The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1869-09-24
MORNING, SEPTEMBER "a, 1869.
Ways kind to ROsanna, though never intimate

ways kind to Rosanna, though never intimate
with her.
hardly know what the girl did to offend them.
the others envious; she was the plainest woman
having one shoulder bigger than the other
her silent tongue and her solitary ways. She
read or worked In leisure hours when the rest
gossiped. And when II came to her turn TO 60
out, nine times out OF ten she quietly put on her
bonnet, and had her turn by herself She never
quarreled, she never took oiicnse; she only kept
certain distance, obstinately and civilly, be-
tween the rest Of them and herself Add to this
that, plain rs she was, there was just dash Of
something that wasn't like house-maid, and
that icas like lady about her. II might have
been In her voice, or 1t might have been in her
face. AL I can say Is that the other women
came into the house; and said (Which was most
unjust) that Rosanna Spearman gave herself
airs.
Having now told the story Of Rosanna, Ihave
only to notice one out Of the many queer ways
Of this strange girl to get on next to the story
Of the sands.
Our house Is high up on the Yorkshire coast,
and close by the sea. We have got beautiful
walks all round US, In every direction but one.
That one acknowledge to be horrid walk. II
leads, for quarter Of mile, through melan-
choly plantation Of, frs, and brings you out be-
tween low cliffs on the loneliest and uglest lit
tie bay on oil our coast.
The sand-hlls are run down to the sea, and
end in two spts Of rock jutting out opposite
each other, till you lose sight Of them in the
water. One is called the North spit, aud one
the South. Between the two, shifting backward
and forward at certain seasons Of the year, lies
the most horrible quicksand on the shores OF
Yorkshire. At the turn Of the tide something
goes on In the unknown deeps below, which sets
the whole face Of the quicksand quivcring and
trembling In manner most remarkable to sec,
and which has given to II, among the people In
our parts, the name Of The Shivering Sand. A
great bank, half mile out. nigh the mouth Of
the bay, breaks the force Of the main ocean
coming in from the ofhng. Winter and summer,
when the tide flows over the quicksand, the sea
seems to leave the waves behind II on the bank,
and rolls Its waters In smoothly with q heayc,
and covers the sand in silence. A Lonesome and
horrid retreat can tell you #! No boat ever
ventures into this bay. No children from our
fishng-village, called Cobb's Hole, ever come
here TO play. The very birds .of the air, ns 1t
seems to me, give the Shiverins Sand wide
berth. That young woman, with dozens OF
nice walks to choose from, and company to 20
with her, IL she only said ..Comc - should pre-
fer this place. and should sit and work or read
In il, all alone, when it's her turn out. grant
you, passes belief. It's true, nevertheless, ac-
/ count for 1t as you may, that this was Rosanna
Spearman's favorite walk, except when she
went once or twice TO CObb's Hole, to see the
only friend she had In our neighborhood-of
whom more anon. It's also true that l was
now setting out for this same place, to fetch
the girl in to dinner, which brings US round
happily 10 our former point, and starts US
again on our way to the sands.
I saw no sign of the girl. on the plantation.
When got out, through the sand-hills. on to
/ the beach, there she was. In her little straw
bonnet, and her plain gray cloak that she al
ways wore TO hide her deformed shoulder as
much as might be-there she was, all alone,
looking out on the quicksand and the sea.
She started when came up with her, and
turned her head away from me. Not looking
me In the face being another Of the proceedings
which, as head of the servants, never allow,
on principle to pass without inqniry-I turned
her round my way, and saw that she was cry
ing. My bandans handkerchicf-onc Of six
beauties given to me by my lady-was handy In
my pocket. took 1t out, aud ! said to Rosan.
ma, "Come and sit down, my dear, on the slope
Of the beach along with me. I'll dry YOUR eyes
for you first, and then I'll make 50 bold as to ask
what you have been crying about" When you
come to my age you will find sitting down on
the slope Of beach much longer job than you
think II now. by the time was settled, Ro-
sanna bad dried her own eyes with q very in-
ferior handkerchief TO mine-a cheap cambric.
She looked very quiet and very wretched but
she sat down by me like good girl, when
told her. When you want to comfort woman
by the shortest way take her on your knee.
thought Of the golden rule. But there RO-
sanns wasn't Nancy, and that's the truth Of II
Snow tell me, my DEAR" I said, "what are
you crying about!"
"About the years that are gone, Mr.. Better
edge" says Rosanna, quietly. "My past life
still comes back TO me sometimes"
"Comc, come, my GIRL" said, "your past
life is all sponged out. Why can't you forget
itY'
She took me by one Of the lappcts Of my coat.
l am a slovenly old man, and good deal Of my
meat and drink gets splashed about on my
clothes. Sometimes one Of the women and some
times another, cleans me Of my grease. The
day before Rosanna had taken out spot for me
on the lappet Of my coat with new compost
ton warranted to remove anything. The grease
was gone, but there was little dull place left
on the nap Of the cloth whore the grease had
been. The girl pointei to that place and shook
her head.
"The stain Is taken off," she said. "But
the place shows. Mr.. Bettercdgc-thc place
shows -
A remark which takes man unawares by
means Of his own coat Is not an easy remark to
answer. something In the girl herself, too,
made me particularly sorry for her just then.
She had nice brown eyes, plain rs she was in
other ways-and she looked at me with sort
ofrcspect for my happy old age AMI my good
character, rs things forever out Of her own
reach, which made my heart heavy for our Sc
cond house. maid. Not feeling myself able to
comfort her, there was only one other thing to
do. That thing was-to take her in to dinner.
''Help me up" | said. You're late for din
ner, Rosanna-and have come 70 fetch you
In"
"You, Mr.. Bcttcrcigc 80 says she.
"They told Nancy to fetch you," said.
"But thought you might like your scolding
better. my dear. II II came from me-
Instead Of helping me up, the poor thing
stole her hand into mine, and gave II q little
squeeze. She tried hard to keep from crying
again and succecded-for which I respected
her. "You're very kind Mr.. Bettercige." she
said. 81 don't want any dinner to-day-let
me bide little longer here
"What makes you like to be here l".I askel.
"what is II brings you cvcrlastinsly to this
miserable placer"
''Something draws me to IT," says the girl,
making images with her finger In the sand.
81 cry TO keep away from II, and can't
Sometimes" says she, In low voice, rs II
she was frightened at her own fancy, "somc-
time, Mr.. Better,dge, I think that my grave
Is waiting for me here"
"Therc's roast mutton and suct pudding
waiting for you !" says I. Gn In to dinner di-
rcctly. That Is what comes, Rossanna, Of
thinking on an empty stomach - spoke
severely, being naturally indiguant(at my time
Of life)to hear young woman Of 6yc-and.
twenty talking about her latter end 20