Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1862-09-29
MistflI antons.
A SAILORS BRIDE.

deserted from his ship in London, strayed
AWAY TO one Of the northern parts Of En-
GLAND. where he entered the service OF a
shippinp-mershant, and soon rose to DO a
chief mate bf o ship. He was remarka-
BLY, comely in person, tall and black-eyed;
and having been well educated, he had
The manners Of O gentleman, though ne
was a thorough sailor, ana loved his pro-
fession as most young sailors do. If lie
had been allowed his choice between thee
premiership Of England and the berth OF
chief mate OF q merchantmen, ne would,
doubtless, have preferred the latter. And
very wisely, too for in the premiership he
would have been 6 fish ont of water, while
on board ship he was in his element and
perfectly at home By SOM accident he
became acquainted with a young lady who
moved in q sphere of life from which he
was as much excluded by his position as
the fallen angels are excluded from Para
disc. She was an orphan, but the ward
of a wealthy uncle, with whom she resi-
ded, and whose wealth, or at least a large
portion of it, she was to inherit. She
had, also, a considerable estate, which was
to be given to Der on her marriage, on the
condition that she married in compliance
with the wishes, or rather approval, Of her
guardian. Otherwise the property was
to go to a cousin. They bequeath prop
erty with such restrictions in the old
World, as if for the purpose Of inflicting
as much misery as possible on It's inheri-
tants. In this case, the young orphan,
never having known the need Of money,
did not fully comprehend its Importance,
and cared very little for it. She had Bit
terly felt, however, the need of a loving
friend and she yielded at once to the long
Jugs of her heart when the opportunity Of
fered for supplying this greatest of all
wants. She saw the young sailor, and at
once gave herself up to him, without a
thought of the consequences. he was
too generous, and too true a sailor, not to
reciprocate the passion of a woman who
was not only so worthy Of his love, but
who was SO greatly above him In social
position. Being an American though, this
difference of position was not a serious
consideration, for he considered himself a
perfectly eligible match for a dukes daugh-
ter, so far as position went. tie knew
the Declaration of Independence by heart,
like all young Americans, and did not &C
knowledge any superiors except IN official
station. The only man whose authority
had any potency with him was the master
of his ship. Very different was it, how
ever, with the woman whose heart he had
undesignedly won. She had been educa-
ted in a school of aristocrats, and among
those who looked down upon men who
were engaged in trade as a low order OF
beings. He did not know what sacrifices
she had to make in STOPPING to him. But
he loved her all the same, and gave her
his heart with all the generosity OF a sailor
He could not marry her, because his
pay was hardly sufficient to defray his own
expenses, and her uncle, when he discov-
ed their engagement, had sternly Informed
her that she must at once resign al
thoughts of so wild a match, or at once
leave his house. Her lover was on the
point of his departure on a long voyage
and she would not inform him of the con
dition ON which her promises to remain
true to him until his return, rested
because she feared that he might be in
duced to give her up, sooner than see he
suffer from her attachment to him. So h
babe her adieu, promising on his return t.
make her his wife, let hissfortunes be wha
they might. After the departure Of hi
ship, the uncle demanded an absolut
surrender, on the part of his ward, of a
thought Of her sailor lover, and to test be
sincerity, insisted on her receiving the az
dresses of a ~neighboring squire. But th
young lady would listen to no such propo
sails, and boldly declared her determine
ton to marry the sailor on his return
The uncle was not a man to yield to VIII;
he considered the romantic within of
foolish young girl and in his anger he r
pulsed her from his house, permitting b
to take nothing with her but her oV
wardrobe, and the few articles of jewel
which belonged to her. She had relativ
living in another part of England, WI
would no doubt, have been glad to gi
her a home; but she felt too proud to
ply to them for assistance; and, besid
sh seid to herself, If | am to be a S,
ior's wife, it is time | began to bend NJ
self to my condition. My husband N
not be always in a condition to prov
for me, and | will prove myself worthy
him by showing him that can prov
for myself when he is away, as q sale
wife should"
1t is easy enough for young people
make such resolutions, but 1t is difficult
carry them out. This noble hearted i,
man little knew what a career of privat
and hardship she was embracing ant
was we'll for her that she did not, or
might have hesitated to enter upon il