Middletown transcript., 1872-02-10

but cas-, his eyes down a moment toward
his heart. and tapped his foot. aud then
as il catching the pitch Somewhere from
within. be raised the tune and carried il
forward with an exquisite sense Of rhythm.
A very old man aud cripple. who
lived across the way from Minuit's. affect.
cd to observe an extraordinary change in
his stature according TO the weather
chIngcs. elongating xs tho temperature
rose and in very cold weather sinking into
himself: this man also observed. on the
day Of solar eclipse. that for the period
Il &c was nothing at all in the place
exc ,p, rim Of light. which enlarged as
the disc Of the sun was released. But
who could rely upon the vagarics Of an
old man. who could do nothing but make
memoranda out Of his window upon the
ioings Of his ueiehborsI
II anybody knew more than that
Fiihan Mnnit was an ebliging. neigh
iorly man. aud model for mechanics. il
mus, have been the subject Of his romance
lie was related to have told all that he
knew upon the mystry Of his being to
his clergyman, and there is nothing nov
10 confirm the gossip: for the preacher
himself has gone to sleep in the old
Shrewsbury graveyard in Maryland
=" At Port Penn where the last island
in the channel Of the lower Delaware now
raises is flaming beacon, AMI the bclatcd
collier steers safely by Raedy Island light,
lived the daughter Of an old West India
aud coas,iug captain, who would permit
his chrouomc,er. to be rcpnird aud cleaned
y nob,ly bu, Minuit His cottage stood
where now there i, broad and sandy
.irct leading to wooden pier aud 10
bnhing houses on n pleasure beach The
few people near ut hand were pilots, cap
,ains of bay-craf,. aud grain buyers; al
though the Dutch ani Swedish farms, ul-
tcrnating with long marshes, musical with
birds had lined the wide Delaware at this
p'in, many year. In calm, sunny
weather the broad beauty of the river aud
i's low gold and emerald shores. with
bulky vessels swinging up on the slow
iull tile. combined the sceucrcs Of Amer
len and III. Netherlands but when gale
blew over the low shnres, scattering the
reed birds like The golden pelican Of the
mash Titles. ani cold white gulls succeed
ed. di' in and rarccring like sharks of
thc sky. the ships aud coasters fel, no
serenity in these wide yeas,y reaches Of
the Delaware bay. aud they laborcl Ia
,!rop anchor behind the natural hreakwa,cr
II n"pd" i.lnaa There. clustering about
Is ihickly in that oldcn time as they now
ae X from all the ocean round the costly
,aelt'r Of IIculopcn breakwaicr, coaster
nl private, fisherman mud SLAYER, sen,
TIP the prayer BET cfccnt government,
has since granted in the fullest measure.
for u perfect Coast Survey aud vigilan,
Light House board
- The daughter Of Captain l4um vas
named Lis and she WIS tho junior Of
Fifhian Minuit by several years, slcn.
Ter beautiful girl. with hair and eyes of
the sotlest brown. aud household ways.
ian,h,crly and ,niraring
3" Tie oil sea captain wha made five
voyages year IN the nearer Indies, and
.cnt ashore TO Port pcun as be passed,
returning with the hcst of rum aud the
freshest uf tropical fruits, looked with r
Jealous e,c upon any possible suitar TO his
laughter aud hnl, perhaps. embarrassed
her prospects for Younger protector, II
such shr had even wished. But he loved
Ii see the clock. maker come Ia the cottage.
who had never shown rar,ialiy for any
woman. while popular with all.
- Minuit. he used 10 say. the best
man on watch hy land or sea. thnn north
>isr lnak 10 my girl as 10 my elronome-
ter, ani I'll pay the twice the cost Of lhy
time 7"
II vas the captains dcligh, while
ashore. 10 have every time piece. station
AIRY as possible. taken apart in the pres.
rucc of his daughter and himself. while
he told the sailory yarns and Lois stood
really 10 serve his punch or pass to the
fat. smooth. faced. cheerful Minuit the
piece of mechanics brass gimbal', chto
nomc,ei boxes. wheels and springs. ship
glasses, compnsses, the manitoba part. Of
little things by which men gropc their
way out Of sigh, Of land. hung between a
human watch and the crystal shell of the
embossed heaven. Chrouomc,crs were
with Minuii attractive aud vet awe-giving
subjects The legend of his childhood,
wcll-forge,,cn By all else. said lha, he had
swallowed a chronomeicr. SO small that a
sea captain could swim with ii in his
mouth And now the sailors Of all the
navics walked by the aid Of clumsy watch.
es. high as housc-clocks. which TO lock at
made Minui, smile with pity.
- Captain Lum.' he said aloud, on
the eve Of u voyage in the winter season.
have often ycarncd to 70 to sea. The
sight Of It makes inc little wild. l
think I could guess my way over it and
about it, by inherent reckoning"
:. lie snw the pair Of white hands. hold
ing something before him. trcmble little.
aud he looked up. Tho spiritual face Of
Lois was looking at his with wistful ap-
prchrnsion aud interest. II ever his pulse
beat out Of time il was now Or in that
exchange Of glances he felt what she did
not understand--,ha be Was beloved.