The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1869-10-08
THE CAPTAINS RETURN.

A long low catch OF land, shelving
down gradually to the waters edge
covered with shining shells, ano
glistening when the sun shone on it
with white sand left there by the re-
ceding waves, as they crept softly
and insiduously upward, or sung in
the summers sun their monotonous
chant, tossing their white crisp waves
Ijoyously in the morning sunshine,
when hunted by the sweeping hurri.
cane, up, up, till they lashed them.
selves into snowy foam on the rocky
projections of Eagle Crag, which
stood, when the water was at low
tide, a mile and q half from the
shore.
Upon the top of this point, known
to the villagers by the name of Eagle
Crag, stood a cottage, a veritable
little nest, in fairy like proportions,
rround which garden bloomed and
blossomed like paradise in des-
ert.
"Where shall l build a cage to
hold you till l come back p asked
brown and resolute John Danforth,
the sailor, as he looked on the bright
face of the newly-made Mrs. Dan
forth, with all q lovers fondness
shining in his honest face and tear
less eyes, Transforming the hard
lines of his weather-brOnzed face into
positive tenderness.
"At the Eagle Crag," answered
Robina Danforth, usually known
among her acquaintance by the pet
name of "Robin.' "In that bleak
place - said John, in his astonish-
ment. "Why, birdie, you would die
of home-sickness in a week.
90 John please" coaxed the lit
tie woman, who, practical and house
wifely to the last degree, hid beneath
it all a vein of romance, none the less
strong for being hidden. "In my
lonely life before you found me, John,
q silly little thing as l am"-here the
lustrous eyes grew brighter--''before
you, with your experience, and wis
dom, and noble manliness took me
to be your foolish little wife, and
actually stopped to fall in love with
me, a mere school girl, 1 used to
longsso for a home, dear. Next to
the longing for father and mother
and sister to love and care for me,
this other longing for a home was
the strongest; and after / saw you,
John'-here a bright flush stained
the clear brown of her sunburned
cheek-ssI used to think if the long
ing should ever grow to be reality,
and the little home, whose picture
grew brighter every time l unused
upon it, should ever be mine-ours,
I mean,' with another little blush)
show happy, how very happy l
should be. l saw the place where
it should stand, this little home of
ours, on a high point overlooking the
ocean, where we could watch the
white ships sail along the CLASSY
water or ride fearlessly upon the
bounding waves. l saw the roses
and jasmine twine tenderly their
wealth of bloom around the little
patch, and 1 have heard thousand
times the hum of bees and song of
birds, that darted in and out among
the vines and blossoms
"Vines and blossoms ~ burst forth
honest John, in his amazement; cit
tie woman, are you crazy? l should
like to see the vine or blossom that
would flourish within half league OF
Eagle Crag, the most arid, barren
waste conceivable'
80 John is this true 2" was all
she said but the smothered sigh
attested the depth of her disappoint
ment.
John made no reply; but stimu.
lated by the sound of that half
smothered sigh, and the glimpse ol
glistening tears twinkling hastily
from the curling, brown lashes, fell
to studying ways and means, and the
result was the pretty cottage, set or
the topmost point of Eagle Crag
while vines and flowers fourished
and grew in the artificial soil spread
over the small inclosure which defin
ed the boundaries of the purchase.
| Perched up there, like mountain