The Portland daily press., 1867-11-09

ton Julia, but l saw that his errand with me
concerned her. ! spoke other excellent de-
pertinent and useful life, dwet upon the ex-
tensating circumstances OF her error, and OF /
her sincere and hearty repentance. I
doctor said he at length with a sileSltat
ing and embarrassed manner, what would
you think ii | should tell you that, ititer a,i
| that has passed, 1 have halfmade up my mind
| TO ask her to become my wife ~ .s. S.,
az should think better OF It'll you had
wholly made up your nlihd, said 4: Anu " |
,o,, we're my son, | would not ask for on a I
Ietter wife that Julia Atkins. Don't hest
! tate Robert, on account of what some ill |
uatmred people may say. Consult your heart |
| first of all -........ ...r
~ don't care Tor The talk of all the busy |
bodies in town, but lwsh that father and
mother could feel rs you do about hers
"'Leaye that to me- said l they are kind |
hearted and reasonable, aud dare saw will |
be disposed TO make the best of the matter, |
when they lind you are decided in your pur-
! pose
dld not see him again, but in a few days
| after learned from his parents that he had
gone ON another voyage. II was now autumn
and the most sickly season have ever known
/ in Pccawkin. Ensign Atkins ana MS WHe |
| both fell sick, and Julia embraced with aiacrl-
/ ty this providential opportunity to return to |
her fathers house, and fulfill the duties of |
daughter. Under her careful watching the
| ensign soon got upon his feet, but his wife, |
| whose constitution was weaker, sunk under |
The fever. She died better than she lived,
penitent and loving, asking forgiveness of Jul
liza for her neglect and unkndness, and invoS-
| ing blessings on her head. Julia had now for
| the first time since the death Of her mother |
comfortable home and fathers Iose and pro
lection. Her sweetness OF temper, patient
endurance, and iorSetlulness of herself in her
labofs for others gradually overcame the scru-
1 hard tanii hnpx asol.lx
/ began to question whether, after all, it was
merltorlous in them TO treat one like her as
| a sinner beyond forgiveness Elder STABLES
and Deacon Warner we've her fast friends.
The Deacon's daughter-the tall, bIueeyed.
brown locked girl you noticed al church the
other day-set the example among the young
people OF treating her as their equal and COM
panion.
.TOne midwinter evening took Julia with
me To sick patient of mine who was suffer-
ing for lack of attendance. TIE house where
A she lived was in a lohely and desolate place
some two or three miles below us on a sandy
level Just elevated above the great salt marsh
e5 stretching far away to sea. The night sci
in dark and stormy. The fierce northeastern
ly wind swept over the level waste driving
the thick clouds before it, shaking the doors
and windows of the old house and roaring in
its vast chimney. The woman was DIVING
when we arrived, and her drunken husband
was sitting in stupid unconcern in the corner
OF the fire place. A little after midnight she
Dreamed her last stasas s-E g .l7ssE
in the meantime the storm had grown
more violent; there was a binding snow
falling in the air, and we could feel the lar
OF The great waves as they broke upon the
| beach. ,s IL. -,-. -f ,..',..ls-, ,'fe-rs Il
lit IS terrible night for sailors on the
coast. said, breaking our long silence with
! the dead God grant them searoemr
1 y SnIIdu1rpI n. / a,,Il
flashing hrelsht saw her weeping. knew
| her thoughts were with her old friend and |
playmate on the wide waters.
| '.Jalia, said , do you know that Robert |
| Barnet loves you with all the strength of an |
1 honest and true hearth A 'A '~ s%'
| rShe trembled, and her voice laltered as she
confessed that, when Robert was at home he
had asked her to become his wife.
s : And like fool, you refused him, 1 sup
| pose, the brave generous fellow
| j "'Oh, DOCTOR she exclaimed, how can YOU |
talk so? IL is just because Robert is SO good |
| and noble and generous that dare not, take
him at his word. You, doctor, would have |
despised me il 1 had taken advantage of his |
4 pity, OF his kind remembrance of the old DAYS
we were children together. have already |
| brought too much disgrace upon those dear
to me- r8eaarTkT ) 3
81 was endeayorng to convince her in re-
| ply that she was doing injustice to herself.
and wronging her best friend, whose happi-
| ness depended in q great measure uDon her
when, borne upon the strong blast, we both
heard ldint cry, as OF a human being in dis
tress. threw up the window which opened
] seward, and we leaned out in The wild night.
and listeneG breathlessy tor the sound Once
more, and once only, we heard it, low,
smothered, desparing cry. =e..eI 80 10 sigl
| "'Some one is lost and perisbnp in the
snow, said Julia. The sound comes in the
direction of the beach plum bushes on the
| side OF the marsh. Let us 90 at once
'She snatched up her hood and shawl and
was already at the door. found and lighted
a lantern, and soon overlook her. The snow
was already deep and sadly drited, and it was
| with extreme difficulty that we could force
our way against the storm. Westopped often
to breathe and listen, but the roaring of the |
wlni and waves was alone audible. At last
we reached slightly elevated spot, oyererown
with dwarf plum trees, whose branches were
| dimly visible above the snow. 81 d; a91Ta
: Here, bring the lantern here p cried Julia. |
| who had strayed a few yards from me. j has
| tened to her, and found her lifting up the
body OF man, who was apparently insensi-
bic. Ilse rays from the lantern fell upon his
| face, and we both at the ssme instant recoe.
nized-Robert Barnet. Julia neither Shrek
ed nor tainted but kneeling in the snow, and
Sill supporting the body, She turned toward
me a 10 ok of earnest and fearful inquiry.
! - Courage said I, he still lives He is
only overcome with fatigue and cold
With much difficulty, partly carrying, and |
partly dragging him through the snow we |
succeeded in getting him 10 Che house, where, |
in short time, be so far recovered as to be |
able to speak. Julia, who had been my /
prompt and efficient assistant in his restora-
ton, retired into the shadow of the room as
soon as he began to rouse himself and look |
about him. He asked where he was and |
who was with me, saying that his head was !
SO confused that he thought he saw Julia At |
kins by The bedside. You were net mistak |
en-, said y Julia is here, and you owe your |
lite TO her.
" He started up and gazed around tbe
room L beckoned Julia to the bedside. and
never shall forget the sratefu earnestness
with which he grasped her by the hands and
called upon God to bless her. Some folks
think me tough-hearted old fellow, and so /
am; out that scene was more than |
could bear without shedding teas. Robert
told us that his vessel mad been thrown lpon
the beach mile or two below, and he feared
that all the crew persisted save himself. NE 4
Assured OF his safety, / went out once
more In the faint hope of hearing the voice of
some survivor Of the disaster; but I listened
only to the heavy thunder of The surf, rolling |
along the horizon of the east. The storm |
mad IN great measure ceased, the gray light |
of dawn was just visible, and | was gratifieti |
to see two OF the nearest neighbors approach
ing the house. On being informed of the |
wreck, they Immediately started for the |
beach, where several dead bodies, halEburied !
IN snow, confined the fears OF. the solitary
survivor.
The result of all this you can easily con
lecture. Robert Barnet abandoned the sea
and with the aid Of his friends purchased the
farm where he now lives, and the anniversary
OF the shipwreck found him the husband OF
Juila. can assure you 1 have had every
reason TO Congratulate myself on my share in |
the match making. Nobody ventured to find |
tault with it except two or three old busy
bodies, who, as Elder Staples well saws. |
would have cursed her whom Christ had for |
gwen, ana spurned the weeping Magdalene |
from the feet of the Lord giG.l nc