The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1901-01-29
By Weatherby Chesney and Alick Munro


Observation-Disclosures
/. There before us lay a landlocked har-
bora sheltered from outside view on
every side. yet capable of giving an
Ichorage to an armada If need be. Not
= vessel foated on its smooth waters,
and solitary seal was swimming
about near it's upper end, now fishing
for his breakfast beneath the surface,
now erecting his head and staring anx-
iously about him. We paid but little
heed to him, however. for at the har-
Dor entrance we saw that which to any
true mariner is the saddest sight in the
whole world.
A finger Of rock rose, black and ugly,
from the soft blue waters and, wedged
into cleft which divided it to the wa
ster's edge, lay the corpse of what had
once been a stout and stately ship, a
snowy plumaged carrack. Now. with
Sher foremost snapped like carrot
chasm in her waist and rivers of clear
water kissing into the retreating ebb
from a score Of starting seams in her
sides, she was but a battered ruin,
CHASTITY wave racked wreck.
A hundred different signs-the litter
rof cordage on her deck, the streamers
Of futtering canvas hanging over her
shattered bulwarks, the tangled fringe
Of broken spars and sea torn planks
( floating like fallen leaves around her
all made 1T easy for a seaman's eye to
Judge that she had not lain there long,
aand the great storm Of two days ago
gave an exact date.
NJ No sign Of life showed upon her lit
\ tered decks. The sun was high in the
morning heavens, but her gunners
were not furnishing up her culverins
|and falconets in the waists. No candle
Eimmers were in the poop lanterns
3|scleaning the glasses and refilling the
R1c0nces; no cooks were busy heating
the great ships kettle to boil the morn
Hing meal. The last sentry had left his
@pOst without calling relief. The silence
NOf death was over all.
IN the open channel which lay be-
q tween the, carrack and the land spit
There foated something over which a
ES1ozen sea fowl were screaming and
8 hghting. A glance was enough to show
what it was for which they fought; it
was the Ill starred lover of a mer-
&maiden some stout, mariner swept
from the decks by a huge green wave
and then seized by snowy arms and
cried away to a beauteous home
&mong the branching sea shrubs.
NM 4 could see in my minds eye all that
Il happened from the moment when he
was loosed from his trance.
q F1S yawnss stretches, shakes himself,
Awakens. The mermaid is standing
Il beside him, glass in hand, comblng her
I streaming tresses. She turns, meets
Il his gaze and speaks in words which
ii I'LL him with delight. She puts conch
4 shell to her ruby lips and blows call
1t sounds afar through the waving
4 bushes, through the rainbow colored
i weeds, over the open plain. through
the tangled forest. The brilliant fishes
hear the note and shoot away through
the limpid water with it's message. A
5SEs6chool OF dolphins cry holiday to their
e#master and come gamboling up to the
n tryst to lie in a cleaning circle on the
kSjeweled sand. Then follow troops of
mermaidens, some riding on the backs
of Shaggy sea horses, some racing
EHalong in she'll chariots drawn by teams
Of semulous porpoises; and after them
GOme the mermen, bearing posies of
FAIR sea flowers which wither when
&Ethey meet the air. All stand and mar
VEL at the mortal who has ventured
down among the glories of their en-
chanted kingdom.
Then there bursts out strain Of deli
cious melody, and the mermaidens
chant which rises and falls to the
@throb of the sea bosom, tells the lone
atranger how he must comport himself
Eff he wishes to endure in this land OF
This new birth.
And this did hear them sing:
THE GREETING.
Welcome, bright welcome, o wave Graded mari
IN ner!
vs. Welcome to bask in our beauteous realm.
I'M Pleasure it is for the merfolk to minister
lES Unto mortal beneath oceans whelm
THE PRoFFER
We are thy servants, lord, slaves to thy beckon
ing;
j NoHles iel US leau 10 the great sea King man,
Beat thee on Neptunes throne, meath azure GOV
III ering,
81 There to receive our best riches, our ALL
EGold Of the galleon groans in thy treasures;
Jewels the chastest we'll lay at thy knee;
Fruit trees most curious blow on thy terraces
R Flowers, heaven nurtured. to brighten the sea.
&P2arls we will bring to thee, coras and cowries,
hi Perfume thy robe with the gray ambergris.
HI Men give their hands to thee, maidens their dow
# ries;s
M Never, great lord, shall our fealty cease.
n THE WARNING.
\ But, oh. lord, bewarel
Have care, have care.
s Keep thy beating heart still in its breast.
Sss Have care, have
wv Good my lord, oh, beware!
~ Love for maidens is not for our guest
Love for maidens is not for the mel
yffnIl'S plIaSf The man knows that