Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1888-05-06

couraged me to hope that the restless tidel
would sap to her keel at least and put hel
into posture to be easily launched by tn
blow of a surge upon her bows-that Is i
fortune continued to keep her head on.
To determine the hour and our position
/ fetched quadrant from my cabinet, and
was happily just in time to catch the suI
crossing the meridian. My watch was hal
an hour fast, so / had been out of my reck
oning to the extent of thirty minutes eve
since had been cast away. made on
latitude to be 81 degs % mins. south, and
the computation was perhaps near enough
This business ended, I went to the cool
house to prepare dinner, and the first o6'
iect Isaw was Tassard fat upon his fac
near the door that opened into the cabin
He groaned when picked him up
which I managed without much exertioI
OF strength, for so much had he shrunf
that dare say more than half his weigh
lay in his clothes-and set him upon hi
bench with his back to the dresser. l pu
my mouth to his ear and roared
care you hurt?" His head NODDED as i
he understood me, but / question II b,
did. He was the completest picture OF Ole
age that you could imagine. fetched
couple of spears from the arms room, ant
cutting them to his height put one in eact
hand, that he might keep himselfpropped;
and while my own dinner was broliing
made him q mess of broth, with which
fed him, for now that he had the sticks b
would not let 20 of them. But in any cas-
doubt if his trembling hand could have
lifted the spoon to his lips without cap
sizing the contents down his beard.
With some small idea of rallying the old
villain, mixed him very stiff bumper
of brandy, which he supped down out Of
my hand with the utmost avidity. The
draush soon worked in him, and he began
to move his head about, seeking me in his
blind way, and then cried, in his broken
notes. 81 have lost the use Of my legs, and
cannot walk. Mother of God, what shall
do! oh, holy st. Antonio, what is 10 be
come of me-"
/ guessed from this that, impelled by
habit or some small spur Of reason, he had
risen to 70 on deck and had fallen. he
went yaporing pitifully, gazing with suf.
ticient steadfastness to let me know that
his vision received something Of my out,
line, though be would fix his eyes either
TO the left or right of me, as though be
was not able to see if he looked straight;
and this, and his mournful caCkle, and his
noddiug head, bowed fore, piopped hands
and diminished face, made him q
distressful and melancholy a picture OF
Time as ever mortal man viewed. lie
broke off in his rambling to ask for more
brandy, taking it for granted that l was
still in the cook room, for never spoke
aud filled can for hind, and as before
held it to his mouth, which he opened wide
"A piece of behavior which went to show
that some of his wits still hung loose upon
him. This was strong dose, and coope-
rating with the other, soon seized hold on
his head, and presently he began to laugh
to himself and talk, and even broke into
stave or two-some French song, which he
delivered in voice like the ,queaking Of
rat, alternating with the growing OF ter
rier.
l guess his stumbling upon this old
French catch (which took it TO be from
seeing him feebly flourish one Of his sticks
as if inviting q chorus) put him upor
speaking his own tongue altogether; fol
though he continued to chatter with all
the volubility his breath would permit
during the whole time ! sat hearing, not ont
word of English did he speak, and not ont
word, therefore, did understand. Seem,
how il must be with him presently,
brought his mattress and rugs from hi
cabin, and had scarce laid them down wheI
he let fall one of his sticks and dropped
over. I grasped him, and, partly lifting
partly hauling, got him on his back ant
covered him up. In few minutes he wa
asleep
trust / shall not be deemed inhuma,
il confess that I heartily wished his enc
would come. If he went on living h
promised to be an intolerable burden Il
me, being quite helpless. Besides, he wa
much too old for this world, in which {
man who reaches the age Of 90 il pointed
| to "a sort Of wonder.
! Nothing worth recording happened thG
day. The wind sIackencd, and the ice
travelled so slow that at shutdown / could
not discover that we had made more than
quarter of a mile of progress to the
north since noon, though we had settled
By ha.f as much agaia that distance west
ward.
had not closed my Eyes on the previous
night, and was tired ost when the evening
arrived; and as no cord could come Of my
keeping watch, fa the simple reason
that il was not in my power to avert any
thing that might happen, I tumbled some
further covering over the Frenchman, who
had lain on the dsck all the afternoon,
sometimes waking aid talking TO himself,
and appearing o, TIE whole very easy and
comfortable, and wtnt to my cabin.
To RE DNTINUED