The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1892-11-22
THE STORY OF A SAILOR.

Four hundred years ago, in the mist OF a
gray October morning the shores OF the New
World were lifted above the western horizon.
Weary and exhausted with long watching and
deceived by the fairy landscape Of the clouds
that seemed to rise out Of the waters, the crew
of the good ship had given up in despair. The
sulen mood of the sailors appeared to have
infected the vessel itself, for the mast swayed
from the perpendicular, and the sails dropped
from their fastenings, while the vessel itself,
crept drowsily upon the deep. For weeks
they had braved the solitude Of the ocean,
and not wing had tiuttered down through
the air to perch on the rigging. No breath
came over the pillows to whisper Of green
fields and happy margins Trees and shrub
berry were only to be seen in their feverish
dream, ''phantasmagora" of the brain-and
even these withdrew their foliage as twilight
closed upon the waters and morning revealed
no distant shores They were ready to sail
back to their homes in the east. Fools they
were to quit their pleasant harbors and desert
their hills just reddening in the autumn to
follow fanciful sailor who merely
tracking the sunset. 1t was only Il question
of hours before the waves would close over
their pallid faces and their spirits flew back
along the path Of the vessel to linger in
mournfu adieu among the scenes Of their
childhood and to hug in a farewell embrace
the familiar forms Of their loved ones who
were signing among the purple hills.
Even the brave heart of the sturdy mari
seized by the doubt that shad-
ed the foreheads of his crew Words of
cheer and encouragement came languidly
from his lips, only to mock the despair
from whence they issued and to feed
the mutiny they could not quell. But
steadily he kept his face to the west and
watched through his tears for the tops Of the
faint blue mountains which he hoped to
rise, out OF the water There was no turning
back to Spain without the news of an island
Far better to perish in the west and sleep in
the cold embrace of the pearls than to
counter the. scorn and derision Of Europe.
No, the sailors might throw him OVERLOOKED
but the west was his port and he was bound
to touch its mystical shores or die in the wa
terry ar of 9d NeP W NJ h o nan he
and to be the discoyerer Of the new.
Finally the night of October the 18th be e.
ternoon the sailors had noticed that particles
of matter were floating upon the waves, Winnie
they fancied they could detect in the atmos
phere the faint aroma OF vegetation. Their
hearts began to beat in a wild iuttcr and to
throb against the walls of their bosom: The
the hope that was fast reyiving upon the
deck. There was no sleep for the sailors that
night lntently they gazed into
the dark and sought to pene-
trate the mantle of gloom TINT shr0nd-
ed the silence of the unknown shore. But
were they really nearing port or was ii only
another delusion that was now urging them on
to the brink of a fatal despair? Again if the
land was inhabited who were its occupants?
Were they cannbals ready to deyour them as
soon as they should effect q landing or were
they civilized beings like themselves? Were
they nearing q coast that had long been
shrouded by the fairy mist of their eastern
legends would the sun disclose to their eyes
the shores of the opuIent and beautiful In
des? The hours dragged heavily by, but sleep
was effectually banished and they moved about
in the ship fearing to sit down. "A light! a
light!' came the shout of a sailor who had
climbed to the top of the mast, look, boys.
to the west! God be praised and Isabella!
Sure enough a faint light was seen to glow in
the distance, but suddenly the light was ex-
tinguished. Again il flared up and the sailors
knew its meaning. 1t was the blaze of fire
which was every now and then Obscured by
the intervening trees. Their spirits had now
scaled the summit of expectation and eager
for the disclosures of the day they sought to
hasten the tardy footsteps Of aurora" But
the morning was in no hurry to crafty the
sailors The land it was soon to lay open to
their view had long since been touched by
its sunshine and swept by its floating shadows.
When God had said let there be light the
sun had seen himself reflected In her lakes
and broken into myriad diamonds In her cat
aracts. When the day had 1ickered i'll the
west the night came on with her brood Of
stars to moisten the flowers and lull the old
continent to sleep.
But finally the gloom wore away and the
fringe Of the morning began to float in the
soon the daylight was quiyering upon their
aspiring hearts. The splendid began to descend
liagc. Lower and lower it fell until akndled
the shrubbery and sparllled in the myriad
dew drops that clustered in the cool October
yerdue Never was landscape more enchanting
to q yoyager WHO for weeks had been tossed
upon the pillows than was that of the new
world as it stood out before the sailors wrapped
in the embrace of natures good morning"
Its welcome foated out to the sailors, waited
by the breezes that swept through the wood
land and sweetened by the early devotons
of the feathered psalmists. The good ship