Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1896-12-01
FROM PARIS, MAINE, TO PARIS.
FRANCE.
No. 2.
A NIGHT AND DAY on sHrpBoARp

NIGHT AND A DAY on SHIPBoARD
From our Special Foreign Correspondent
OK BOARD STEAMSHIP "PAyoNIA," !
ATLANTIC OCEAN, Nov. l, 1896. !
"From thin feecy cloud.
Like n fair virgin veiled, the moon looks out
With such serene and sweet benignity
That Night unknit his gloomy brows and
smiled"
The first night at sea came down upon
US In all its solemnity, that can but over
whelm when We realize our helplessness
and insignifcance, and how easily that
might befall which would cause disaster,
horror, and desolation.
The night Is lonely and balmy as an
evening In June instead Of late autumn,
and summer breeze sweeps the ocean,
where the lights along the shore,
as they recede and disappear, tell us that
soon we shall be where no light can
reach us, far, far away in the vastness
and greatness Of the boundess ocean.
All down the western horizon, fading
rays Of light still wander, though even
now in the clear heavens the evening
star has risen and is shining calm and
clear as soul entered into Its eternal
rest. Each moment IL grows brighter,
gaining glory as the day declines.
The sea, clothed round with raiment
OF white waves. and rich with sparkling
life, dA,he- itself against the sides of
our stsunch ship and falls with soothing
music on the listuing ear.
la the distance the ocean is at rest.
wrapped in sullen sleep, and now, over
head, all down the sleeps OF heaven,
myriads more of stars are set 10 Hood
the slumbering world with their cold,
clear beauty.
IL Is now past midnight, and BY and by
the moon that has grown thin and pale
to shadow with giving out 10 Us all its
strength aud light, struggles fecbiy
from the deep. The stars are growing
pale, aud already the oceans heart
begins 10 throb "a the kiss of morn wakes
the silent sleeper; and We turn away
from the unearthly solemnity OF the
hour, to the thoughts that rise within US
OF the dear ones left behind, that each
cruel moment Is taking Us further ana
farther away from; and "a we read the
tender parting messages that they could
not speak, then truly the ocean might
envy us.
But at last the long sad night OF wait
ing is spent, and the morning dswns as
the glorious orb OF day springs out
from underneath the foam llecked cover
lid OF his couch in the sea, looiing all
with light. We say dH. though 10 our
expansive vision that word means but
two objects-the sea aud our noble ship
for the sea and sky seem one, a. no
dividing line Is visible, and not cloud,
not ship, not even sea bird flits
across our sight.
But hsrk, What familiar sound do
We hear: Right al our elbow, as We sit
out on the deck, comes the sound that
for many mOons-or suns-has wakened
Us from slumber. We look around, not
knowing whether We dream, or have
really never started on this journey, bu,
are still In our own place at home; the
delusion l. dispellcd. for hop, hopping,
chirp, chirping, comes an English spar
row and lights at our feet. Did YOU
follow Us. little bird, from your perch nj
our chamber window, because YOU
thought we would be homesick without
YOU: You thought about right, for
though We did not then appreciate your
zeal, when YOU disturbed our morning
slumhers, We do now appreciate your
devotion, and are only too willing TO
lose sight ot the fact that we are glad
that one at least of your tribe Is going
back TO England.
The sun makes a pathway of splendor
from the very foam clad feet OF our
ship, widening 10 the horizon, which NE
could imagine might be the celestial
thoroughfare 10 heaven, did they not tell
us that that road was narrow, rough
and stony.
We are now nearing the Grand Banks
Of Newfoundland, where 80 many OF our
brave fishermen who have gone down 10
the sea in ships, have found watery
graves. None can tell how many OF
their bones lie whitening underneath the
track our ship rides over, or how many
more have been swallowed up by
monsters Of the deep.
Here we catch sight for the first time
OF the beautiful sea bird, the stormy
petrol, whom many OF you have doubt
less heard OF or read about. Ihey are
called petrels, or ''little Peters" because
they walk on the waves rs Peter the dis
cipie did. but sailors call them mother
Carey's chickens" from the superstition
that Roman Catholic sailors have, that
Mary, mother of Jesus, the Latin name
OF which is Mater Cara, (meaning
mother DEAR, sends the petrol to
warn them of coming storms, and no
sailor could be induced TO harm one OF
them. The English sailors who knew
no Latin mispronounced the words, ana
they soon became changed TO mother
Cary"
There is a tribe of Indians on the
coast Of the Bay Of Fundy, with whom
we once had the privilege OF slight
acquaintance. in the way OF observation
II not Of speech,-for they have DIS
tinct language of their own,--and their
name for the bird is "men-he-bi-meh-sit, J"
which being interpreted means tine
skimmers." These little web-footed
birds, with their dark plumage aud
white trimmings, are not much larger
than swallows, and resemble them TO
some extent, though their wings are
longer and very gracefully curved, and
they remind one OF the true poetry OF
motion" as they fit and soar and sail
about the ship.
They hatch their broods on the rocks,
but take them when quite young out on
the great ocean. where they hop about
aud make their home among the fosming
pillows, and often follow vessels Tar out
to sea, where they feed and thrive on
scraps, which are thrown from the ships.
At night they tuck their heads under
their wings and go TO sleep fearlessiy on
the rocking waves.
But now, though We have no earth 10
come back TO, We must return 10 ter
restrial things, and tell you something
about life on shipboard. When you
step from the gangplank in Boston
harbor, though not exactly on Engiish
soil YOU are practically in England, for
the customs, speech, manners and peo-
pie are all English, and everywhere you
see the lines drawn, regarding position,
or caste, or aristocracy, or wealth.
or birth. whichever you may be pleased
10 call il. There are three different
degrees Of passengers-the saloon, the
second cabin, and the steerage. Some
Just as intelligent and cultivated people
70 in the second cabin sometimes, as do
in the first, and for considerably less
money; but everywhere are notices
posted up, mo second cabin passengers
allowed through this doorway" or "this
companion way" as the case may be-
Then there is the steerage, which Is
cheaner still. and on the lower deck