The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1903-06-05
Letter from Rev. F. F. Shannon,
Steamship"Ethiopla," of the Irish
Coast, May Is, 1903

Steamship"Ethiopla," of the Irish
Coast, May Is, 1903.
DEAR NEws;-
Not until recently have | been
capable of entering into full SYM
pathy with the trials and tribula.
lions OF that ancient sailor named
Jonah. / am willing to confess
that his burdens at sea were heavy
enough, but he enjoyed one privl-
lege which the average modern
seafarer is denied: He was swal-
lowed by whale. On land, con-
templating thus being gobbled up
is not at all pleasant, but on sea it
is a consummation devoutly TO be
wished, For, after one has joy
fully parted with the last crumb,
or anything resembling a crumb
taken into the system week be-
fore entering the ship, he is not
hard to convince that there may be
things in the depths OF the sea
worth going after, certainly there
are few objects on the surface that
; mahef1fe worth while. And then
travelling for few days in intimate
relations with a great fish, would
at least have tendency to relieve
the dread monotony of ship life.
Books and congenial companions
do much toward whipping the
slow-moving hours away, yet there
is still a mechanical march of daily
repetitions and scenery which are
exceedingly tiresome. Poets have
written OF the sea in the most eX'
travagant terms, but / venture the
modest assertion that they wert
far inland when their poetic rhap
sodies were spun, all memory of {
dolor0us croaking strikingly re
sembllng the words "New York ~
uttered in many different keys anC
various positions OF both head ant
.oI bsqldr-haVing been forgotten, fifth
sood Lord could give even poe
SO convenient memory ] vii
never forget. The words wer
spoken with too much seriousness
and the scenes connected there
with were too sternly realistic +
pass from my mind. "Remembe
thee w-yes, quite as unpleasant,
as Hamlet did his fathers ghost.
Perhaps one OF the most lasting
impressions made by the Atlanti
is that OF its Unreasonable vast
MESSIAH expanslveness that seem
TO billow away into infnity Itself
When a youngster at school, | re
member to have scanned the gee
graphical statement that three
fourths OF the globe were covere
by water with skeptical eye, Blu
now / can easily understand hoy
such a statement bears the STAN
of authority. Viewing such liqui
majesty rolling into measureles
plains OF water-resting never
moment and sometimes burstin
into a fury terrible to behold-one'
helplessness is indeed pitiabl
enough to command the sympath
of Him who holds it all in the hol
low OF His hand. Mans master
over the sea is wonderful, and ye
that mastery is, and will ever ht
limited. In her calmer moods,ma
may boast Of his supremacy, bu
when these fathomless depths ar
churned into a furious wrath, hoy
unspeakably slender is all huma
strength.
Then old ocean acknowledges bu
one lord and master-He VIII
walks its slippery pillows in tran
gull majesty, touching its fury int
calm, kissing its frown into peace
"a man overheard !" was the TEL
rifying cry that reached my ear
while sitting in the drawing room
Thursday afternoon OF last week
With one accord we rushed to tn
stern Of the vessel and beheld
; scene which viii be lodged in Cd
memories for long time to com,
that Of human head appearing