THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
D^atrittg for t|e |ouug, 
NAG’S HEAD; 
Or, a First and Last Sea Voyage. 
DR. J. T. PAYNE. 
Twenty-five years ago there lived atStonehain, 
near Boston, a hoy named William Lewis,—com¬ 
monly called “ BUI” Lewis. He was known as an 
Intelligent lad, lor one or sixteen years, lie had 
mastered the studies ot the common school; his 
rather, who divided his talent between a srnaU 
grocery store and a rarm, set his race squarely 
against, his son’s going to a higher Institution. 
“ B1U,” he said. “ can take his choice between rarm 
and shop ; but be must follow one or the other.” 
The boy decided to try the shop. He had not 
served long behind the counter, when lie was one 
day directed by his father to go to Boston and pur¬ 
chase a hogshead of molasses, and other articles 
to replenish the stock. Mr. Lewis was desirous ot 
retiring from trade and giving over that business 
to his son, while he devoted himself to agricul¬ 
ture ; he therefore thought that Ills son, should 
learn how to buy as well as how to sell. BUI set 
off with a sum of money In his pocket and driving 
a flue span or black horses; he was in pretty high 
glee at the thought of being so much or a business 
man. 
Arriving at the city he drove to the great ivliole- 
sale house of Day &. Knight. Leaving Ids team 
before the door, he entered, made known his 
wants, and was conducted to the cellar, where he 
tasted of different grades of molasses, priced them, 
and made a careful selection. He then returned 
up stairs and with a good deal of talking tilled out 
his list of purchases, closing what he considered 
a very good bargain. 
It should be said that Bill’s mother had never 
liked the Idea of his following In the footsteps of 
his father; she had selected, one after another, 
at least half a dozen different vocations for her 
son; the latter, however, assured her that he 
should one day be a merchant prince, If allowed 
to succeed to the little grocery. 
As he stood In the great Boston store, his pride 
was wonderfully gratified, and he thought he was 
just going to show his mother, what was bis 
ability to transact business, indeed, he had told 
her on leaving homo that by the time he returned 
she would perceive that be was something more 
than a boy. 
What grief awaited him! On going out to place 
his team for loading, he round to his dismay that 
It had been stolen. 
BUI hurried through street after street, and 
spent the remainder of the day in a fruitless 
search. That night he lodged at a hotel, and In 
the morning continued his wanderings about, town, 
seeking the black liorses and the lost wagon eve¬ 
rywhere. He made some Inquiries of strangers 
whom he met, but tor the most part, was only 
laughed at. It looked as if they didn’t take much 
stock in his story. 
in the afternoon he met two men near the Boston 
and Maine Depot who took a deep interest in his 
case and offered to help him. They were sharpers, 
and before parting company with the country lad, 
they managed to fleece him of three hundred 
doUars. 
It was this climax of misfortunes which made 
B1U hasten to the end of T Wharf, firmly resolved 
upon throwing himself into the water and getting 
beyond tUe sufferings of this evil Ufe. fils pride 
was too deeply wounded; he had not the courage 
to face his family. 
As he approached he saw a schooner with saUs 
set, apparently ready for sea. He jumped on 
board the craft and asked the captain If he would 
accept a boy as one of the crow. 
“ I would accept you,” replied the captain, “ as 
I am one hand short, but there Is no time for you 
to go after your luggage.” 
“ i’ll go as I am,” said Bill. 
11 I’ll give you eight dollars a month, and It’s a 
bargain,” said the master. 
“ Very well." 
“ What Is your name ?" 
“BUI; what Is yours, sir?” 
“ My name Is Captain Smart.” 
“ castoff the lines there,” he called to his men; 
and before BUI bad time to reflect on what he was 
doing, the Pandora was steering down Boston 
Harbor, whether on a long voyage or a short one, 
he knew not. 
Poor Bill was very slek during four or live days 
after leaving port, and often wished himself at 
home. But as he began to recover, his determina¬ 
tion returned, and he made up his mind never to 
return home until he should be able to make good 
his losses. 
Days passed ere he took sufflclenl Interest lu the 
matter to ascertain that they were bound for New 
Orleans. The craft was off Key West, and one 
bright, hot. day BUI saw the captain " take the 
sun.” TUe process being explained to him, Bill 
took a slate and pencil and shortly had worked 
out the position of the vessel. His effort pleased 
the captain, and gave the youthful sailor n stand¬ 
ing among his companions. 
