Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1889-03-22

could not rival the unutterabe emotion OF
solitarness that filed my mind as l sent my
gaze over those miles of frozen, stirless white
ness. He had the sight Of fair pastures, of
trees making n twnliling twilight on the
swnrd, of grassy savannas and pleasant
slopes of hills; the air was illuminated by
the glorious plumage of flying birds; the
blcat of goats broke tho stiffness in the val
lcys: there was golden rcgalo for his cyo,
and his other senses wcre gratihcd with the
perfumes of rich flowers and engaging con-
ccrts among tho trembling leaves. Above
all, there was the soothing warmth of a de-
licious climate But out upon those heaped
and spreading plains Of snow nothing stirred,
if it wcro not once that was startled by a
loud report, end spcd II rock about half a
milo away slide down the edge Of the fat
cliff and tumble into these
l turned my eyes scaward.
There were few heavy clouds in The
northeast, so steamlil;e that methouGht they
borrowed their complexion from the snow on
the islands capo there. ! was pretty sure,
however, that there was wind behind them,
for if tho roll of the ocean did not signify
heavy weather near to, then what else it be-
tokcned could not moginc.
cannot express TO you how the very soul
within INC shrank from putting to sea i'll tho
little boat Yet / could not but consider
that it would he equally shocking to me to be
locked up in this slowly crumbling body Of
icc-nay, tenfold moro shccEinS-and that,
if ] had to choose between the boat and this
hidcous solitude and sure starvation, would
cheerfully accept fifty times over again the
pcrils of navigation in my tiny nrk,
This reflection comforted mo somewhat,
and while | thus unused | remained standing
with my eyes upon the Ettle group Of f0nci-
FIJI fanc3 and spires OF ice on the edge of the
abrupt hollow.
While looking at this my eye traced, a
little distance beyond, tho form Of ships
spars and rigging Through the labyrinth of
the ice outlines | clearly made out two masts,
with two square yards on the foremost, the
/ rigging perfect 50 tar as it went; for tho
/ fguraton showed no more than half the
height of the masts the lower parts being
apparently hidden behind the edge of the
| hollow.
The fabric appeared as il formed of frosted
| glGss. Tho masts had good rake, and with
u seaman's eye | took notice of the furni-
/ turc, observing the shrouds, stays, baclstays
! and braces to be perfect. Nay, as though the
/ spirit artist Of this fragile, glittcring pageant
had resolved to omit no detail to complete
:
/ head, shining like a tongue of ice against the
soft blue of the sky. Come, thought l, re-
covering from my wonder, there is more in
this than it is possible for me to guess by
staring from distance; so, striking my pole
into the snow, made carefully toward the
edge of the hollow.
The gradual unfolding Of the picture pre-
| Nare my mind for what | could not see tlll
j, nj gol- I.
| beheli a schooner rugged vessel lying in q
sort Of cradle of ice, stern on to the sea. 4
man bulked out with frozen snow so as tC
mako his shapeG as great as a bear, leaned upon
the rail with a slight upward inclination of
his head, as though he were in the act of look
ing fully up to nail me. His posture was
even more life like than that of the man I'M
der the rock but his garment Of snow robbed
him of that reality Of vitality which had
! startled me in the other and the instant saw
him knew him to be dead. He was the only
figure visible. The whole body Of the vessel
was frosted by the snow into the CLASSY as
pect of the spars and rigging, and the sun
slime striking down madc a beautiful pris
matte picture of the silent ship.
She was a very old craft. The snow had
nodded itself upon her, and enlarged with
out spelling her form. / found her age in
the structure of her bows the head board;
of which curved very low round to the toy
of the stem, forming kind Of well there
the after part of which was framed by tho
fore astle lulkhead, after the fashion OF
ship building in vogue in the reign of Anne
and the first two Georges. Her topmast:
were standing, but her Jibboom was riggec
in. | could find no other evidence Of hel
people having snugged her for these winter
quarters, in which she had been manilestly
lying for years and years.
1t was very evident that the schooner haC
in years gone by got embayed in this icr
when it was far to the southwark, and haC
in course Of time been built up in it by float
trg masses For how old the ice about tn
poles may be- who can tell? In those sunles
worlds the frozen continents may well pos
seFo the antiquity of the land. And VIII
shall name the monarch who filed the thron
Of Britain whom this vast field broke ava,
from tho main and started on its stealth,
navigation sunward!