"Oh! father! I see a gleaming light; Oh! say, what may it be?" But the father answered never a word- Lashed to the helm, all stiff and stark, The lantern gleamed through the gleaming snow Then the maiden clasped her hands, and prayed That savèd she might be; And she thought of Christ who stilled the wave On the Lake of Galilee. And fast through the midnight dark and drear, And ever the fitful gusts between The breakers were right beneath her bows, And a whooping billow swept the crew She struck where the white and fleecy waves But the cruel rocks, they gored her side Her rattling shrouds, all sheathed in ice, At daybreak, on the black sea-beach, To see the form of a maiden fair The salt sea was frozen on her breast, And he saw her hair, like the brown sea-weed, Such was the wreck of the Hesperus, THE CONFEDERATE SPY. J. T. TROWBRIDGE. [There can be little doubt that one of the results of the termination of the late civil war in America will be the cropping up of a vast amount of desultory literature appertaining thereto. Happy it will be for the peace and goodwill of the re-United States if the same conciliatory spirit pervades it that characterizes the counsels of the wise President who now rules the destinies of the great Republic. This course would not only be generous but just, for one side must for many a long day remain silent on the subject. Only when the time arrives when the stirring events of the last four years can be calmly discussed as history, may thoughtful minds venture to give free expression to their causes and effects, and to descant on that inner life of the nation whose throes found vent in a widely-spread, though unsuccessful, revolution. Of its detail, contemporary history, the press, may furnish abundant material; but time-distance will be necessary to enable the future student of American history to reflect calmly on its results, which may or may not, but which, we trust, will be, conducive to the happiness of a nation with which English thought, feeling, and interests must ever be indissolubly mingled. One of the earliest instalments of the literature we have indicated has reached us in the shape of a novel entitled "The Three Scouts," by Mr. J. T. Trowbridge. It is spiritedly and dashingly written, but, as might be expected, is thoroughly Union and antislavery in its tendencies. We extract a scene, in which it is shown how a Federal youth is taken prisoner, and how he obtains his release. The incident being complete in itself, well told, and very startling, will form a ten minutes' reading highly calculated to interest and rivet the attention of an audience.] THE sun set upon the city; upon the white tents of the patriot camps encircling it, stretching for miles over the sombre hills like a chain of snow drifts, and upon the lonely sentinels of the distant outposts. Night came on. The soldiers in their canvas city slept; while far-away mothers, sisters, wives, in their comfortable homes, dreamed of the loved ones here. Did Fred's mother sleep that night? Did she dream of her darling boy resting upon the hard ground with those of the guard who rested, or watching with those who watched? Did she see him start from deep sleep late in the night, and, leaping up with his comrades, answer to his low-spoken name? The fires They are going to relieve the sentinels. are out, and in silence and darkness they proceed along the shadowy side of the ridge. They mount towards its crest, in the direction of some dwarfish trees faintly defined against the dim sky. Suddenly a voice behind challenges. "Halt!" The party halts. "Who goes there?" "Relief," is the low response. "Advance, sergeant, with the countersign." The sergeant advances, and whispers the magic word in the ear of the challenger. The latter in turn I whispers it in the ear of the soldier who relieves him. The new sentinels take their places; the old ones fall into the rear of the relieving party, as it marches on. Then all is silence again on the dark crest of the ridge. Fred is stationed near some low cedar-trees that screen the pickets there from the enemy's observation. He is not alone: he has old Joel for a companion. There is no moon, and but few stars are visible. What a strange, silent, lonely night! Nobody knows how near the enemy is. He may be far away in those woods yonder; or he may be dangerously closewithin a few rods. Fred moves continually about, examining the ground. "Didn't ye hear nothing?" whispers old Joel. "A crackling noise down there in the holler!" They listen not a sound! Fred crouches low, in order to discern against the sky any object that may be moving near. He puts his ear to the ground. Footsteps! There is somebody approaching. Two or three forms are visible. "Halt! Who goes there?" "Patrol." "Stand! Advance one with the countersign." The countersign is right. The patrol asks a few questions, and moves on. Again silence. "There'll be an attack along the line here, somewheres about daylight," prognosticates old Joel. "There always is after one o' them spies has been around." "Do you mean that Union man Cy brought in? He was no spy!" says Fred. "Bet my rations on that. He's in the rebel camp, long 'fore this. I believe Southern Union men are a humbug, gen'ly; and the whole pass system is wus'n the deuce. I wouldn't grant one o'them chaps a pass to go where they please, any more'n I'd———. noise anything?" "Only the wind: it is rising a little." Challenge it!" says Fred. Was that Joel challenges. No response. He is about to fire, when Fred, who can scarce restrain his laughter, stops him. "It's nothing but a bough waving in the wind!” "So I thought when I challenged it," says the old man; "but it's always well to be sure." Slowly the moments drag. The stars grow dim. The dawn is not far off. What thoughts come to the boy soldier as he watches there?-his mother, who loves him, and whose life would be left so desolate if any accident should happen to him—the deadly terrible war; (and when, when will it ever end?) the strange sense of loneliness and mystery that fills him as he listens, and looks up at the far, dim stars; and, beating under all, a wild pulse of ambition, as he thinks of the glory which may be won. Hark! what is that? Surely a sound of hoofs, distant, moving slowly as with cautious approach. "Jake!" whispers Fred; "a troop of horse!" "It's only our videttes," says Jake, languidly. "You and old Joel are always seeing bugbears." A small stream flows through a ravine in front of the picket line. Beyond that the ground is broken and partially wooded. Ridge and hollow are beginning to appear faintly defined in the early December twilight. Fred strains his eyes, gazing to catch the first indication of a movement in that direction. Suddenly, crack! crack! The enemy has been discovered by pickets farther down, and been fired upon. The reports are a signal of alarm to the outposts. They also serve as a signal to the enemy that his approach is perceived. Instantly the muffled sound of hoofs breaks into a clatter, a clash-a galloping headlong rush over the hillsides, down the slopes-crash, crash through the thickets! plash, plash, into the water! and crack, crack, flash, flash, all along the line of pickets! "Told ye so!" cried old Joel. "I said there'd be an attack." "Nothing but a little cavalry dash!" says Jake, alert. "Don't ye run!" (Jake is decidedly averse to running.) "I don't believe there's going to be much of a shower!" 66 They have dashed into our boys below!" cries Fred. "Fall back, or we shall be cut off." "The "Don't ye run, I tell ye!" reiterates Jake. boys down there will look out for themselves. It's onl |