any day I ever saw, but our sails were all set, and that with the
run of the sea, gave us no small shock; but our captain hoped we might
not have received any serious damages, and set the carpenters to work to
find what our situation was. Well, your honor, it wasn't ten minutes
after we struck, afore we began to settle down. I knew I'd sailed the
ocean longer than our captain, and when I found that we were going down,
I ran below, and found the gentleman and his lady, and told them just
how matters stood with us, and offered to stand by them till the last;
for we had but two boats aboard, and I knew there'd be a scene. When the
lady heard this, she turned to her husband, and said,--'I am prepared,
to share whatever is to be your fate, Paul; but God in mercy save our
child!" We went aloft to the hurricane deck, and such a sight I have
never seen since! every man, woman, and child that we met there, was
looking for something, if no more than a straw, to save themselves. We
had now settled down even with the water, when I, 'spying a large trough
floating near, made for it, and the gentleman taking the babe from its
mother's arms, spread a few clothes in it, and lashed the little thing
into this curious looking craft; both gave it one last kiss, and it was
launched on the wide ocean. At this instant the lady drew from her
pocket a roll of parchment, and handing it to me, said,--"You may be
saved; if you ever hear from my child again, put this into safe hands
for her; but if you should never hear of her, keep it for yourself, and
may God be with us all." At that moment we were carried down, and as I
rose again, I caught at a spar which was floating near, and looking
after my friends, I saw them rise far to leeward; they were still
clasped in each other's arms. I would willingly have gone down if she
might have been saved; but that could not be, and I was borne far out to
sea. The fog lifted, but I was not able to make my whereabouts, and in
this condition I was left for two days, when I was picked up by a vessel
bound to Liverpool direct. I told the captain my story, and found that
we had missed our bearings, that our vessel had been wrecked upon the
Nantucket shoals. Our voyage proved to be a long and stormy one, for the
September gales took us on to the coast of Africa; and when a year after
I shipped for New York, I heard nothing of the child, and have always
supposed her little bark took her to a better land."

"And so it