The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1869-03-11
EBENsBURG,. Pa, THURSDAY, MARCH II, 1869
AN EPHsoDE.

Ou nLll bndl eiOpeu away 10 me blue
sea stood a little white cottage Trailing
vines crept over the porch, and the snow
white curtains waved idly in the summer
breeze. Here lived May Ellis, q rustic
beauty. She had been sought after by
all the young men in the surrounding
country but, heart whole and fancy free,
she still went on her way, treating them
as friends-nothing more.
She was not of lively disposition
but loved to be alone. She would sit for
hours in a favorite nook looking out over
the dancing waves, and watching the far
off ships. She would gather shells on the
shore and watch the moon rise dripping
from over the sea. Thus her life glided
by, until. at length, in the full bloom of
her glorious beauty, she met the fate that
warped her after years.
The night was wild with wind and
rain, and the Storm king reveIed on The
sea in all his terrible majesty. Amidst
the rattle of the thunder came the boom
OF the minute gun then high above the
roar of the tempest was heard the crash
of a ship as she went TO pieces on the
rocks In the morning the wreck lay
scattered on the shore, and CHASTITY forms
lay rocking in the long swells of the
treacherous sea. One form was found
far Up the beach in which there was still
signs of life. He was attended to, and
soon recovered. Then commenced that
new life which brought deeper color 10
her check and a warmer glow to the
why lustre of her eyes Together they
walked on the shore aud listened to the
mysterious song of the waves And
through all the pleasant days of that
beautiful summer they were together con
stantly. Then the sorrow Of separation
came; he went away and she was left to
wait. The days and months grew into
years, and still no word came to the watt
ing heart.
There was another storm, another
wreck, and other forms lay scattered on
the shore. In the grey dawn of morning
May Ellis walked down to the beach, and
in the same place where the waves had
cast him years ago, she now found him
for whom she had been waiting, but oh
how cold and still. They carried him TO
the little cottage on the hill and through
the still hush Of the summer day and the
long hours of the windess night she sat
by the dreamless head, hearing only the
sobbing of the waves and the dropping of
her tears. All the old days came back
to her. and memory only made her pain
greater. Then they laid him away on
the green hillside, where the warm south
wind stirred the sweet wild flowers, and
near the murmuring sea, though he could
not hear its mystic song. If you 90 there
the simple country folks will iell you the
legend of the cottage on the bill. Of
how the dead lover is seen by night
walking by the sea, and maiden with
wonderful why eyes comes to meet him
and how they sing strange sweet strains
in the still moonlight. But when the
Storm is abroad on the deep, they stand
on the bill and wall in apparent agony,
their voices rising high above the roaring
tempest. At certain times $50 runs the
legend) shadowy forms are seen carrying
q corpse into the house and then lights
are seen flashing, and wailing ard Iamen-
tation is heard, girl with great lustrous
eyes andAput-brown hair stands by the
window; then nke lights and forms van
ish, aad@Rtl is silent as before. No ono
lives in the house now. The vines have
crcpt all over the roof and birds have
made their nests there this many a year.
The dust lies thick on the floors, and the
grass grows green on tie unused hearth
Time and decay are at work, and soon
the old house will pass from remembrance,
for the sea will not tell the grief it
brought 10 a waiting heart. This is tho
story and the legend. 1 tell the tale as
twas told to me. "Only this and moth
ing more"