S---, a young man,
making, like myself, his first voyage, was in the same watch, and as
he was the son of a professional man, and had been in a countingroom
in Boston, we found that we had many friends and topics in common.
We talked these matters over,- Boston, what our friends were probably
doing, our voyage, etc., until he went to take his turn at the
look-out, and left me to myself. I had now a fine time for reflection.
I felt for the first time the perfect silence of the sea. The
officer was walking the quarter deck, where I had no right to go,
one or two men were talking on the forecastle, whom I had little
inclination to join, so that I was left open to the full impression of
everything about me. However much I was affected by the beauty of
the sea, the bright stars, and the clouds driven swiftly over them,
I could not but remember that I was separating myself from all the
social and intellectual enjoyments of life. Yet, strange as it may
seem, I did then and afterwards take pleasure in these reflections,
hoping by them to prevent my becoming insensible to the value of
what I was leaving.
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