The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1889-11-21

maintopsail against the mast. to the
tender swing of the tall fabric.
Ii ever you need to know what a
deep sense of loneliness is like, 90
aloft in dead calm when the shadow
of the night lies heavy upon the breath
less ocean, and from the altitude of
top cross-tree or yard. look down and
around you! The spirit of life is al
ways strong in the breeze or in the
gale of wind. There are voices in the
rigging; there is the organ note of the
billow flung foaming from the ships
side; there is tingling vitality in the
long floating rushes of the fabric burst
ing through one head of yeast into an
other. ALI this is company, along with
tho spirit shapes of the loose scad3fiy-
ing wild, or the sociable procession of
large, slow clouds. But up aloft in
such clock-calm as lay upon the deep
that night you are alone! and the lone
lier for the distant sounds which rise
from the decks-the dim laugh, the
faint call, liker to the memories of such
things than the reality.
The body of the ship lay thin and
long far beneath me like black plank,
paid aft with the spread of awning,
with an oblong haze or light in the
main hatch where the grating was lift
ed, and dots OF weak flame from the
lanterns forward, resembling dubious
corposants hoveri ng about the fore
castle rail. The ships hull was com
plexioned to the aspect of the leaf of
the silver tree when lighted by the
stars by the broad raining of the moon
shine. Yet as she slightly rolled, break
ing the black water from her sides into
ripples, you saw the phosphor starting
and winking in the ebony profound
there, like the reflection of sheet light
ming. Exquisitely lulling was the tender
pinion-like tapping of the light, moon
lit canvas, soaring spire-fashion in
ivory spaces high above my head, with
the pattering of dew falling from the
cloths as they swayed. A sound of
thin cheering from the cuddy foated
to me; presently q fiddle struck up
somewhere forwards, and a manly
voice began ''Tom Bowling" Now,
thought l, if they would only strip the
poop of its awning, that l might see
them dancing by the lantern light
when supper was over, and they had
fallen to caper-cutting afresh! What
a scene of pigmy revelry then! What
a vision of Lilliputian enjoyment!
seated myself Lascar fashion and
lighted cigar. Could l have distin-
guished the figure of midshipman be-
low I should have hailed him and sent
down the end of line for draught
of settler and brandy. But the repose
up here, the dewy GOODNESS, the royal
solitude of the still, majestic night,
with sentinel stars drowsily winking
along the sea line and the white planet
of the moon sailing northwards into
the west amid the wide eclipse of its
own soft silver glory, were all that my
fevered being could pray for.
1t is as likely as not chat after lit
tie I was nodding somewhat drowsily.
1 recollect that my cigar went out, and
that on sucking at it and finding it out
/ would not be at the trouble of light
ing it again. I say might, have been
half-asleep sitting, still Lasoar fashion,
with my back against the head of the
lower mast, when on a sudden, some
| thing-soft, indeed, but amazingly
heavy-struck me full on the face and
chest, and fell upon my knees, where
| it lay like small feather bed. But
for my back being supported, must
| have been stretched at full length and,
| for all | know, knocked clean over
board, or, worse still, hurled headlong
| to the deck.
| was confounded by the ock and
| the blow that for some momal 8 I sat
goggling the object that lay as lead
upon my knees like fool then
| threw it from me and stood UP. 1t fell
where slant Of moonshine lay clear
upon the side of the top, and I per-
ceived that it was big sea bird, as
large as a noddy, as white as snow
saving the margin of its wings, which
| were velvet black. It had long,
curved beak, and 1 gathered from the
| look of one of its pinions, which over
| laid the body as though broken, that
its width of wing must have come pro-
! portionately very near to that of the
albatross. could see by the moon
| shine that the eyes were closing by the
slow drawing down of white skin.
| The creature did not stir. / stood star
ing at it fully five minutes, gripping the
top-mast rigging to provide against it's
rolling me out should it rise suddenly
and strike out with its wings, but there
was no stir of life in it. 1t was then
that 1 caught sight of something which
seemed to glitter in the thick down
upon its breast like a dewdrop on
thistledown. 1t was little square
case of white metal, apparently to-
bacco-box secured to the birds neck.
This story will be concluded in the
Nashville Banner.