Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1896-06-27

passenger he turned it over and gave
it to him with the other side up.
you say that is your handwrit-
ing?' said he.
II need not say So. reloined the
other, looking at it, 'for you saw me
write it.
"Ani this = said the captain, turn
ing the slate over. The man looked
first ut one writing and then at the
other, quite coniounded. AT last,
"What is the meaning OF this y said
he II only wrote one of these Who
wrote the other 2
That's more than can tell you,
sir My mate here says you wrote it,
sitting ut this desk, at noon to-day"
The captain Of the wreck and the
passenger looked at each other, ex-
changing glances of intelligence and
surprise, and the former asked the
latter, Did you dream that you wrote
on this slate p
"No. sir not that | remember.
"lou speak Of dreaming" said the
captain of the bark. "What was this
gentleman about at noon to-day ?"
Captain" rejoined the other 1.-The
whole thing is most mysterious and
extraordinary, and had intended to
speak to you about it as soon as we
got little quiet. This gentleman,
pointing TO the passenger, "being much
exhausted. fell into heavy sleep, or
what seemed such, some time before
noon. After an hour or more he
awoke and said to me, Captain, we
shall be relieved this very day When
| asked him what reason he had for
saying 50, he replied that he had
dreamed he was on board bark, and
that she was coming to our rescue.
He described her appearance and rig,
and to our utter astonishment when
your vessel hove in sight she cores
ponded exactly TO his description OF
her We had not put much faith in
what he said, yet still we hoped there
might be something in it, for drown
ing men, you know. will catch at
straws. As it has turned out, | can
not doubt that 1t was all arranged in
some incomprehensible way by an
overruling Providence 50 that we
might be saved. To him be all thanks
for his goodncs, to us"
There is not Il doubt" rcioiced the
other captain, that the writing on the
slate, let it have come there is it may,
saved all your lives. ! was steering
at the time considerably south of west i,
and | altered my course to Eor'west
and had lookout aloft to see what
come Of it. But YOU say" he added,
turning to the passenger, that YOU
did not dream of writing ON Il slate?'
mo. sir | have no recollection
whatever Of doing so.
81 got the impression that the bark
| saw in my dream was coming To
rescue us, but how that impression
came cannot tell. There is another
very strange thing about it," he added.
"Everything here on board seems to
me quite familiar, yet | am very sure
| never was in your vessel before. 1t
is all puzzle to me. What did your
mate see?'
Thcreupon Mr.. Bruce related to
them all the circumstances above de
tailed. The conclusion they finally
arrived at was that it was special
interposition of Providence to save
them from what seemed IL hopeless fate.
The above narrative was commune
mated to me by Capt. }. 5. Clarke OF
the schooner Julia Hallock, who had
it directly from Mr.. Bruce himself,
They sailed together for seventeen
months in the years 1886 and 1887,
so that Capt. Clark had the story
from the mate eight years after the
occurrence. He has since lost sight
of him and now does not know wheth-
he is vet alive. Al he has heard OF
him since they were shipmates is that
he continued to trade to New Bruins
wick that he became the master OF
the brig Comet, and that she was lost.
| asked Captain Clarke if he knew
Bruce well and what sort of man he
was.
"As truthful and straightforward a
man. he replied, "as ever met i'll all
my life. We were as intimate as
brothers, and two men can't be to-
gether, shut up for IL months in the
same ship without getting TO know
whether they can trust one another 5
word or not. lie always spoke Of the
circumstances IN terms Of reverence, us
of an incident that seemed to bring
him nearer to God and to another
world Id stake my life upon 1t that
he told no lie.
Look out for the buffalo gnats and
grease the ears and other parts of the
horses most infested
When YOU have Il good horse stick
TO him. lie may not be fast, he may