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

was always afraid of the water
always, from child Perhaps it was
because my grandfather was lost nj
sea, and the first story | heard that
ever made me cry was that of his ship
going down within sight of land and
of his body floating TO the shore with
my grandmother's picture still around
his neck. That happened when my
grandmother was young woman and
my grandfather himself not fve-and-
twenty; but when | was a little thing
/ used to think of that ship, wrecked
so long before | was born, until /
could almost see the sinking vessel land
the boiling waves and the dead bodies
floating, floating, floating shoreward,
and used to wake out of terrible
dreams of drowning with my baby
face bathed in tears.
Afraid of the water, l said, but only
Of going on it. loved to sit close by
the margin Of the river, or down up
on the sandy sea shore, and watch the
waves sparkling and cleaning in the
sunlight, and, if ever any one saw
water spirits, | did when the little rip
pies played in and out amongst the
tall green reeds and rushes like so
many elm heads. I'd stay in such a
place for hours, though nothing they
could say could make me willing to
join any party of pleasure on the wa
ter, where it seemed to me my sisters
and my tall broad shouldered cousins
spent the best of their time.
1t was trial, too, to stay at home,
for was sociable and fond of being
with them; and more than once / sat
ON the shore looking after the merry
boat full and almost crying to think
that i could not muster up courage
to go also.
Once ! sat thus, thinking myself
quite alone, for our garden ran down
to the waters edge and no strangers
had right to pass that way, when l
heard a rustling amongst the bushes,
and looking up, saw dark-skinned
woman in odd garments making her
way towards me as though she had
something to say to me. Probably,
| thought, she meant to beg, and
though she had no right to be there,
/ had not the heart to speak harshly
to poor wandering creature like
that. | had been taught to be chart
table, and l felt in my pocket for some
loose silver to give her when she asked
aims
But, when she came close, instead
of begging, she put her head on one
side aud looked at me in the oldest
way out of her big black eyes, and
said in a kind of whine, but with a
sweet voice in spite Of that;
"Will you have your fortune told,
pretty lady? Cross my palm with a
bit of silver and you shall know what
your luck is and who is the gentleman
that's coming to marry you. Ilsnt
often YOU have such chance, for can
read the stars, and I'll tell you true,
my pretty lady"
Well, | was wild young thing, and
curious, as all girls are, about that flu
ture time of wooing and wedding we
all expect to have, and though L
knew my mother would have called it
wicked, and my uncle, who was dea-
con in the church. would scarcely have
owned relationship with one who
could listen to such sinful words and
give heed to them, | couldn't for tho
life of me shake my head and tell the
woman to so on.
/ looked about to be sure no one
was coming from the house, and then
/ put silver shilling in her hand and
held out mine.
Its soft as silk and white as milk,
said she. "The kind of hand to wear
a rick gentleman's wedding-ring.
And then she pored over it as
though she really saw something there
besides the little lines and wrinkles
"You'll see your lover before night,
said she.
"Likely," said ], with a laugh.
"He's coming" she said, nodding.
"Iook out for him he's worth looking
for / see Joy and wealth and we'd
ding close about you, but there's sor-
row beyond" Then she dropped my
hand. mo matter" said she, 'Asor-
row comes to everybody; don't look
for it. You'll be married within the
year, that's enough"
"No," said /, Il want to know the
rest"
She shook her head.
Beware of the water, that's all,
she said, ''the water may make you
widow yet"
And away she glided, not waiting
for a word more, and | hid my face II
the grass and cried like silly thing
as j was for drowning of q husband
only the idle words of an old fortune
teller had given me,
/ sobbed as if l knew him, for 1
while. But | ended by laughing al
myself, for was young and only knew
the name of terrible. and soon l was
merry as ever, helping Uncle Joshui
in the long front garden to tie up the
plants last nights shower had beat
| I,