The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1859-02-17
The Mariners Bride.

1
roarcd, the rain dashed, and the neighbor-
ing surf thundered on the Iron-bound coast,
till the fail cottage seemed torock in the strife
of the elements. The young bride stood by
the window, pressing her face against the
pane, and vainly endeavoring to pierce the
darkness with her dim eye, from which the
tears fell hot and fast .- ..t,. ....... ....
She had been married but fortnight, and
this was the first absence of her husband
The belle of an inland town, she had refused
every admircr, till the frank manners and
handsome person of a young fisherman, who
had already won reputation in his pursuit,
accomplished the conquest of her heart
But of the pcrils of his avocation she had
never thought, up to this day, except to take
pride in the courage and skill which bravcd
them. Now, however, the dangers that en-
compaSsed him came home to her soul in all
their magnitude. Every fresh wall of the
wind seemed his dir-e. She was beginning
to learn wnat it was to be mariner 5
bride.
"oh," c,i"i she, wringing her hands. .'f
he would only com, back-if he had but
stayed at home shall never see him
again" .
Oncc Or t~ice in the earlier part of the
evening, aligabor had come in to condo.e
with her. knowing she was unaccostomed
to this suspense and hoped to cheer her
up.
But thei" words as often increased her
alarm, rs diminished it. Insensibly their
conversation would turn to tales of wreck
and disaster; and at such narrations, the
young wile'S tears would Aow afresh Some
! of these well-meaning but injudicious friends
were widows, whose garments told of re-
cent bereavement; and at the sight of their
dark attire, the sufferer turned away with
shudder
Her husband should have returned early
that morning, and ought, by no means, to
have delayed beyond the afternoon tide
His continued absence, therefore, coupled
with the gale, that had been raging all day,
was well calculated to alarm her, and her
neighbors, even when they uttered words of
consolation, felt there was more to fear than
to hope
James, James," she cried passionately,
as the night wore on, 'do you yet live, or
are you already numbered with the dead.
Oh is my short dream of happiness to be
thus broken forever ~
The hours wore on. About mid d-night the
gale began to abate. When the rain had
ceased, and the rain began to dSsipate, the
young wife, unable longer to endure her sus-
pense, left the cottage and hurried down to
the shore. The little land-locked bay was
comparatively still, but the noise of the surf
could be heard on the rocks outside; and
her heart quacked as she listened to the
sound. Sitting down on a piece of fallen
cliff. her shawl thrown loosely about her,
she watched the enteancc of the tiny har-
Dor, where she knew his sail would first ap-
pear, if it ever appeared at all but her anxi-
Gus watch was in vain. .. ....
Hour passed after hour The swell at her
feet subsidized the wind sank to calm; the
clouds slowly dissipatcd and the ere scent
moon, heralding the approaching day, hung
in the western sky Yet still the mariners
| bride watched unrewar,ied Her once bright
eyes were sad with may tears and her hair
hung damp and dishevelled over her shou!
ders
at is in vain--it is in vain," she sohhed,
at last, after silence Of hours ''he will nov
cr come back. God help me.'
| She flung herself exhausted on the ainty
beach, as she spoke, and for few moments
almost prayed to die. But this sinful wish
was conquered, and after an agony of woe.
she rose feebly to her feet, intending to re-
turn homeward, for the rosy dawn was be-
ginning to redden, and she wished to escape
observation and sympathy. in order to weep
alone.
| rs she cast look seaward, something
danced for moment between her and tn,
glowing horizon. Was it a sails sh'