The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1866-07-20

l could not help, for in golden hair
like mine no flower that grows looks
so well as the purple pansy. I had
wealth of hair, and hard as / tried
to smooth it into great coil behind
1T would rimple and curl upon my fore
head. Nobody ever told me / was
( pretty, but had cheek like a peach
and a skin like snow, and l knew for
myself that was not ugly. Somehow
| thought more OF my looks than l
had ever done in my life that after
noon, for though gave no credit to
to the gipsy's prophecy, / could not
help thinking of that future husband
she had promised me.
When / was dressed / went, with
a book, back to my, old place to wait
for the return of the boat It was
sunset by that time, and the river was
all ahame and the sky purple and
gold with scarlet
think never saw grass so green
as that beneath my feet, nor heard
the birds sing sweeter. Soon | heard
the splash of oars and saw the boat
l looked for coming back. There was
n difference, though. When it left
the shore there were five persons in
it; my sisters, Prue and Olive, and
my cousins, Harry and Eben and
little Will Now there were six; an
other masculine figure in something of
nautical dress, with an easy grace
about it seldom seen, and q face as
dark as that of Cuban, and as bril-
liant, occupied the seat beside Prue.
My heart gave great leap, and the
gipsy's prophecy, You'll see your
lover before shutdown" rushed into
my mind, or rather was awakened, for
l had not for a moment quite forgot
ten it.
They all came ashore while I stood
looking at them, and Cousin Eben,
who was never wondrously elegant in
his manners, called to the rest:
Here's the coward again. Captain,
let me introduce you to the only cow
ard of the Russell family, Miss Kitty.
Kitty, this is Captain Marshall. Then
we shook hands Even then it was
not like shaking hands with any other;
and somehow as we walked back to
the house, Captain Marshall offered
me his arm, and we were friends be-
fore we reached the door.
He was an old school mate Of Eben's,
it seemed, and had but just brought
his vessel into port after a long,
stormy voyage, and they had met him
when they made landing down be-
low on his way TO our house, and had
brought them with him in the boat.
'If you are afraid of your placid,
little river here, Miss Kitty" he said,
81 should have been sorry to have
had you with me on this voyage of
ours What would you say to stand
ing on a rolling deck with the waves
breaking over it, in such pitchy dark
ness that you could not see a man
within reach of your hand and that
we called pleasant sailing compared
with some we had"
"How can any man be a sailor?" /
cried.
II for one love it," said he. Il
shall never leave it until / marry. AZ
ter that the lass promise to love and
cherish shall never lead the life most
sailors wives lead-the life my moth
er led -fretting her little soul out from
morning till night When ! marry
I'll leave the sea and settle down on
shore mot before, though
He gave me a look that meant
something as he spoke, and felt my
check flush; but we were at home by
that time and the conversation ended.
What sweet old sea songs he sang to
us that evening. | never shall forget
them while | live.
Well, the fortune-teller was right in
one thing, at least; my lover came
that night. Captain Marshall took my
heart with him when he went away,
and never gave it back again, though
he gave me his in its stead
"Of all things in the world that
Kitty, who would never go upon the
water should fall in love with sailor,
who would take her on voyages half
around the world cried my sister,
teasing me, in our own room that
night.
But I made no confessions to them.
1t was too soon yet.
Before Captain Marshall went on
his next voyage, however, he asked
me to walk i'll the woods with him,
and. down by the little landing where
we had first met, told me that he loved
me.
"Better than my life, Kitty" he
said; sand if you cannot like me n
little I'd as lief go to the bottom this
voyage as not. | never thought TO
care as much for any woman as l care
Tor you"
He took my hands and looked into
my eyes, and though l said nothing,
he found out somehow that | did like
him, and took me in his arms and
kissed me.
"I'm the happiest rascal in the
world" said he And l was hap
Ply, too, only | made him vow to keep
his promise, and sail the sea no more
after we were wed.
81 shall never want to leave you,
he said, "and I'm rich enough TO quit
the sea; but do wish you would take
one last voyage with me. Marry me
tomorrow and 90 with me to the