Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1854-07-27

which all men worship as the perfection
tof womanly beauty, but having soft
blue eye, strangely shaded by jet black
brows, her face presented the contrast
of purity of whiteness of complxion, set
off by raven hair; and yet that hair,
hanging in clustering curls, unbound by
comb or fillet, and the whole face lit up
with an expression of gentle trust and
complete confidence either in all around
her, or else in her own indomitable de-
termination. For Mary Sinclair had q
mind of her own, and far seeing one,
too. She was nineteen then.
Her father died in the house, and at
tended the solemn procession that bore
his remains over hill and valley to the
old church yard, in which his ancestors
were laid. Once after that / called on
the family, and then avoided them. l
cannot tell you what was the cause of
the aversion l had to entering that
house, or approaching the influence of
the matchless girl. believed that l
feared the magic of her beauty, and
was impressed with my own unworthi-
ness to love or to be loved by her. /
knew her associates were of the noble,
the educated, the refined, and that was
none of those. What then could ex
pect but misery, if l yielded to the
charms of that exquisite beauty, or to
the graces which l knew were within
her SOUL
A year passed, and l was a very boy
in my continued thoug hts of her; l per
suaded myself thousand times that l
did not love her, and thousand times
determined to prove it by entering her
presence. At length threw myself in
the vortex of London society, and was
lost in the whirlpool.
One evening at crowded assembly, /
was standing near window in recess,
talking with lady, when felt strange
thrill. 1 cannot describe it to you, but
its effect was visible to my companion
who instantly said:
"You are unweIl, Mr.. Stewart, are
you not? Your face become suddenly
flushed, and your hand trembled so as
to shake the curtain"
1t was inexplicable to myself but /
was startled at the announcement of Mr..
and Miss Sinclair. l turned and saw
she was entering on her brothers arm,
more beautiful than ever. How did l
escape, l did not know, but did so.
Thrice afterward l was warned of
her presence in the same mysterious
way, till believed that there was some
mystery linked between us two, of un
known but powerful character. have
since learned to believe in the communi-
cation of spirit with spirit, and some
times without material Intervention.
l heard of her frequently as engaged
to Mr.. Waller, a man whom l knew
well, and was ready to do honor as
worthy of her love. When at length l
saw as l supposed, very satisfactory
evidence of the rumor, / left London
and met them no more. The same ru
NOR followed me in letters, and yet l
was mad enough to dream of Mary Sin
clair, until months after ! awoke to a
sense of what fool l had been. Con-
vinced of this went aboard my yacht,
about midsummer, and for four weeks
never set my foot on shore.
One sultry day when pitch was fry
ing on the deck, in the hot sun, we rolled
heavily in the Bay of Biscay, and l
passed the afternoon under sail in the
larboard quarter deck. Towards eve
ming fancied a storm was brewing, and
having made all ready for it, smoked on
the taff-rail till midnight, and then
turned in. Will you believe me, 1 felt
that strange thrill through my veins, as
l lay in my hammock, and awoke with it
about fifteen seconds before the watch
on deck called suddenly to the man at
wheel, "Port-port your helml sail
on the lee bowl steady! SOP
l was on deck in an instant, and saw
that stiff breeze was blowing, and a
small schooner showing no lights had
crossed our forefoot within pistol shot,
and was now bearing up to the north
west. The sky was cloudy and dark,
but the breeze was very steady, and l
went below again, and after endeavor-
ing vainly to account for the emotion l
had felt, in my reasonable way, at
length fell asleep and the rocking of my
vessel, as she flew before the wind, gave
just motion enough to my hammock to
, lull me into sound slumber. But l
dreamed all night of Mary Sinclair.
[ dreamed OF her, but it was in unpleas-
! ant dreams. l saw her stand on the
/ deck of the Foam, and as would ad-
vance toward her, the form of Waller
would interpose. l would fancy at
times, that my arms were around her
4 and her head lay on my shoulder; and
} then, by the strange mutations o.
r dreams it was not l, but Waller, thai
S was holding her, and 1 was chained to 9
e post, looking at them; and she would
q kiss him and again the-kiss would b.
burning on my lips. The morning founc
Y me wide awoke, reasoning myself on
d of my fancies. By noon had enough
to do. The ocean was reused. A TEN
: pest was on the sea, and the Foam
}; went before it.
II Night came down gloomily. Th'
J. very blackness of darkness was on th'
IS water as ives flew before the terrible
blast. was on deck, lashed to th'
wheel by which / stood with a knif