forward with great violence; and we were both more bruised by this happy event, than by all the tossings and tumblings we had experienced, during the hurrie ine. We saw ourselves at length delivered from the perils of the ocean, and placed in a state of security: we raised our hearts to the fountain of mercy, and blessed God in thankfulness. We looked back upon the ocean, and the reef, and the rocky islands, from whose horrors we so lately escaped, with strong emotions still partaking of terror; but it was not long before our self I suppose I slept some hours: for when I awoke. I looked up, and saw my wife sitting by me, with Fidele at her side: she had been watching me in my sleep. Said she, "You have taken a sweet rest: how delightfully the breeze blows in upon us, through the cabin windows! I should now be very comfortable, if we could find the boat with our companions." I arose, and set about hunting for some biscuit, and found the bag I had intended to throw into the long boat, hanging on a nail behind the ladder; and there I saw our two goats huddled together behind a hammock possession completely returned: we were in a snug place, and the sea all on this side of the reef, to far beyond us, perfectly smooth: we felt ourselves under God's protection, and were at ease. The poor dog was overjoyed by the first admission of light, and by our presence, and seemed as if he would jump out of his skin. I soon succeeded in getting all the dead lights out; we then saw tables, chairs, swinging lamp, chests, trunks, and many other things huddled together, and some smashed to pieces. We now felt our exhaustion, but I could not find any bread, nor, indeed, anything else, at the instant. Soon, however, I laid my hand on an unbroken bottle of wine jammed up in one of the berths, and we took a small quantity: then, reclining on the after-lockers, we both fell asleep. I brought the bag along with me, and we began to eat of it with thankfulness; taking a little sup of the wine now and then from the bottle. I told Eliza I had seen the goats, and that they were alive. One of them, I was sorry to find, had its hinder leg broken; but we could not at that instant attend to it; for it occurred to me, that the bow of the vessel should be immediately secured to the rocks, as another hurricane might come, and blow us out of the creek. There was plenty of rope on deck, which I set about making fast round large blocks of cliff on our larboard bow; then rested content, after three or four hours' great exertion, with what I had done. Meanwhile my wife had taken the dead fowls from the coop, and fed the remaining live ones. "One of the drowned fowls," observed I, "will be a good dinner for us, and we want it."-"I am not hungry," she replied; "yet you must be so: but how can we make a fire?" I bethought myself of the ship's spy-glass; "This will do," said I; "the great lens is a burning-glass; I will step on shore with it, and kindle a fire.' We put up our provisions, and with my wife and her faithful dog, both overjoyed, we once more trod the welcome earth again. We looked on the vessel with deep emotion, and on the strange land we were now for the first time treading together the probable residence of our future life, whether long or short. We proceeded along the sand under the rocks, picking up some dry branches and dead leaves; but being under the shadow of a high precipice, I carried some of my fuel to a place where the sun shone; then unscrewing the top of the spy-glass, I ignited the leaves, and thus a fire was instantly kindled. My helpmate set to work plucking the fowls, while I removed the fire closer to the rock, into the shade. "We have no water," she said, and I am indeed very thirsty." I therefore proposed to walk along under the rocks, and look for a spring. She did not like me to go out of her sight, fearing I should be surprised by savages, who might be somewhere about. This idea had never yet crossed my mind; but I confess it made me very uneasy. In consequence, we agreed to dress the fowls as fast as we could, and return on board to eat them. We then retraced our steps to the brig, fearing every moment to be surprised by the natives. To repel any attack from them I lost no time in getting down the three muskets which had hung securely in their fastening. I tried the flints, and loaded the muskets, and with this preparation for our defence, I was at present satisfied. We now set to work to put the wreck of furniture, and other things, in their places. Before evening the cabin looked much as it used to do and the vessel being in a perfectly safe and quiet inlet, we felt much comfort in the possession of so desirable an asylum. : We again went upon deck, to look around for the boat and our companions. To have a more extended view, I went up the fore-rigging, when I was enabled to see over the sandy beach, which seemed about half a mile broad; and I was delighted to behold an extensive lake or harbour, surrounded by land, immediately on the further side. A confused idea crossed my mind, that we were somewhere on the Spanish Main; and, on coming down, I told Eliza what I thought. "Well, be it as it may," said she, we have felt that God is gracious, and we will rest entirely upon his providence." I wished her to land again, saying, we would walk under the rocks to the further side of the isthmus. "I 66 will do so, if you wish it," she replied; "but I think it were better to defer it until the morning; and in the mean time we can do something for the poor goat that has broken its leg; and make some other arrangements here;" to which I instantly acquiesced. I got the poor goat upon deck, and bound up its broken leg; then, bringing up the other, gave them half a dozen plantains, which they ate eagerly. All our vegetable stock, brought from Kingston, had been put into the steerage in hampers. Here were the sailors' berths, and chests, and a few yams and plantains, which they