Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1870-05-20


way upward, and a deposit of sand wicbe
and port-wine was LETT In A convenien
crevice within reach.
"Good-by, dear. hope the sketch will
be lovely" And they were gone-up tb,
Gun side-Mrs. Gray last, leaning upor
her husbands arm.
Poor child" she said, eft makes nv
heart ache to see her look 80 sad. Didni
you notice how she was longing to hav,
us go, and TO be aloneY" ''
AM the very worst thing for her Oh,
ueeus rousinN and all this morbid think.
ing does her harm"
Inc voices died a-,av. Father cauob,
Ter l;,,io l;IioS' ap. sne smiled at them-a bit
tbo. smile. That was what all o
IN had said since her trouble came. She
must be roused-amused-and they haC
crowded business and pleasure upon hel
until she had sometimes felt that she
could bear it no longer. This was the
first time in many weeks that she had felt
really free-free to be silent, to look sad,
to cry if she wished. What a luxury ii
was! No anxious-eyed mother to watch
her-these comparative strangers with
drawn-this cool darkling silence it wa.
delicious There was something in the
very nature of her trial which made II
necessary to veil her grief with reserve
A black dress she might wear-Paul was
cousin, and some show of mourning is
allowed for second cOusinhood even, and
for intimate friendship such as theirs had
been. But no one knew Of the
unavowed engagement which bound them
since that hurried farewell letter in which
his love found utterance, and which only
reached her after he had sailed-the sail
ing from which there was to be no return
No one knew az they talked compassion
ately of her having had "dreadful
shock, poor girl-her own cousin, you
know, and such fine young fellow" that
her heart was wearing widows weeds,
and mourning its dead as the great loss of
life. 1t wouldn't bear talking about She
had kept silence and tried to wear brave
face.
At first there had been a little hope as
rumors came of one boat load escaping
from the midnight collision; but that was
over now, and the terrible suspense OF
hope was over, and everything had
faded into sort of gray accept
ance of sorrow. The light had gone out.
Left alone, she found with some sur
prise that she didn't want to cry. Ali the
morning she had felt that to creep away
somewhere and weep, and weep her
heart out, would be so good; but tears are
contrary things. She sat there dogged,
with calm that was almost like content.
She was thinking of the time when Paul
had visited the island and climbed about
that very cave. On the very rock. shelf
where she sat he might perhaps have
rested. She liked to think so. 1t brought
him nearer.
She put her sketch away little later,
and crept down to broad ledge, where,
through the arch, the exquisite sky line
was visible. The surf tumbled, and
chimed like distant bells. She lay as if
her eyes fixed upon the shin
ing horizon. Somewhere far beyond it
was the spot where the good ship which
Her imagination ran riot. Cleaving the
liquid depths to the inmost sanctuary of
ocean, she saw the golden sands, the
shadowy green light percolating through
miles of water-the everlasting repose
which reigned there beyond the reach of
storm, wind, or hurricane. She tried to
fix the wandering images, and to think of
it as haven no less tranquil than the
quiet mounds under which are pillowed
beloved heads on earth. But it would
not stay. Thoughts of tempest and fury,
of chill piping winds whipping the foam
from the waves, of roar and tumult, and
a heaving wilderness Of dark waters, came
over her, and through all the refrain of
Jean Ingelow's pathetic strain mingled
and blended:
"And shall see thee no more, no more,
TIL the sea gives up Its dead"
. Great drops forced themselves beneath
the closed eyelids, and she sobhed: Sch
Paul, Paul how can bear it?"
And then she thought, as she had
thought before, how glad she would be to
die! Life didn't tseem desirable any longer,
and it would be blessed to be with Paul,
even at the bottom of the ocean. And
thinking thus, the long eye-lashes drop.
ped more and more heavily peace fell
upon the brow and lips: she was asleep
asleep and dreaming a sweet, joyful dream.
How long she slept, she never knew.
She awoke with sensation of intense
cold. The spell of slumber was so strong
upon her that for moment she did not
realize what had taken place. The cave
was half full of water. Her feet and the
hem of her dress were already wet, and
the roar of the waves beneath the hardly
dis singuishable archway told that the tide
had surprised another victim, and already
Was this the answer TO some unspoken
prayer?
The thought flashed over her. Had she
really prayed for death? Here it was,
close at hand, and she was conscious of
no gladness-only an intense instructive
desire for life. 1t was too dreadful to be
in that hole, and washed away
like weed. Life loas worth living, after
all.
Had somebody said, or was she dream
ing, that a portion of the cave was left
uncovered by the watere She could not
remember, but now she searched about
for some indication. All surely this was
cork, a scrap of paper, lodged on
the highest shelf-fragile things which a
tide must inevitably have washed away.
With that instinct of property which sur
wives shipwreck and fire, she collected
her drawing materials and other little be-
longings, and retreating with them to this
possible place of refuge, wrapped her
cloak about her, aud with folded hands
eat down to await her fate.
The cave was full of pale green light.
1t was beautiful to see, as the advancing
flow rose ledge over ledge and flooded the
fairy pools, how each star-hower and sea-
urchin, each crimson and golden weed,
trembled ard quiyered as with delight at
its refreshing touch. Each anemone threw
wide its petals and expanded into full
blossom to meet the spray baptism. No
mortal eye ever looked upon sight more
charming; but its beauty was lost to the
shivering and terrified girl
The doorway had quite disappeared.
Sharp spray dashed against her dress.
The drops struck her face. She shrank
and clung more tightly to the rock. A
prayer rose to her lips; and through the
tremulous light of the submerged arch
way strange shadow began to go and
come, to move and pause, and move again.
Was it fish, or weed, or some mysterious
presence? Did it come accompanied by
life or deathS
Meantime upon the rocks above dis.
tracted group were collected. The party
had come gayly back from the Heads.
DIR. Gray, ignorant landsman as he was
had grown uneasy and hurried them
away. Arrived at the Grotto, the full ex.
tent of the calamity was at once evident
The boy had mistaken the tide-flow for
ebb-and the only hope was that Esther
discovering her danger in time, had taken
refuge at the cottage near by. ThitheI