Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1871-03-03
Would you not wish that youth and health

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were yours and mine?
The sun was going down westward, and
a drapery Of crimson and gold seemed to
gather round its couch Ned, as he
smoked his pipe, was murmuring Tom
Moores exquisite lines:
sfHow dear to me the hour when daylight dies,
And sunbeams melt along the silent sea
For the sweet dreams of other days arise,
And memory wakes her vesper sigh for mel
When he suddenly started up with vio-
lent gesture that sent the lug-sail swing
ing round. and nearly swamped the boat
"What the devils that?''
So cried Ned. And so possibly would
you or have cried under circumstances.
| have told you it was sunset; and the
shadows of light were gathering round
the waters. Would you not have been as
astouished as Ned ON ,lley was. if you
had seen jolly-boat (excuse my naval
phraseology) floating towards you. and
lovely woman standing erect in it, her
hands clasped as if in despair, and that
southeasterly wind blowing her garments
westward as if they we're the sails Of the
boat? [ guess you would.
Am | dreaming ?" said Ned; ''or is
this the territory Of that famous Fl Bras
sill they talk so much of in the fairy
tales p
But then a loud cry reached his ears
'Oh! hel lp me-help me!'
Its woman. by Hcaven!" exclaim-
ed Ned land she wants my help. I'm
clearly the right man in the right place" :"
He touched his helm and ran alongside;
in another minute he bad grappled the
boat and made all secure.
"And now mann 2"
She sank amid ships as if she had been
hit by falling spar, and lay in dead
dead swoon.
Ned was in fix, I promise you There
right before him lay the loveliest girl he
had ever set his good bright eyes upon.
The meerschaum was nowhere now-that
is to say it fell from between his teeth and
lay at the bottom of his yawl-do you call
that class of boats yawls in America FL
don't know. What should he do? Ned
was man of resources; and he did the
right thing in the right time. He lifted
the insensible girl clear out of the jolly
boat into his own--loosed the grapple-
and let the wretched punt 60 adrift.
A lovely girl in one's arms in swoon
the eyes closed and the smooth cheek
pale-makes fellows nerves tingle e.
Ned O'Malley never felt so queer before;
but he liked it: The girl came to; lit
tie sea water on her face revived her, and
then came her story.
Her father was merchant of Boston,
and her lover was skipper of Nantucket.
1t is pretty clear that he did not carry on
i. in our boyish days on the other side of
the Atlantic Ocean. There we love the
girls of our choice, and they-the darl-
ings-love us and the whole case is set
tied The priest has festival day; our
friends get jolly and happy; and, by-and-
bye, jolly, rosy faced little boys and girls
begin to creep round our knees. And SO
I, George O'Halloran, say. 1.-The old is
land forever, and the sky above it..
But why that skipper of Nantucket
should have conducted his wooing in so
strange way cannot tell.
He invited the young lady to visit his
ship. She went-this was her story-and
he gave very nice luncheon indeed -
But whilst the sweet girl was consuming
the dainty viands the schooner was float.
ing out at sea. She bad got thirty good
knots away before Hermonie (what funny
names you Americans give your cbildren)
discovered her danger.
Then the scoundrel revealed himself
Il love you," he said, Il passionatcly
love you. Your father would have con-
sented to our union but you have treated
me with coldness and disdain. Pardon
me If I have rushed to the last resort to
make you mine. Your character is COM
promised now; you have no resource ex-
cept to become my wife"
Coward" she exclaimed.
'No coward" he said, where am
face to face with my enemy-man to man;
but coward. if you like, where you are
concerned: and I would resort to any cow
ardice to make you mine. %
Il do not love you,'' she said; and
why do you wish to marry a woman who
can have no feeling of love for you -
''Bah!' he answered ''you must love
me. Love breeds love. Could mortal
man have a more earnest affection for
woman than have for you? You will
love me by and BY"
"Neverw
Il laugh at that decision"
''Never!"
"Tush!'' be exclaimed. "a woman's
never is to-day; her euer comes to-mor-
row; and to it she is true for ever more.
You will love me forever when am your
husband, faithful and true"
"Never! Sc help me Heaven, will
die frst!'
And she has told me since that she
would have died in that hour if the chance
of escape had not been presented to her.
have heard her tell the story by her own
6reside, with Ned's three little darlings
clustering round her knee.
The brave girl, who hated the man
with all the hatred of which her gentle
heart was capable, seemed to yield.