Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1888-04-01

about half q mile away slide down the edge
of the fat cliff and tumble into the sea.
/ turned my eyes seaward.
There were a few heavy clouds In the
northeast, SO steamlike that methoughi
they borrowed their complexion from the
snow on the islands cape there. l was
pretty sure, however, that there was wind
behind them, for if the roll OF the ocean
did not signify heavy weather near to,
then what else 10 betokened / could not
imagine.
/ cannot express to you how the very
soul within me shrsnk from putting TO sea
in the little boat. Yet l could not but
consider that it would be equally shock.
ing to me to be locked up in this slowly
crumbling body Of ice-nay, tenfold more
shocking aud that, il / had to choose be-
tween the boat and this hideous solitude
and sure starvation, / would chserfully sc
cept fifty times over again the perils Of q
navigation in my tiny ark.
This reflection comfOrted me somewhat,
and while i thus unused l remained stand
ing with my eyes upon the little group Of
faDciful flames and spires OF Ice on the edge
Of the abrupt hollow.
While looking at this my eye traced, G
little distance beyond, the form of a ships
spars and rigging. Through the labyrinth
Of the ice outlines l clearly made out two
masts, with two square yards on the fore
mast, the rigging perfect 20 far as it went
for the fguration showed no more than
half the height of the masts, the lower
parts being apparently hidden behind TIE
edge of the hollow.
The fabric appeared az if formed offrost,
ed glass. The masts bad a good rake, and
with a seaman's eye l took notice of the
furniture, observing the shrouds, stays,
backstays and braces to be perfect. Nay,
as though the spirit artist of this fragile,
glittering pageant ha1 resolved to omit nc
detail to complete the illusion, there stood
q sane at the masthead, shining like O
tongue of ice against the soft blue of the
sky. Come, thought l, recovering from
my wonder, there is more in this than it il
possible for me to guess by staring from q
distance 80, striking my pole into the snow,
l made carefully toward the edge of the
holloE
The gradual unfolding of the picture
prepared my mind for what I could not seC
till the brink WAS reached; then, looking
down, I beheld a schooner rugged vessel ~
ing in a sort Of cradle OF ice, stern on IL
the see. A man bulked out wi" frozen
snow, 80 as to make mis- shape rs great as a
bear, leaned upon the rail with q slight in,
clinGtiOn of his head, as though he
were in the act Of looking fully up to
hail me. His posture was even more
life-like than that of the man un-
der the rock; but his garment o fsnow ROB-
bsd him Of that reality Of vitality which
had startled me in the other, and the IT,
slant | SAW him l knew him to he dead.
He was the only figure visible. The whole
body of tie vessel was frosted by thu snow
into the CLASSY aspect OF the spar5 aud rig
ging, and the sunshine striking down made
q beautiful pIismatic picture OF the silent
ship.
She was a very old craft. Tue snow had
nodded itself upon her, and enlarged with
cut spelling her form. / found her age in
the structure Of her bows, the head boards
OF which curved very low round 10 the top
of the stem, forming a kind of well there,
the after part of which was framed by the
fUrccaslle bulkhead, after the fashion OF
ship building in vogue i'll the reiga OF Anne
and the first TWO Georges. Her topmasts
were standing, but her jib5oom was rugged
in. / could ind no other evidence Of her
people having suugged her for these winter
quarters, in which she had been manifestly
lying for years AID years.
1t was very evident that the schooner
had in years gone by got embayed in this
ice when it was far to the southwark, and
had in the course of time been built up in
it by floating masses. For how Old the
lea about the poles may be, who can tellE
In those sunless worlds the frozen CONT
nents may wellposseSs the antiquity of the
land. And who shall name the monarch
who filed the throne of Britain when this
vast field broke away from the main and
started on its steaitby navigation sunward;