The Steam-Packet: A Tale of the River and the Ocean — page 389: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

302 THE STEAM PACKET. made clear, and the prospect plain, so that the way appear familiar, then every anxiety will cease, and every fear be removed.” Of a part with this reasoning is the modern theory that all the works of God, we had almost said the very character of the Almighty, are only sub- lime because they are mysterious; and that when Science unfolds her lights more fully, and we come to understand how minute particles make up the great whole, we shall cease to admire—we shall no longer reverence; and veneration will find no place in our bosoms. Poor, weak, blind fools! to adore the instrument as the independent cause 5 to worship the secondary light and forget the sun ! It is because man is asinful being that he is unhappy at the thought of dissolution. It is because his heart is darkened by error, and his soul ‘tainted by depravity, that he dreads futurity ; for in that future some- thing whispers to him that all may not be well! He fears the change, because that change may bring with it retribution; and let his belief be what it may, nay, we care not whether he have any belief at all, he cannot at the last hour force such convictions from his mind, nor stifle the ‘still small voice” that utters, with alarming distinctness, “‘ Be- ware! beware! ”’ : In about half an hour after the steam-packet had been deserted: by its passengers and crew, and when at a distance of, perhaps, three or four miles from the two boats which were labouring im the sea, and making but small head-way, Captain Bloomfield exclaimed, ‘‘ There— the steamer will be no more in another minute!” The boats were so close to each other that these words were heard in both; and, while the sailors rested for a few moments upon their oars, every eye was turned towards the burning ship, which was still hurrying onwards upon the bosom of the sea that was shortly to engulph the remnant of the once gallant vessel. Suddenly, the flames which had burnt dimly for a moment,—a circumstance that had enabled Captain Bloomfield to judge of the approaching catastrophe,—burst upwards in one grand and immense volume of fire: and the small outline of black hull be- neath the red mass immediately afterwards disappeared. The flames were extinguished as suddenly asa candle by a human hand: and nothing remained to interrupt the view between the boats and the ho- rizon that was dark with lowering clouds. Two weary hours passed away, and some provision—the only moveable taken from the ship that was now no more—was dealt out to those who cared to partake of it. ‘*A sail! a sail!’’ suddenly exclaimed the man at the helm of one the boats. . ‘Where away?” cried Captain Bloomfield, taking his glass; and Eomichbooks:. co