Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1872-10-24
MIDDLE-AGED LOVE STORY.

Il LOt6. STORY.
They had cone. little eroup Of friend
y iaess. 70 watch me d, With v.vip,
handkerchiefs and kindly eood-bvs: ant
and I stood on the stern, noddips .nS
waving back. till the steamer swept dow
the river out Of their sight.
knew | should bavs their prayers tha,
the great sea might be gentle with me;
Knew they sculd watch the weather. and
lcet ss sshs telegram Of the arrival Of ON,
aiils-yrf~F36 wUtakine no.ls,pc
from their lives, and that they each would
60 home hardly missing me; SO IL was
with Sno great wrench Of heart that saw
the pilot put of from rs. and took the las
look at my native shores.
During most Of the passage was jus,
comfortably sea-sick. 80 I sat all the day
long in a reclining chair on deck, watch.
ing the white caps on the purple and green
and blue waves that mounted and fell,
down and up, up and down. away out to
the far horizon. I saw the shining uauti.
luses aoat BY. and now and then whale
or shoal Of poipoises. or a sail, speeding
white and full across the water.
/ saw also good many other things
nearer by; for didn't put nv eyes in my
pocket along with my short-s,shted glas-
ses; and nobody was much likely to mind
a middle aged woman in hood and water
proof.
The first thing saw was young girl,
with dark eyes. and brown hair that rip
Piled itself into a taugls of rough curls
whenever she took of her net. She was
not 50 very pretty. nor SO very brilliant
but there was piquant charm about her
that attracted half the passengers before
the first day was over. BY the end Of the
second day. everybody. from the captain
to the ships surgeon and from the sur
geon to the cabin. boy, vas eager to show
her attention; aud everybody was met by
the same genial smile and lively retort.
She won her way at once Tito my heart
by the kindly thought that led her to bring
little relishes from the table to temp. nv
siekly appetite. and to soothe my foreh cad
with water and gentle touches of her
shapcly brown hands. where great emer.
aid glittered, encircled by diamonds.
Very soon she got into the habit of draw
ing her rug beside my chair, and sitting
on the deck leaning against me, 60 that
might pet her." as she said.
This was how it happened that my qui-
ct. out-of.the-way corner came to be the
center Of the life and gayety aud romance
Of the whole slipboard.
] ha"a ed this young girl, Rosa Armour.
,s~s IN od's oiltid aud an orphan. q. g to
an uncle in Germany, her nearest of kin.
Dear heart! I hope her uuclc will
be wise as well as loving" said to my
self very often; for she seemed too fragile
bubble of humanity to drift on through
life alone.
The tips Of her brown curls were lighter
than the rest; and here and there were
little bright touches all over her hair, as
though the sun was shining in spots on it.
One morning l sat coiling these CLEANS
Of sunshine around my fingers, aud watch
ing flock Of Mother Carey's chickens
skim restlessly over the restless water,
thinking these thoughts about Rosa, and
having her soft presence alone to myself
for few moments. Not many, however;
soon, up came New Zealander; of course
there was New Zealande., or an Austria
lian on our boat.
You are very lowly, Miss Armour" {"
said he. "Lct me bring you a chair"
"Thsnk you; I prefer to sit here on
my rug. and have Miss Wells pet me- =
replied Rosa. turning up her eyes lauguid.
ly. "The deck is my favorite seat, If
can oulv h,yo ,c ,~onsa - 80 -, :. -
But you need something over you, per-
sisted the New Zealander. going away
and coming back directly with his own
heavy gray wrap. Then be seated him.
self on low camp-stool beside her, fold.
ing the wrap over the tvc.. Il never sa~
so rough sea as this all the way from
Honolulu to San Francisco" said be, look.
ing ont upon the gentle swell Of the lastly.
mounting waves.
Rough" cried Miss Amour. Il am
sure the ocean is as smooth Is . mill
pond ~
"Oh ! but as compared to the Pacific
peaceful; it vas rightly named. We hav.
never such gales on that as sweep the At.
lantic, but only the gentlest westerly bree
4
spoke, and drew his wrap closer over hi,
kness. 1--WE have the most charming eli.
mste in New Zealand" be went on :
I'VE arc never too hot. and never too cold
In fact, We never think Of the weather.
And aie soil is the most fertile in ,h.
world"
"Pity it is in such an ous:of-the-wa,
lpart Of the earth that nobody cat live
there" said Miss Amour.
'Beg your pardon, Miss; there ar,
several English towns Of thirty thousant
inhabitants each and VIC never think o
ourselves a. being out-of-thc-way. bu
rather feel sorry fof those who live so "a
off," returned the other. bending his tai
figure earnestly forward.
II Rosa lcaped her pretty head towards hin
in couhding atsi.ude ofinsereet and laugh h
ed. .''Oh. 50 Jou are the people. and Wis
dom Is going TO die with ycu," said she
"But what do you do out there In h
heart Of the universe
I've dig gold for ono thing. and rails
sheep for anotaer-millions and million
of them from thirty. to forty vessels ar
constantly plying to Ensisrd with the tai
low and pressed wool"
"whas 10 you do With all that mutton?
asked Rosa, looking idly At the light i
her ring. and thea - idly Al the light il
the speakers eyes.
Eve uec what &c cas." was the repl,
"and sometimes. am sorry to say. y
bury The fcah-not usually. but sometime
'.aa order viii oous 10 . farmer for thoe