had provided to eat with their salt meat : they also kept a bag here for biscuits, and supplied it at their pleasure. On finding this new store, we gave the remainder in our bag to the few fowls and ducks that had survived the storm: their feathers were now dry, and they looked quite cheery. The sun being set, the evening came on apace; we therefore retired to our cabin, closing the companion door after us. We lay down in peace and thankfulness to our heavenly Father for his providential care of us; but our slumbers were disturbed by the noises of the preceding night yet ringing in our ears. We arose with the dawn, the cool freshness of which was truly delightful: a couple of oranges, with biscuit, was our breakfast: and, still finding water in the tea-kettle, we drank some of it, mixed with a little wine. "Now," said I, “will you venture on shore, and let us explore the other side of the isthmus ?"-"Yes," she replied, "I will go cheerfully now.' I took two of the muskets, and gave to her a boarding-pike to carry as a staff, and to have recourse to for defence, if necessary; and, with our faithful little dog, we descended at one step from the brig's side to the rock. We thus proceeded to cross the isthmus, close under the precipitous promontory; when, after walking about two hundred yards, we suddenly had a distinct view of the fine sheet of water beyond, with land on every side of it. The rocks were wooded high up, more or less, with palmettos and some other small trees. When we came within about two hundred yards of the beach, they terminated abruptly in a high front to the west; opposite to which lay a low black rock, that stretched itself into the lake. We looked round the face of the promontory, and had the inexpressible delight to see at no great distance a spring of water gushing forth in an ample stream, clear as crystal. We thought of the Israelites in the desert, and we blessed their God and ours; feeling that the gracious words of his mercy were literally verified unto us, giving us "rivers of water in a dry place, and the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.” 120 GLEANINGS FROM POPULAR AUTHORS. one of my hands into the man-hole,' (I think this why he'd a swounded right down on the spot, was the name he gave to the oval-shaped opening I did, and I ain't ashamed to own it to no whi in the head of the boiler), through which the smith had entered to make his repairs. I fell man." The big drops actually stood upon the po with my arm thrust so far into the aperture that I fellow's brow, as he now paused for a moment could desire; soundly." as "I should mention thongh, that, before closing have ever been able to recall distinctly, and t my eyes, I several times shifted my position. I must have come on shortly before I recovered had gone first to the farthest end of the boiler, consciousness. then again I had crawled back to the man-hole, to night had been, as I have told you, at the put my hand out to feel that it was really still end of the boiler. Well, I now dreamed that open. The warmest place was at the farther end, My resting-place through manhole was still open, and, what seems curi where I finally established myself, and that I rather than laughable, if you take it in connect knew from the first. white men here out west. It was foolish in me to think that the opening through which I had just entered could be closed without my hearing it, and that, too, when no one was astir but myself; but the blow on the side of my face made me a little nervous perhaps besides, I never could bear to be shut up in any place-it always gives a wild-like feeling about the head. You may laugh, stranger, but I believe I should suffocate in an empty church if I once felt that I was so shut up in it that I I have met men afore now, could not get out. just like me, or worse rather, much worse-men that it made sort of furious, to be tied down to anything, yet so soft-like and contradictory in their natures that you might lead them anywhere so long as they didn't feel the string. Stranger, it takes all sorts of people to make a world; and we may have a good many of the worst kind of But I have seen folks upon this river-quiet-looking chaps, too, as ever you see who were so tetotally carakterankterous that they'd shoot the doctor who'd tell them they couldn't live when ailing, and make a die of it, just out of spite, when told they must get well. Yes, fellows as fond of the good things of earth as you and I, yet who'd rush like mad right over the gang-plank of life if once brought to believe Thunder and bees! that they had to stay in this world whether they wanted to leave it or not. if such a fellow as that had heard the cocks crow as I did awakened to find darkness about himdarkness so thick you might cut it with a knife heard other sounds, too, to tell that it was morning, and scrambling to fumble for that manhole, found it, too, black-closed-black-and even as the rest of that iron coffin around him, closed, with not rivet-hole to let light and air in why a with other things, I fancied that my legs had evening before that they now reached the w "At first (in my dreaming reflections), it v that it was closed-a second time brought home a chance to the s sense seemed to have tenfold acuteness, yet not one eager cictuante de. iron walls seemed to tingle around me. The dal treman ding wat HS mock at, while they deadened, my screams. "At last I gave myself up. It is the struggle both te against our fate which frenzies the mind. We way d cease to fear when we cease to hope. I gave my self up, and then I grew calm! "I was resigned to die-resigned even to my becide the act of mode of death. It was not, I thought, so very fath • new after all, as to awaken unwonted horror fire whe in a man. Thousands have been surk to the inte the bottom of the ocean shut up in the holds of death even th vessels-beating themselves against the battened Ids remed hatches-dragged