Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-01-15


 me, was glad of their company.
 ''If the creatures could only speak to me-" said to myself If we could only exchange sympathies and converse togeth- CT on our fate there would be some satiS- faction even yet"
 And as lay listening to their interchange of sentiments, which to my ear seemed to express disappointment, 1 thought of the marvellous instinct, amounting almost to intuition, which is attributed to rats in re- gard to sinking ships. An old story oc- cured to me. A vessel had foundered in midocean, the crew took to the boats, even like the crew of the Bird of Paradise, and as the last man was stepping of a company of rats appeared and without ceremony or hesitation leaped into the boats with the men.
 The ship was going down, and they knew 1t. My companions were doubtless en- 1owed with this instinct also. What if the brig were not sinking after all? It seems ! an absurd thing to take any comfort from the actions of rats, and yet wild hope that might still be saved thrilled through my heart. One hope begets another. 1 went on to think that, since the brig was settling down so very slowly she might keep ailoat till we should be discovered. A drowning man clutches at straws, and hope, as the poet says, springs eternal in the human breast. We'll for us that it is sol
 The thought that might be rescued kept with me through the long hours of dark ness, and when the morning light returned and found me in no worse plight than had been in at sunset on the previous evening my hope strengthened. My physical strength increased with my mental, and when the sun was fully up, the sun had not expect ,1 I f,-or,, INaIf f<, welcome it, almost forgetting my fever. Had Shakespeare's gift of expression ten times over am sure could not half tell how sweet, how transcendently glorious it was after that night in the tomb to feel the warmth and mystic potency of the re turning light.
 In the first great burst of joy wondered why l should ever have been depressed, SO inexplicable do despair and dismal thoughts become to us in moments of su- preme exaltation. My heart welled into my eyes in thankfulness as l drank in the full deep draft of happiness, and yet was so full of wonder that more than once doubted whether the whole thing were not vision, trick of the imagination. It was as if Plato's fantastic dream were real ized, and after ages of immurement In subterranean cell a man were brought forth to behold the rising sun for the first time. Yet the illustration is incomplete, for while Plato's supposititiousc character would have been overwhelmed with awe 1 was filled with gladness. The creature of Plato's dream would have yelled his face in terror before the suns majesty. l thrust mine forward in eager and rapturous welcome.
 had risen from the dead. Here was the joyous exuberance of life again. lived, and that was enough. l saw the east kin I kloA IS the light of a resurrection morn. High er and higher the blaze of glory rose, till the flood of life had mounted to the zenith and held undisputed sway. Death had van ished. The world was born anew, fresh lusty, jubilant as on that primal morning when the Omnipotent said, 'Let there be light" When the great orb showed the edge of it's flaming disk, golden shaft shot straight across the ocean to the derelict brig. It came like kiss of salutation, a benediction, a promise of life. Then, as the sun rose slowly, monarch of the world, and the waves of light inexpressibly beautiful and holy came rolling toward me, was ready to cry out in worship. OGod, how sweet is life after death-paradise after the pitt There are those-miserable philosoph ers-who ask with sapient wisdom whether life is worth living. Toss them into danger, and dare say they will find an answer to their silly question.
 With my new found strength tried the ncrews which had bafIled me in the night. Joy succeeded joy-they yielded, and the port opened. Then 1 thrust out my head we'll up to the shoulders and drew long, deep breath, which was as meat to the starving and drink to the parched. Again and again sucked in the delicious cordial, feeling its grateful effects in the uttermost fbers of my frame When 1 had inhaled till was dizzy, I leaned forward as far as could and feasted my eyes on the glittering water now rolling lazily in big smooth bill lows that rocked the brig almost as gently as a mother rocks the cradle of her firstborn.
 know not whetherit was the peculiarity of my disease or whether the newborn hope gave such fresh vitality to my system as enabled it to throw the fever off, or whether it was owing to an extra dose of quinine l had taken from box of pills which MT. Watson had left me, but from that time began to improve rapidly. True, after the first delirium of joy had passed, there came short period of depression and relapse, but stroye to keep up my courage, and the feeling of convalescence soon re- turned.
 My improvement may be judged from the fact that ere long l began to think there
  sel of food. got out of my berth, and aft CT some rumaging on hands and knees discovered box of biscuits, for happily had ample provisions on board, the crew at their departure having been more afraid of drowning than of getting hungry. My fare was rather dry, and not so much as might be supposed to suit the taste of sick per son, but I gnawed with so much relish that when the first biscuit was done took up another; it, too, was finished. Then took drink of water, bathed my hands and head and felt much revived.
 So much was restored indeed that it oc- cured to me to go on deck, and take my reckonings, and see how the crippled brig | looked and perhaps hoist a signal of dis tress. But that proving an enterprise still beyond my strength had another mouth i ful of fresh air and returned to bed. Lying | there tried to judge of the ships condi- | tion by her movements, but these guided | me to no conclusion save what l might | have arrived at without taking them into account-namely, that since she had float ] ed through the storm she might continue to float in the calm and that 1 might still be saved. So my courage remained good.
 That day passed in sort of dream, suf- fering somewhat from thirst, which ire l Quently slaked, but otherwise almost free pAlh. Nhg hSfaAs udo troubled me in the earlier stages of the dis 1 ease, was now clear, albeit occasionally rather light. l continued to enjoy the boon of fresh air, having by this time opened every port could get at. l When night fell, l was lonely, but un- l troubled by the multitude of horrors which had weighed upon me all the previous night. Nor on this second night was doomed to darkness. During my peregri- nations in the day had found an oil lamp, which, after careful trimming and light ing, swung from a rope in the center of the cabin. On the approach of darkness lighted it, then lay and waited for the rats, feeling certain they would repeat their visit. Nor was disappointed. | After awhile l heard suppressed 1 snneak then a fnrtiYe scranin1 and half a