Natalie; Or, A Gem Among the Sea-Weeds

by Emma V. Hallett

"Let us hear a little of your history, my good fellow: begin with the beautiful lady," said Mr. Alboni, proudly contemplating his grand-daughter.

"It's a yarn, your honor, that hasn't been spun to every jack tar that's sailed the seas, for I've a sort of feeling about me, that her memory shouldn't be used to gratify common curiosity; and, sir, it's only through the lady's sweet face, so much like her, that I am induced to tell the story, word for word. Ye see, it was about twenty years ago, come September, and I shipped for a voyage to America in the De--De--, well, never mind the name; those Frenchmen always spile their crafts with a jaw-breaker of a name. Well, we had a fair time of it, till we got pretty well on to the American shores; and as for me, I never expect to enjoy myself again, as I did the first part of that voyage. We had quite a crowd of passengers, and among them was a gentleman, with his lady and child; if that wasn't the handsomest couple that I ever sot eyes on, then I've missed my reckonings! The lady,--why, your honor, it fairly dazzled my eyes to look at her! She always had a kind word for everybody; even us old tars she would talk with, as if she wasn't the best lady in the world; there wasn't one of us but would have gone to the mast-head feet first, to do her a favor; and as for gold, she wasted a young fortune on our ugly selves. We were within a couple o' days sail of New York, when one of those moist fogs came up, such as will make a fellow lose a whisk of his patience, if he happens to have any. Well, we kept on, as we thought, in the same course, for about twelve hours, when, like a clap of thunder, we struck fast upon a rock! It was as calm as 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 did!" exclaimed the weeping Natalie, holding the great rough hand of the tar within her own; "the little bark bore her in safety to a peaceful shore, where she was received with open arms by those who have filled the place of her natural parents. You see before you, my honest friend, no other than the child of that gentle mother, whose parting from her babe you witnessed."

Sampson gazed upon her with astonishment, and clapping both hands to his head, as if to assure himself that his exterior was yet in a healthful condition, whatever transmogrification the interior might have undergone, he exclaimed,--"I'm not so sure, after all, that my name's Sampson! I really begin to think that I must have gone down, with the rest; and yet, I could swear to it that I'm a portion of that dust-heap! If my topsails aren't shivered this time; clean gone by the board!" and as if to verify his words, he sank deeper into his chair, and broke into such a train of musing, as caused the little son of Africa in attendance, to jingle his glasses right merrily, that the wild bursts of his uncontrollable mirth might sound the less.

Mr. Alboni could scarce credit what he had heard. "And the parchment," inquired he, "what was the purport of that?"

The tar sat as one in a trance, but by certain gesticulations, it appeared that his skysails were not so shattered that he did not comprehend the drift of the question, and after much tugging and pulling at an old waistcoat, which was worn beneath the round-about, he produced a roll, which, from twenty years' wear, it having been his constant companion during that time, by sea and by land, had become in appearance of an uncertain nature, and handing it to the gentleman, he said, after examining the miniature which Natalie put into his hand, of her mother, "The document belongs to her, and if I'd a happened to have met her on the sea, I might have known it, even If I hadn't seen the picture of the noble lady, for she's the exact imitation; but I never can get the land fog out of my eyes when I'm ashore. That's a sorry looking bit of paper, your honor, but it's what'll buy more than one twist of pig-tail."

Mr. Alboni perused the document. He was astounded!--not so much at the contents of that soiled bit of parchment, which was the instrument by which Natalie, or the holder, could come into possession of a handsome fortune; but it was at the honesty of this whole-souled sailor. Was it possible that this poor fellow, who gained his bread by dint of hard labor, having a fortune within his grasp, which he conscientiously could have called his own, had not disturbed a farthing thereof?--choosing rather to reap the fruits of his own industry, treasuring this rich legacy, as sacred to the memory of a friend.

Is there indeed such honor to be found in the breast of fallen man? Aye, 't is the heart of the noble sailor that beats with a heroism like this! To him who goeth down to the great waters in ships, such honor is due!

"And you have had this in your possession for more than twenty years," said Mr. Alboni, "and yet have never helped yourself to a cent of that which was rightly your own? Pray tell me, how would you have disposed of this wealth at last, had you never heard of an heiress to the estate?"

"D' ye see, sir, I haven't travelled this world over so many times, without making a beacon light occasionally. Now there's a difference in light-houses, yer honor. There's the revolving light, and many other kinds of light, but the brightest of all is that steady light which shines into the darkness of the poor sailor's soul. I first made that light, sir, at the Seamen's Home, in New York, and it was there I made up my mind that I would lend this money to the Lord, for I was convinced that that would be the most profitable investment; and I've been thinking of it more and more, for these last few days, if I hadn't better settle this on the Home, for you know these iron frames will give out after a while; men don't live to see nine hundred years nowadays, though I'm named after the strongest fellow that ever handled a harpoon."