On arriving at the mouth of the Mississippi, the 
Pandora was taken in tow by a tug and carried up 
New Orleans. BUI saw strange scenes aloug 
the river, one of which was the negroes working 
lu the fields of sugar-cane. Arrived at, the Cres¬ 
cent city, the captain pushed the work of discharg¬ 
ing his cargo, for he learned that yellow fever was 
In the city. 
B1U risked a walk about town, fever or no fever. 
In Barrow Street he saw a sign—“ Real Estate and 
Slaves." The building on which the sign was, 
showed age, and had a yard with a high wall 
attached. A door was standing open, and there 
was a strange group of men, white and black, 
within the yard. Bill entered to see what the 
place was like, and to observe the oddly-dressed 
characters. There was an auction-block, and on 
It were placed by turns negro men, women and 
children, and sold to the highest bidder. The 
sight made the boy shudder, and he walked quick¬ 
ly hack to the Pandora, with no wish to see more 
of the Southern metropolis. 
The schooner having been discharged and a 
cargo of molasses taken aboard, the trim little 
vessel was, In a few days from her arrival partly 
drifting and partly sailing down the river on the 
return voyage. Before they were out of the Gulf 
of Mexico, the mate sickened and died of some 
sort of fever. The captain also was sick several 
days; and It so happened that B1U was the only 
well person on board who could take the sun. 
A ship's chart is much like a map, and when the 
vessel's position Is found at noon, a little o Is 
marked on the chart to Indicate the point, and a 
line drawn wlLh a pencU to the o made on the pre¬ 
ceding day. So that the track taken by a ship 
when marked down on the chart, looks more like 
a drawing or a fence than anything else. Bill was 
very proud when the captain appointed him to 
keep the log during the voyage; which was des¬ 
tined to be shorter than they could wish. 
Off Nag’s Head, not far from Cape Hatteras, on 
the North Carolina coast, a terrible storm burst 
upon the Pandora, and her sails were badly torn 
by the wind. The captain got up from his sick 
bed and was much on deck, for he could not rest 
In a time of danger. As night came on, with wind 
howling through the rigging, he felt In peril ol‘ 
being driven ashore. At length he saw what he 
Believed to be a ship's light between them and the 
land, rising and falling with the motions peculiar 
to lights on vessels subject to tlie action of the 
waves. This sight reassured him, for, according 
to that, his position was a safe one, and he took 
courage. 
But how were ills suddenly revived hopes dashed, 
when one of the sailors ran aft and shouted In his 
ear, “Breakers! breakers ahead!” immediately 
the Pandora struck, and the huge waves com¬ 
menced pounding her to pieces. The captain’s 
orders were scarcely heard or heeded. They tried 
to launch a boat, but it was crushed like an egg¬ 
shell, and a wave that swept the deck carried 
away one of the crew. The masts had snapped 
like fagots and gone over the side; cracking sounds 
told that the vessel was breaking against the rock. 
The other boat., a small one, was gotten out, aud 
tlie crew leaped Into It, all save Bill. As lie was 
about to follow, a huge wave broke over him, and 
carried the boat beyond his reach. As he clung to 
the wreck, he saw the little boat lifted on one wave 
and another rill, by the light of the moon that Just 
then tried to break tluougb the clouds, he beheld 
the boat, bottom up. A moment more and all trace 
of It and its freight had disappeared. 
Bill tried to consider what was to bo done. The 
timbers were giving way beneath bis feet; to Hug¬ 
er was surely to perish. Throwing off his clothes, 
he plunged Into the angry sea, that tossed him as 
If he were a bit of cork. He swam toward the land, 
and after a prolonged struggle with the waves, 
found hlmseir lu the surf, washed back and forth, 
his strength fast leaving him. At last ho wp p 
fortunate as to crawl out of the water and up tin! 
sandy beach. 
Seeing a hut close at hand, he went to It. It 
proved to be the home of Evan O’Neil, fisherman 
and wrecker, who on being aroused, admitted tlie 
half-drowned lad and gave him clothes and food. 
Then without stopping to hear many particulars, 
he dashed away to the beach to secure whatever of 
value might have been brought in from the wreck, 
while Bill, utterly exhausted, fell asleep. 
