Page:Socialism, Its Growth and Outcome - William Morris and Ernest Belfort Bax (1909).djvu/15



N one of Edgar Allen Poe's tales he recounts how a little group of wrecked seafarers on a water-logged vessel, at the last extremity of starvation, are suddenly made delirious with joy at seeing a sail approaching them. As she came near them she seemed to be managed strangely and unseamanly as though she were scarcely steered at all, but come near she did, and their joy was too great for them to think much of this anomaly. At last they saw the seamen on board of her, and noted one in the bows especially who seemed to be looking at them with great curiosity, nodding also as though encouraging them to have patience, and smiling at them constantly, showing while he did so a set