Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1858-02-05


BY MARY W. JANvRIN.
The twilight is sad and dreary,
The wind blows wild and free,
And like the wings Of sea-birds h
Flash the white caps Of the ses.
But in the fshermau's cottage
There shines q redier light,
And the little face a. the window
Peers out into the night /
LoNGFELLow.
There was a terrible storm off the coast /
oi Scotland. Every frightened sea-bird /
7l; fastened land-wari and folded It's
wings ere the tempest came down upon
rae water. Every ship upon the sea
had furled her sails, and every fisherman,
.szia- anxiolsiy into the sullen sky.
po.ntei the prov Of his little skif shore
ward, straining every nerve to touch the
bsa.h ere the gale should break. Noun
an breakers came booming in and broke
mon the hard shore with noise like
.--nier; in little caves among the rocks
de angry waters hissed and boiled and
ra,4.i with q hollow sound and huge
p41-apped waves lashed themselves in
4-y at the base Of high, rocky pro-
gJ-:ory, far upon whose summit a little
a4.cloI-roofed cottage perched Ike an
slg.e's eyrie-a bright red glare from its
windows streaming far and wide over the
seA
Inside the cottage comely woman sat
beside the hearth, with an anxious, trou-
bed look upon her fratures-now lifting
her head to listen to the roaring sea, then
retouching the little ,ea-;able spread, with
It's clean def ware and savory fare-oat-
meal cakes, golden butter, and snowy
curd; or nervousIy arranging a suit ot
linsey-woo,sey over 4 chair at the fire
place. And babe slept quietly in its
little wooden cradle near the hearth and
at the window looking upon the sea
where a row Of cleaning lamps had been
hung, stood fair-haired boy of five sum
mers, shading his face with his little hand
and peering wistfdlly into the darkness
"Mther, mither" exclaimed the boy
at length, i see the ship. see ii :
Fathers ships comm in" And he ca
Psred and danced with joy.
Tne woman at the fireplace came ca
c-rly forward. But, looking from tn
window, she saw only the cleaning white
caps Of the breakers.
HOT. hoot, bairn!' she exclaimed
"ye dinna ken yer fathers vessel in sic
storm as this. It could ma reach POI
W 'as viii seI no In over Cromart
Rocks yonder. He will keep in the 0
fg al night, or put. into harbor doc
the coast somewhere-Captain Mile
keas the sea better'n you or I. laddit
Come 70 yer supper, Hugh. Father'Il 7
Get into night, and yed better be in bed
Turning from the window, Mrs. Mile
5lstlel about, set back the chair covere
with garments from the fire, poured o.
bowl of milk and placed high cha
for the boy, then sat down at the fiji
place. No food could pass her own liz
for despite her brave words, a territ
fear for the husband abroad on the u
ters was at her heart but for her chill
sake she strove to appear calm.
"Come, Hugh, laddie, come for J
supper, and then to bed, for ye must
up betimes to 90 down to the harbor
ne and see the ships come in. Coz
HughI7
But the little form at the window
not stir. Intently the child's eyes pier
the darkness, with straining eye-b
seeking to shape into form the white fc
upon the crested breakers.
"Mither, mither." be cried at lens
''t is the ship see ."-father's, and .
aid Wilson's and many more The
see, mither see, father stands on
deck, and points-and they steer i
they're comm, mither don't you
EN- right among the rocks there!
father is frst-and he points, and pc
look, naotier!'
But the excited mother saw notl
rave the crested waves.
Come away, laddie ye're daft
watching there at the window. c
away, Hugh" And she sought to
him to the Fireplace.
"Na, na, mither! Dinna make me
And the boy struggled free from
hand, and again pressed his little
close to the window-pane. Il maui
The shiP-ah, miiher, it's gone-g
icanna see it-but, mither, the sea
sea! ii Is all mad and foamin'. and |
father in it, and be reaches out his
n ur r d.