fancy at times when the sh,p sank
into hollow that | could see the sky Of the hori-
ynt, l,piv yivit water
lowering il just AZ the violet Cleaned between tie
archcd foot Of q sail and the yard beneath. but
then, YOU get all sorts of atmospheric miracles IN
that Southern Ocean: night which LOOKS down,
molten with pink aud green and crystal points ot
light: sunsets which cause the sea 20 appear rs ~
were streaming away in n mighty channel ot gold
INTO the huge, flaming, crimson, raylcss DISK tiat
slowly sinks bchiud it kind OF drawing up n me
deep into the shadow when the night comes aS u ~
were surface of black velvet inflated from under
meath between your ship and the ocoan-linc. shot
with coudy puis of phoSphoric radiance when ti'
swell lifts 10 the stars over the horizon as though
was by contact with HrR that these mSslcrioua'
luminous sWaTmluGS were fed. -,
One was eiad Of such weather for the sake OF me
twccn-icck passengers. The Childrcn's enjoyment
of IT did ones heart good to witness Ihcy maze
playground of the waist and; listonnS 10 thrli mem
sometimes with "A look round al Inc h'ghty "'cP
which went away on all sides for thousands OF
leagues westward to the bitter Horn ana nOrth-
ward to the broIling Indian Ocean. I'd find some
thing startling in the thought Of such little laughter
and childish, calling voices sounding anna the
hugeSt scene Of creation IN the world Ashore SuGl
fluclc1 CDuld not come: houses inttIccIltn lno
VicV or there are hills for boundary. the hDrilon
lies close, any way. Bat at sea, when your glance
Zoos past the water line II dives straight INTO the
Sky that hangs over the Same liquid cXpan%
hundreds of miles oil. The hollow sails would
throw back the echo OF thosc childreno voices al
times. when there was hush up al2it ana WIN
rattle of women. the hunilnlng ot arguing men, io
call OF the bOatswan TO The Scamcn at WORK on we
rigging. with the sound 0i gushing Walei oNui i iio
sides. The tune Of n plano making music on the
carpenters bench. the muttcrlngS oi hens III thoif
coois. ana the canking links OF chains working ~
sheaycs or striking tie SIarS AIt we tt TtT" SIj M
joyce had fallen overheard tho chlIntrh VI i.ht
family had been kept snug under the lee Ol thr
uur,c or their parents if ever one of them made
stride out OF arms reach you'd SEQ the nurse Jump
for 1t, or the mother would give a screech. ono
fall overheard was enough for that aliocllonatc
circle, and their care was very reasonable; bnt II
often pity the nurse, who needed eyes in her back
rs well in her face, and graphing hooks ~ each
hand to keep those youngsters together, whG me
were on dock, was little better thana burden.
We'll, you'd see this family all OF cluster near
the slylight, and beyond them CAPTAIN Jhck'Gm, m
nj the sea frou under his hat tho brm oi II leaning
TO his nose Mrs Jackson near him, knitting; Mrs
and Miss Grant reading; Mrs. OBren talking TO
Thompson Tucker. who looked bored as he
listened Daniel standing NJ before Aunt DamariS
and Florence. with his grinning red Iaco turnru
with the old pccking motion OF her face, that made
the cavern of hood the most natural covering Tor
her sharp nose to show IN 0ud out ol IlShb ~ w
extreme end the man at the wheel, gripping inc
spolses and munchng qud as though he wcio
talking to the card or the canvas hClWlNt Whcu
hi, eyes would alternate; and then, Tor Il frame you
had the soft sweeping gIGlc of tho blue sky.
shining purely against the glossy round OF the
spanker and between the saysalls. and howlng up
splendor of the sunlight over the port mantopgal-
LIANT yard arm. This would lie the sort OF picture
the pIGp 0Srod Se sp sd s under crowd Of
vas and impelled by gushing brcr2cs, DOilt"S
show ing the road and tie albicoTe IN our wake wilma
following of sea fowl STOPPING over the WhltO
tracks that poured in sparkling eddy from the
sudden frost.
During one Ct these halcyon days remember
was talking to Aunt DamariS and Florence, wheh
we were startled by Il shout from tho forecasts.
Looking we epiod the people running to tlo sdo
TO peer over; wo all thrco got up and went to the
rail- and there in the water close uhdtr r" SNIP tbc
ugest saddest thing chance could have lifted INTO
the cleaning, airy beauty of that day. How long
il had been in the water could not he lnlaglned
Won lust caught sight of tho putd foatureless face
as the sway of the sea made the figure poised III the
buoy bow horribly TO uS as 1T slid aStcrn. An
albatro,s in our wake stopped 10 il, with scream
that might have been wrung from tho corpse itself,
so wild was the sudden nOto heard IN connection
with that sight. aud then came on agan aitcr Us
What tomb for that ono manV exclaimed
Florence to me, sliuddcrng. -,
Better than u graveyard" said / " there are no
RANK weeds mere mo crun"ds dt dTr,df' ~ 70 % nr
imaamation What noblcr scpuchrc than this
glorious blue sea could sailor want Every surge
that breaks gives him a headstono"
:" Why do people make ono SEQ snch sighiST
grulnbcd Aunt Damaris looking pale aud scared
" How the creatures starel would have gwen ten
pounds not to have had my attention called to the
horrible object"
"What story of human anguish Is contained in
that lifc-buoyg cried Florence claspins her hands.
@Thcrc was never pOlitGr body sung ont Mr..
Thompson Tucker. from tho rail. Did You SEQ
him bow 10 Us, ladies. ~ We passed Z o,,
= For shame. for shame p exclaimed Mrs. OBron.
" How do you know there's not mothor waiting
for him at hcuer :,
:" He didn't look if he ever had mother
retorted Mr.. Tucker.
& Oh. you wicked crcaturow cried Mrs. O'Bren:
How would yon look afther you'd been dhro"ned
THAT youth must he an infdel," said Aunt Dam
aris.