The vessel was a total loss. All the crew per¬ 
ished; but captain smart, having lashed hlmseir 
to a spar, finally drifted ashore, more dead than 
alive. With a few days’ rest, however, he recov¬ 
ered ills strength and set off for Washington, 
where he bad some Influential friends, who ob¬ 
tained Mm a situation In tlie navy. 
tv bat of our bero and the wreckers T The latter 
gathered at the nearest point to the Pandora, but 
they got little booty and cursed the lost ship on 
account of the scarcity of plunder. Wild as these 
men were, the wrecked lad concluded to make Ills 
home with them till better days came, TUe truth 
Ls, he did not for some time understand the char¬ 
acter of those he had fallen among. Ho, for more 
than a year and a half he shared the cabin of 
O’Neil, the youngest and smartest, of the gang. 
Many years ago, a man named Tom Rider was a 
leading villain or that cluss. He owned an old 
white horse that was known as Klder’B Nag. To 
the head of his nag, Rlderwould attach a lighted lan¬ 
tern, then ride the poor beast, who hobbled, up and 
down the beach, the false light imitating the mo¬ 
tions of a ship's light. It was in Just this way t he 
Paudora was led on to her destruction. How 
many ships have been cast away, how many lives 
lost on that fatal shore through such wicked prac¬ 
tices, the world has no means of knowing. This 
explains how the place got the name of Nag’s 
Head, which it has kept to this day. 
When Bill became acquainted with the secrets 
or Nag’s Head, he tried to break up the nefarious 
business, but without success. 
one night the ship Rosa Duncan was, through 
the wreckers’ lights, stranded on that. Inhospita¬ 
ble shore, some of tliesallors barely escaped wltti 
tlielr lives. Captain Balne commanded the ship, 
and had with him on the voyage his wife and their 
only daughter, Kitty, a fine lass of fifteen sum¬ 
mers. 
Bill Lewis showed real bravery during that 
night of wreck, and rescued from an impending 
rate the captain, with Ms wife and clilld. The 
vessel and cargo were a total loss. When 
Captain Balne reached his home in Portland he 
did not forget the lad who had saved his life and 
the lives ot those dear to him. One of his first acts 
was to Bend young Lewis a present of live hundred 
dollars. As soon as he received the money, Bill 
set his face homeward glad enough to part with 
those evil men. 
Arriving In Boston he purchased a wagon and 
a span of liorses superior to those he had lost, and 
having procured the very same list of articles he 
had been sent for two years before, drove home 
to stoneham. Need I say his father aud mother 
were overjoyed to see Mm ? He had been given up 
as dead. 
Bill was the lion of the day; but somehow, be 
disliked to remain In that quiet little town. He 
wanted to travel again, and see more of the world. 
Receiving a kind Invitation from Captain Balne, 
he went down East, and passed some time In the 
family of the prosperous mariner. Kitty Balne, 
the little blonde, was vevy charming, and soon 
Bill found himself, fathoms deep in love with the 
captain's daughter. The remainder ls easily 
guessed. Years have passed; Captain Balne has 
retired from sea-life with a fortune; and his daugh¬ 
ter is Mrs. Kitty Lewis. Mr. William Lewis, as 
he ls now called, founded a happy home near 
Portland, which is none the less happy after these 
years. A conspicuous object to be seen In his 
parlor, ls a picture of the place where Ms for¬ 
tunes changed,—Nag’s Read .—The watchman. 
Dear Uncle Make :—Words fall to express my 
thanks for the seeds you sent, for we did not ex¬ 
pect them. We sowed them the same day they 
were received, bur, as it was rather late, we did 
not sou all of the peppers or eggplants. Mother 
was afraid to venture with, all or them as we live 
far North. We were weeding the Defiance Wheat 
to-day and It looks splendid. Father went to the 
potato field to see fiow the Beauty of Hebron po¬ 
tato was getting aloug, and lie found the Inclosed 
Insect or beetle on the stake that was In the Mil. 
1 send It to you aud ask you to tell me Its name. 
Please publish this letter if you think It worthy of 
publication. Your thankful niece, 
Bruce Co., Out. Addik Burnham. 
[The name of the beetle you sent me ls Klater 
oculatus; It belongs to tlie spring-beetles Elate- 
ridm. These beetles are peculiar for the power they 
have of jumping up when they lay on their backs. 
The name oculatus refers to the large, oval, vel¬ 
vet-black spot, like an eye, on each side of the 
breast, or thorax. The larvae ot this genus are 
called wire-worms from t.helr slimness, their un¬ 
common hardness and their brownish color, which 
give them the appearance of a piece of wire. 
Where they are numerous t hey are very destruc¬ 
tive to vegetation, feeding as they do on seed when 
put In the ground, as com, potatoes, etc., and also 
on the roots of plants. The best remedy ls to ex¬ 
pose them to the birds. Uncle Mark.] 
