The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1872-10-18
A MIDDLE.AGED LOVE STORY.

A MIDDLE.AGED LOVE STORY.
They had come, a little group of
friendly faces, to watch me oil, with
waving handkerchiefs and kindly good
bys, and stood on the stem nodding
and waving back till the steamer swept
down the river out Of their sight.
| knew | should have their prayers
that the great sea might be gentle with
me-; l knew they would watch the
weather and look for the telegram OF
the arrival of our ship; yet | knew
was taking nothing from their lives, and
that they would each go home hardly
missing me; so it was with no great
wrench of heart that | saw the pilot put
Oft from us, and took the last look at
my native shores.
During most of the passage | was just
comfortably sea-sick, so | 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. | saw the
shining nautiluses float by, now and then
a whale, or shoal of porposises, or a
sail, speeding white and full across the
water
saw also good many other things
nearer by, for didn't put my eyes in
my pocket along with my short sighted
glasses, and nobody was much likely to
mind a middle-aged woman in hood
and waterproof.
The first thing | saw was young girl
with dark eyes and brown hair that rip.
pied itself into tangle of rough curls
whenever she took off her net. She was
not so very pretty or 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 surgeon TO the cabin boy, was
eager to show her attentention and
everybody was met by the same genial
smile and lively retort.
She won her way at once into my
heart by the kindly thought that led
her to bring little Ielishes from the ia
BILE to tempt my sickly appetite, and to
soothe my forehead with bay-water, and
gentle touches of her shapely brown
hands, where great emerald glittered,
encircled by diamonds. Very soon she
got in the habit of drawing her rug b
side my chair, and sitting on the deck
leaning against me, so that | might
- pet her." as she said.
This was how it happened that my
quiet, outof. .he.way corner came to be
the center of the life and gayety and
romance of the whole shipboard.
! ~ Al ,iVl
Armour, was an only child, and an
orphan, going to an uncle in Germany,
her nearest Of kin.
"Dear heart hope her uncle will
be wise as we'll as loving" said | to my
self very often, for she seemed too frag-
lie bubble of humanity TO drift on
through life alone.
The tips of the brown cuIls 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 | sat coil.
ing these CLEANS OF sunshine around
my fingers, and watching a flock of
Mother Carey's chickens skim restless
ly over the stless water, thinking
these thoughts about Rosa, and having
her soft presence alone to myself for
a few moments. Not many, however !;
soon came up a New Zealander of
course there was New Zelander or an
Australian on our boat.
- You are very lowly, Miss Armour"
said he. " Let me bring you chair"
"Thank you prefer to sit here on
my rug and have Miss Wells pet me"
replied Rosa, turning up her eyes lam
guidly. The deck is my favorite seat,
If | can only have an excuse to sit On
it,"
"But you need something over you"
persisted the New Zealander, going
away, and coming back directly with
his own heavy gray wrap. Then he
seated himself on a low camp-stool be-
eide her, folding the wrap over the two.
O. never saw so rough sea as this
all the way from Honolulu TO San Fran
CISCO" said he, looking out upon the
gentle swell of the lazily-mounting
waves.
"Rouph ~ cried Miss Armour. 81
am sure the ocean is as smooth as
mill.pond "
ooh but not as compared to the
Pacifc-pes ceful it was rightly named
We have never such gales on that as
sweep the Atlantic, but only the gen
tlest westerly breezes." The New Zeal
ander shivered as he spoke, and drew
his wrap close over his knees. I'VE
have the most charming climate In New
Zealand" he went on; eve are never
too hot, and never too cold. In fact, we
never think of the weather. And the
soil is the most fertile in the world"
"Pity it is in such an out-of'the-way
part Of the earth that nobody can Ave
there" said Miss Armour.
"Beg your pardon, Miss; there are