Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1871-10-11
miscellaneous.
TN y OMAR GARET ANN"
An Experience.
BY MRS. HENRY WOOD.

nuu gone down ID anger, was long line ut
red, tapering of into a bright yellow, the yel.
low losing itself in the dark cloud. Above
the cloud there cleaned out some flashes Of
brightness, just as though one might have
fancied the moon was about to show herself
Only the moon was a crescent moon, and bad
already set. Say what we would, it was a
peculiar sky that night Overhead, the wind
seemed to move in edies, pitching the clouds
at will To the left Of US might b. seen the
little pier with the white beacon at It's end
ou this side, it shote a red light ia the room
on the beach, where the bathing things we're
kept; to our right lay the rugged coast, its
rocks jutting out into the water Mrs. Whit
uall and her children stood in the bay.wiudow
looking out on all this, and on the wide ex.
panse Of sea beneath and around, hesyiug
darkly in the distance, sparkling with foam
near For myself, | was thinking how beau.
tlul the sea was and how | should ike %
live near it always.
Beautiful but treachcrous Take that day,
for instance. In the morning the sea had
been calm and blue as a ripping lake, and
now at nightfall, it was tossing itself aud
raging horribly"
II am sure tits going to be a fearful night, "
sighed Mrs. Whitnal. 1t was rough at
midday, but"
Rough at midday 80 "Wby, mother.
you called il rough the other evening when
there was hardly enough wind to blow out the
fishing. boats
1t was Alex who had interrupted, the ed-
est, brave, fearless lad of thirtcen. We
stood on again, in silence
"Oh dear, wish we could have tea, NAM
ma :" said impatient Gerty, presently. " Is
it of any use to wait longer ?"
Well-yes, perhaps we bad better have
tea replied Mrs. Whitnal Please to
ring, Dorothy
1t was surprising how dark the room had
become, and how long we must have stood
watching the sky aud sea. 1 had to grope
my way to the bell The landlady answered
it herself Mrs James bringing in the candles
Mrs. Whitnal apologzed at seeing her She
was quite different from some OF the peopl,
who let lodgings at the seaside, and had beer
lady once.
have allowed my servant to 90 out thi'
evening she explained coming back with
the tea-kette " Her brother has come dow
to see her, and has taken her to the circus
She is good girl, and did not like to deny
her the little pleasure
This travelling circus had been turning the
heads Of the town for a week past Gu
young ones were wild to go, and Mr.. Whit
nall had hali-promised to take them tonight
lie had not got home to do it, and they wer
disappointed.
is it not too bad, Dotty?"
"ls not what too bat2
"Papa's staying out2'
Nonsense, children. It must be th
boats fault, not his"
Say the seas fault, Dot"
The seas-of course. Perhaps he vii
take you tomorrow evening"
With the curtains drawn, and the room
bright, we sat round the tea-table talking
and forgot the sea. All at once, when Their
happened to be minutes stiffness of tongues
every mouth being full Of bread and butte
snd shrimps sound like rushing, walin.
moan swept past the windows, shaking tn
house to its foundation. Mrs Whtnal
dropped the teapot ami looked up with
scared face.
WAS that the wind p
OF course it was the wind. She need nc
have asked it,
What night it is going to be I"
Alex went behind the curtains to look ou
} Litte Ethel was running too, but | told he
to come back, aud not throw down the head
aud tails Of the shrimps.
ut is nothing but land wind, mother,
said Alex, in his wisdom. The sea is not
bit rougher than il was before"
just hark That's the drum Of the eli
; Gus, bewailed Frederick, "and poor papa nc
= to have come 10 take us -
The drums could certainly be heard, al
} for the frat time in our remembrance b.
, we were queier tonight than usual, and II
} wind set this way. Children feel disappoin
ments kceuly, aud the shrimps seem to loi
their flavor
e helped Mrs. james to take away the plate
aud Alex, at his mothers bidding carrie
out the kettle. Mrs. james was SO eviden
; y lady, so quiet and refined, that it mao
; us uncomfortable TO be waited on by her
e though she were a domestic A woman
; many forrows, felt sure.
Mrs. Whitnall chose the 10Th Psalm {,
= reading that night thought knew why
aud then the children went TO bed Al,
sad wanted to sit up to be ''in the landing
but his mother would not let him. When
got down stairs after seeing to the two litt
ones, Kate and Ethel, she was standing ia Il
bay window, behiud the curtain, calculatii
the possibility or not, OF her husbands cot
ing in. But that We were inexperieuc
: land-women, we should have known there h
been no chance OF it for hours past. +
I Margaret Ann could not have lived in su
5 sea.
! dorothy, just come and look at it nov
c There could be no mistake that it turn,
out wild night for that matter, thoup
I it had been a wild afternoon. Gusts OF vii
e shook the panes the black cloud had Civ
d given place TO lurid ones; the sea re
higher and roared aloft. She stood wi
d her hands tightly casped.
i dorothy, l am getting faint with fear.
: Nay try and not do that, Mrs Whitna
II Gods mercy is over ALL Remember VII
= you read tonight"
y 1t almost seemed to US watching there tn
we could see the air moving, moving as Fl
as the clouds. The waves tossed as if Ia
o wanted to meet it. She looked very pa
d poor wife and l felt all kinds of terrt
doubts myself Accidents happen on 4
sea SO constantly. Why, why did Robe
? Whitnall consent to 90 he who did not Ill
Il the sea Was he safe ? Would be be sal
: and come TO us ever again
: Shall get your work, Mrs Whitnall
Oh, Dorothy, | have no heart to wo
tonight -
But it will pass away the time"
e undid the works cape she was brai
ing for the child Ethel-an she sat dos
at the table and took it up For myself
, reached the basket Of socks and darn,
> away. Holes seemed to come of themsey
at the seaside.
Ii was the first time we had left Londc
for three years. Mr.. Whitnal could not a
ford the expense Of holiday every autum
Two weeks had passed by since we came, al
we were to stay two weeks more. 1t was
great enjoyment for all Of us. The very d.,
: OF our arrival Mr.. Whiinal CHANGED to NAL
the acquaintance of Capt Sand, formerly
~ trntna nder In tho rnarchant navu H., Ey.