I am a little girl, ten years old, and 1 live In the 
Willamette valley. Father has taken the Rural 
since I can remember. I have been reading the 
boys’ and girls’ letters, and like them very much. 
I have no pels except flowers and chickens, T 
want to tell you my studies at school: they are 
reading, spelling, arithmetic, geography, gram¬ 
mar and writing. A writer In the Rural of April 
a, on page iit5, mentions a small book by Prof. 
Gray, called “ now Plants Grow," and as I desire 
to study botany, 1 think that ls the book l want. 
Please let me know where I can get it, and what 
It will cost. Olive Ward. 
Warton co„ Oregon. 
[You can get Professor Gray’s How Plants Grow, 
or the American News company, this city, or 
through this office. The price ls soc.— Uncle 
Mark.] 
CROSS-WORD ENIGMA. 
My first ls in grain, but not In rye, 
My second ls In pen, but not In sty; 
My third ls In north, but not In west, 
My fourth Is In bird, but not In nest; 
My fifth la lu gravel, lull not In sand, 
My sixth Is In earth, but not In land ; 
My seventh ls In arm, but, not In leg, 
,My eight Is In cent, but not in beg; 
My ninth Is in four, but not In five, 
My tenth Is In bees, but not In hive ; 
My eleventh Is In short, but not In long, 
My twelfth is In stove, but not lu tong; 
My thirteenth ls In quarter, but not in yield, 
My whole Is In a General, who died on the battle 
field. 
tsr*Answer In two weeks. M. S. 
MISCELLANEOUS ENIGMA. 
I am composed of 33 letters: 
My 30, 29, 97, 3, u, 19,4, T, 2, is to chew. 
My 12, 8, 9, so, 22, 1, ls a JewlBh coin. 
My S3, 2 T>, 32, 6, 10 , 4, 21, 24, 26, 18, 29, 1 , 14, 11 , Is 
a luminous phenomenon. 
My lc, 13, 23, ll, 14.19, is a medicine. 
My 17, 28 , 5, 2,1C, Is to r enew. 
My 33, 9, 5, Is to know. 
My whole Is a wise maxim. 
Answer in two weeks. M ick. 
A DIAGONAL PUZZLE, 
1. A consonant: 2. Two vowels; 3. To move 
quickly; 4 . Part of a slipper; r>. An oriental coun¬ 
try; c. An accident; 7. A sMp on the ice; 8. First; 
9. A tale;—Prlruals and diagonals from two fruits. 
CWAnswer in two weeks. L. O. 
•-#»• - 
PUZZLER ANSWERS.—June 14. 
Hidden Parts oe a Ship or Steam Kit.—1. Chains 
2. Hftinmu<sk; 3. Deck; 4. State-rooms, 6. Steerage; b 
Office; 7. Gangway, 8. Galley ; 9, Movmurit .10. Screw 
11 Engine, 12. Anchor; IS. Halyard; it bulkhead ; 15 
Berth; 16. Hearn,er; 17. Scull; ft. Taffi-atl; 19 Lwline 
20 . Lilli'; 21. Keel; 22. Biggin*; 211. Bowline; 24, Jib, 25 
BullwarkH. 
A Fractional Puzzle.—*' Anna Arundal.” 
A Drop-Letter Puzzle.— Snare ub, good Lord. 
Word Square:- 
(1 A O A 
ABEL 
GERM 
ELMS 
Diagonal Puzzle:— 
H 
A 
K 
T 
Priinala form “ Hart.” 
Diagonals form “ Hare,” 
E 
(rare) 
SILENT SONGS. 
When the song's gone out of your life 
That you thought would last to the end ; 
That first sweet soug of the heart, 
That no after days can lend— 
The song of the wind to the trees— 
Tbe song of the wind to the flowers— 
The Bong that the heart sing* low to itself 
When It wakes in life’s morning hours. 
You can start no other song; 
Nor even a tremulous note. 
Will falter forth on the empty air— 
It dies in your aching throat. 
It is all in vain that you try, 
For the spirit of song has fled; 
The nightingale sings no more to the rose, 
When the beautiful flower is dead. 
So let Bileuoo softly fall 
On the bruised heart's quivering strings; 
Perhaps from the lose of ail you may learn 
The song that the seraph sings— 
A grand and glorious psalm 
That will tremble and rise and thrill. 
And fill your breast with is grateful rest 
And its lonely yearnings still. 
