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we invariably saluted with a discharge
from our rifles.
The disembogues by three
principal mouths, and about 10 o’clock,
the day after leaving New Orleans, we
entered the one called the South-West
Pass, and in a few minutes thereafter we
had crossed the bar, and were rolling and
tossing upon the blue waves of the Gulf
of Mexico. The line was cast off from
*the steamer, sails hoisted, and we were
soon rolling along before a stiff breeze in
the direction of the distant shores of Tex
as. For a long ways out we noticed that
the waves of the Gulf were discolored by
the immense volume continually poured
forth by the “Father of Waters.” In a
few hours, we lost sight of the low shores
of Louisiana, and nothing was to be seen
except the sky and the apparently inter
minable expanse of the waste of waters.
Our vessel was a small one, and with fifty
or sixty passengers on board, you can
; well imagine we Avere considerably in
want of elbow room. For my share of
' the accommodations, I appropriated a
large coil of cable, in the hollo w of which,
by doubling up after the fashion of a jack
knife, I managed to snooze pretty com
fortably every night.
The second day out, about sundown,
we observed a small black cloud in the
north, which, spreading rapidly, soon ob
l scured the greater part of the heavens.
[Sails were reefed, the hatches battened
Mown, and every precaution taken to se
feure ourselves against the “Norther” —
1 one of those terribly fierce winds that
prevail in that latitude,— which was mo
; mentarily expected to sweep down upon
us. And, in fact, scarcely had we made
all snug before it struck us with unusual
| violence, carrying away our main-top
[ gallant-mast, and forcing our vessel upon
l her beam ends. She soon righted, liow
iever, and away we scudded, under bare
I poles, before the blast, that whistled and
I shrieked through the rigging and cordage
| in a way not at all pleasant or enlivening
Ito the ears of landsmen. Soon the waves
r began to rise, and our vessel to toss and
I pitch in the most uncomfortable manner,
|and feeling some of the premonitory
I symptoms of sea-sickness, I retired below
to my coil of cable; but the rushing of
■ the waters, and the trampling of the sail
iors overhead, effectually drove away
I sleep. The next morning the storm had
| abated, the sun shone out clear and warm,
land from that time until we reached Ve
it lasco, we had uninterruptedly pleasant
1 weather.
During the height of the storm, great
I numbers of flying fish flew aboard and
jfefbll upon the decks of our vessel, which
BURKE’S WEEKLY.
afforded an agi’eeable addition to our or
dinary fare of sea biscuit and salt junk.
They are a delicate little fish, from six to
eight inches in length, with two long fins,
resembling wings, projecting from the
upper portion of their bodies. When
pursued by the grouper, dolphin, or other
large fish, they may be seen rising in
clouds from the tops of the waves and
flying for fifty or a hundred yards in the
direction of the wind, dipping again for a
moment in the water, from which they
quickly rise for another flight, should
their indefatigable enemies still continue
the chase. Their flight rarely exceeds a
hundred yards, for the reason that their
wings or fins are unable to support them
when perfectly dried by contact with the
air.
♦♦♦—
Little Ella.
BT JULIA L. KRYS.
One night, when every weary head
Was on its pillow prest,
When all around and in the house
Seemed quietly at rest,
One pair of eyes were gazing
With a lustre dark and bright—
Beyond the open casement.
On the star-gom’d vault of night.
So calm without, so still within
Why could not Ella sleep ?
She had not knelt and asked of God
Her life and soul to keep.
The loving kiss to her mamma
To-night she had not given—
And she found she’d not bo guarded
By the angels up in Heaven.
So, gliding from her bed, she knelt
And raised her heart in prayer
To Him above, who hears the voice
Os children everywhere.
“ Oh, God! preserve my mother,
And my father, who’s away.
And forgive their little Ella
For forgetting Thee to-day.”
“ Good night, mamma,” she softly spoke,
And kissed her on the cheek,
But so heavy were her slumbers
She did not hear her speak.
Now that her heart was lightened
Her eye-lids quietly closed,
And sweetly then the little girl
Upon her bed reposed. . ,
Miss Barber s weekly.
—
A Taylor Jug.
A clergyman, in his travels, met with
an emigrant journeying with his family
to the fertile regions of the Mississippi.
All his worldly goods were packed on
wagons, and on one of the wagons there
hung a jug with the bottom knocked out,
lie asked him why he carried that with
him. “ Why,” said he, “ that is my Tay
lor jug.” “ And what is a Taylor jug ?”
asked my friend. “Why,” said he, “I
had a son with Gen. Taylor’s army, in
Mexico, and the old General told him to
carry his whisky jug with a hole in the
bottom; since that time I have carried
my jug as you see it, and find it is the
very best invention I ever met with.
Crosses are ladders that lead up to
heaven.
“ I CANNOT, SIR.”
YOUNG man —we will
call him honest Frank—
Avho loved the truth, was
a clerk in the office of
some rich merchants.—
wpjp One day a letter came recalling an
order for goods that had been re
ceived the day before. One of the
E 7 merchants handed the note to
Frank, and Avith a persuasive smile
said:
“ Frank, reply to this note. Say the
goods Avere shipped before the receipt of
the letter countermanding the order.”
Frank looked into his employer’s face
Avith a sad btit firm glance, and replied:
“ I cannot, sir.”
“ Why not, sir ?” asked the merchant,
angrily.
“Because the goods are iioav in the
yard, and it Avould be a lie, sir.”
“I hope you Avill always be so particu
lar,” replied the merchant, turning upon
his heel and going aAvay.
Honest Frank did a bold as Avell as a
right thing. What do you suppose hap
pened to him ? Lost his place ? No,
quite different. The merchant Avas too
shreAvd to turn away one aaTio Avould not
Avrite a lying letter. lie kneAA T the Amlue
of such a youth, and instead of turning
him away, made him his confidential
clerk.— S. S. Advocate.
God’s Plan of Your Life.
Never complain of your birth, your
training, your employment, your hard
ships ; never fancy that you could be
something if you only had a different lot
assigned you. God understands his OAvn
plan, and He understands AA’liat you want
a great deal better than you do. The
very things that you most depreciate as
fatal limitations or obstructions, are pro
bably Avhat you most A\ T ant. ■ What you
call hindrances, obstacles, discourage
ments, are probably God’s opportunities;
and it is nothing new that the patient
should dislike his medicines, or any cer
tain proof that they are poisons. No ! A
truce to all such impatience! Choke that
devilish en\y Avhich gnaAvs your heart
because you are not in the same lot with
others ; bring down your soul, or rather,
bring it up to receive God’s will, and do
His Avork in your lot, in your sphere, un
der your cloud of obscurity, against your
temptations; and then you shall find that
your condition is never opposed to your
good, but really consistent Avith it.— Dr.
Bushnell.
IfegrWho is the oldest lunatic on* re
ord ? Time out of mind.
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