The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-02-21

would it be- says I, If people were
good many Of us would have to beg.s
g Ben says he you're right,
therer starting from his chair quite
excited like; you're right, man? and
he groaned as if he was in pain.
sc My dear Walter said his wife,
and she put her hand on his shoulder.
he set down, trembling like.
"I meant no offence, says I, none,
"'No, Ben, I know it; but ) ram
dom shot tells sometimes
81 noticed that she'd let her hand
slide down from his shoulder, and
had caught hold Of his hand with
both hers. She was sitting just a
little behind as he sat back in theeasy
chair. She thought I could not see
in the shadow of the chair, tut I
could see, and she was holding his
hand as hard as she could.
"@No, Ben,' says he; but we're
none of US better than we should be,
and ought, therefore, to be less harsh
than we are. I've no reason to COM
plain, though, thank God He
turned and looked back at her.
s'I never s-.w such change come
over a wonsnn's face before. She
opened hor gray eyes and looked at
him in a way that put me in mi1d of
a flash of sheet lightning in the twi-
light in summer-when it's not quite
dark, you know-and the light pf it
makes it seem as though day was
come back again. I never saw uch
look; it said as plain as words she
knew all and forgave him, and lived
him enough to die for him. Itdid
me good, that look, and when Eve
been inclined to joke about wohen
being censorious and fault-fn6 hg,
, I've thought of it. think she i t u
, have had what some women whld
call good cause to find fault FROM he
way he spoke, but she didn't. So
they agreed to give Esther my 1f-
pay, SO 20 that she should think it c Re
, from the shirts.
ssI went down to Esther just befo,
/ I left, to say goodbye, and tell II
t about the work.
" Esther says I, I'm goinga
} long voyage-perhaps four years
, whaling. You know went two \
t three voyages before. Now, dor
< leave the old folks again, there's
good girl. You'll never find that
t ''I was going to say fellow, but
didn't; for you can't do yourself md
harm in q woman's eyes than to q
i her lover names.
L You'll never find FitzjamJ |
unless he comes back here, I kn{ 4
so don't leave them 4
v "'Ben, says she, and the ta
It were in her eyes, you've been
n friend to me. I'll never forget it.
# know he'll come back-I'm sure of |
and if he don't, I'll never marry d
/: other man. He never meant to
.s me wrong like this, know. T
d got into mischief through drink;
I never meant me to come to this
t, know
le "sGod bless you, Esther. Goo
y bye
ie She came up to me, put her arr
J. around my neck, and hio-' s3.ro,, ~,
Ben, says Is she 5Shnss52a1ways y1W aseGs did sss a.
Il that's why I kiss you. You've be
Is a good brother to me; wish you
hCNC1 udSO ti1Co W OC mOISo
t. Goodbye, Esther, and I kiss
d her for the first time in my life
y My friend, Ben. Stevens, has
I cough, which obliges him to use l
/; handkerchief now and then. T.
e red and yellow Bandana was in vige
Gus action for few seconds now.
e $50 I determined to go on VIII
l. ing-voyage, as that was the harde
it life I knew, and hard work keeps
J. man from thinking of himself al
10 his feelings. Taking in the fores
1t with a Northeast gale blowing do1
st leave fellow much time to look
% side himself, neither does harpoo
if ing, when you like to do it like a ma
n "Well, 1 went, you see, to Abe
a deem, and shipped for mate in t
a Belle of Aberdeen, Capt. Macaula
8 We left in March, and reached Cal
e Farewell about the middle of Apr
:, but as the wind fell dead as we lie
e the harbor, we got into the Spitzbe
It gen drift, and were carried with it
:, far as sixty-six degrees North; the
s we met with g regular Norther
: breeze, that chilled you through
/ sniff it.
I ''Of course, it froze us up, bei1
S early in the season, and there !
t were till nearly the end of May> II
s wind North the whole time.