--» ♦ » 
DID SHE LOVE MOST? 
It was a sore affliction to Mary and Martha when 
Lazarus, their only brother, sickened and died. 
Desolate now was their home, aud greatly did they 
long lor the presence of .Tcsus, their best; friend, 
with them. And now at length he draws near. 
Hlscomlng is announced, and Martha immediately 
goes out to meet him. Her first words to him are: 
“ Lord, if thou hadst been here, ray brother bad 
not died.” And Mary kept her place. " She sat 
still In the house.” She wal ted there t ill her slater 
returned and called her secretly, saying: “ The 
Master ls come, and calleth for thee.” And as soon 
as she heard that, she arose quickly and came unto 
him ; aud as soon as she was come where Jesus 
was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, say¬ 
ing In the same words of Martha , “ Lord, If thou 
hadst beeu here, my brother had not died." 
Was it that Martha loved Jesus more than Mary, 
that she was more forward to go out to meet him ? 
Was this a demonstration of more ardent affec¬ 
tion V We can hardly think so. We are assured that 
“ Jesus loved Martha and her sister;” and they 
both loved him In return. Ills love was recipro¬ 
cated, and It was sincere on tbe part of both. But 
we regard it as no certain proof that the love of 
Martini was sujierior to that of Mary, that she so 
promptly sprang to meet the Saviour as he ap¬ 
proached. We are differently constituted. Our 
natural temperaments are unlike. One person 
manifests lift love In one way, and another In an¬ 
other. So was It with these sisters; and we doubt 
not that Jesus, who knew all men, saw that Mary 
loved him not less than .Martha. It may have been 
that he saw that she loved him more. 
And so, too. In the case of Peter. 1 1 may have 
been that Jesus saw that he loved him no more 
than the other disciples, who w ere less demonstra¬ 
tive. He was foremost to say to the Saviour: 
« Though I should die with thee, yet will I not de¬ 
ny thee.” And when, atter Ills resurrection, the 
Saviour appeared to his disciples as they were en¬ 
gaged Id fishing, and John said unto Peter, “ It ls 
the Lord,” It was Peter who, first of all, rushed to 
meet blin. But was this certain proof that he 
loved him more strongly than James and John 
and the other four dlclples, who remained at their 
post, dragging the multitude of fishes that they 
had caught, to the shore ? We are by no means 
sure that It was so. Peter was naturally Impul¬ 
sive ; he was a man of quick and ardent feelings ; 
and yet this love ruay have been no deeper and 
stronger than that of Ills more quiet brethren. 
II we Judge by the forwardness of men, we may 
sometimes make mistakes. In a prayer meeting 
there are those who are always on their feet. 
Give them the opportunity, and they are al¬ 
ways prompt to take a part. They can’t keep 
quiet. It were much more of a cross to them to 
keep still, like Mary, than to rise up, as did 
Martha. And yet they may, In fact, love no more 
than the brother whose voice Is rarely heard. 
Were the matter brought to a test, the latter 
might stand it better than the former, it was 
John, aud not Peter, who stood firmest In the hour 
of fiery trial; and who can say but that Hie same 
might have been the case with the gentle Mary? 
“I cannot plead for Jesns,” said a diffident lady 
before iih examining church committee, “but I 
cou,ld die for him.” 
---»♦» ■ ■- 
HOW THE APOSTLES DIED. 
1. Peter was crucified In Rome, and, at his own 
request, with bft head downward. 
2 . Andrew was crucified by being bound to a 
cross with cords, on which he hung two days, ex¬ 
horting the people till he expired. 
3. St. James the Great was beheaded by order of 
Herod, at Jerusalem. 
4 . St. James tbe Leas was thrown from a high 
pinnacle, then stoned, and finally killed with a 
fullers club. 
s. 8t. Philip was bound and hanged against a 
pillar. 
c. St. Bartholomew was flayed to death by com¬ 
mand of a barbarous king. 
7. 8t. Matthew was killed with a halberd. 
8. St. Thomas, while at prayer, was shot with a 
shower of lances, and afterward run through the 
body with a lance. 
». St. Simon was crucified. 
10 . Thaddeus, or Judas, was cruelly put to death. 
11. St. Matthias; the manner or his death is 
somewhat doubtful: one says stoned, then be¬ 
headed ; another says he was crucified. 
12. Judas Iscariot fell, and his bowels gushed 
out. 
13. St. John died a natural death. 
14. St. Paul was beheaded by order of Nero, 