down from the upper workin shrieking, not for life, but for death only beneath (tly engecewa the eye and amid the breath of heaven. Thousands "I! have endured that appalling kind of suffocation. splek op pran an a I would die only as many a better man had died taken before me. I could meet such a death. I said so using a -I thought so—I felt so-felt so, I mean, for a of the bon and we o minute-or more; ten minutes it may have been-thru The warran or but an instant of time. I know not, nor does wild they see X it matter if I could compute it. There was a time play azon a wee then, when I was resigned to my fate. But the soul to a new r Heaven! was I resigned to it in the shape in the de bo let me the i which next it came to appal? Stranger, I felt Shed Invent that water growing hot about my limbs, though geser Way the wie it was yet mid-leg deep. I felt it, and in the to be en same moment heard the roar of the furnace that wh was to turn it into steam before it could get deep heart enough to drown one! "You shudder. It was hideous. But I g shrink and shrivel, and crumble down upon that fem da iron floor, and lose my senses in that horrid any worin d of fear? No! though my brain swam and the blood that curdled at my heart seemed abo stagnate there for ever, still I knew! I was to the 11t cry out more. But I struck-feebly at first and game I hear the grating of chains, the shing of an the very rustle of a rope-hear them wi few inches of me! I did; but the pain ve K-2 that was growing hotter and hotter and my ex-eis tremities made more noise within 20 dron than did my frenzied to ansia Hacer. “Latterly I had hardly had my pool pan an but now the growing heat of the water made me plash to and fro; lifting my vyf was impossible, but I end at man met I stumbled upon something; i va a mad og un DID not take the "No," I said, "this is my first attempt." temporary editor-Very likely. Have you had any experience in ship of an agricul- agriculture practically!" tural paper with- "No, I believe I have not." "Some instinct told me so," said the old gentleman, putting on his spectacles and looking over them at me with asperity, while he folded his paper into a convement shape. I wish to read you what ship without mis-must have made me have that instinct. It was givings But I this editorial. Listen, and see if it was you that wrote it : was in circum- the salary an paper was going off for a holiday, and I accepted the terms he offered and took his place. The sensation of being at work again was luxurious, and I wrought all the week with unflagging pleasure. We went to press, and I waited a day with some solicitude to see whether my effort was going to attract any notice. As I left the office, toward sundown, a group of men and boys | at the foot of the stairs dispersed with one impulse, and gave me passage-way, and I heard one or two of them say, "That's him!" I was naturally pleased by this incident. The next morning I found a similar group at the foot of the stairs, and scattered couples and individuals standing, here and there in the street, and over the way, watching me with interest. The group separated and fell back as I approached, and I heard a man say, "Look at his eye!" I pretended not to observe the notice I was attracting, but secretly I was pleased with it, and was purposing to write an account of it to my aunt. I went up the short flight of stairs, and heard cheery voices and a ringing laugh as I drew near the door, which I opened, and caught a glimpse of two young rural-looking men, whose faces blanched and lengthened when they saw me, and then they both plunged through the window with a great crash. I was surprised. In about half an hour an old gentleman, with a flowing beard and a fine but rather austere face, entered, and sat down at my invitation. He seemed to have something on his mind. He took off his hat and set it on the floor, and got out of it a red silk handkerchief and a copy of our paper. He put the paper on his lap, and, while he polished his spectacles with his handkerchief, he said, "Are you the new editor!" I said I was. Turnips should never be pulled, it injures them. It is much better to send a boy up and let him shake the tree.' "Now, what do you think of that !--for I really suppose you wrote it." "Think of it? Why, I think it is good. I think it is sense. I have no doubt that every year millions and millions of bushels of turnips are spoiled in this township alone by being pulled in half-ripe condition, when, if they had sent a boy up to shake the tree--" a "Shake your grandmother! Turnips don't grow on trees!" "Oh, they don't, don't they? Well, who said they did? The language was intended to be figurative, wholly figurative. Anybody that knows anything will know that I meant that the boy should shake the vine." Then this old person got up and tore his paper all into small shreds, and stamped on them, and broke several things with his cane, and said I did not know as much as a cow; and then went out and banged the door after him, and, in short, acted in such a way that I fancied he was displeased about something. But, not knowing what the trouble was, I could not be any help to him. Pretty soon after this, a long cadaverous creature, with lanky locks hanging down to his shoulders, and a week's stubble bristling from the hills and valleys of his face, darted within the door, and halted motionless, with finger on lip, and head and body bent in listening attitude. No sound was heard. Still he listened. No sound. Then he turned the key in the door, and came elaborately tiptoeing toward me till he was within long reaching distance of me, when he stopped, and after scanning my face with intense interest for awhile, drew a folded copy of our paper from his bosom, and said "There, you wrote that. Read it to me, quick! "Have you ever edited an agricultural paper Relieve me. I suffer." before?" I read as follows: and as the sentences fell |