The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1872-03-07
MR.. ELA'S STORY.
From the December Overland Monthly


Three or four years ago, my husband
and | were making winter voyage up the
Oregon coast. The weather was not pc
cullarly bad; it wa. the ordinary winter
weather, with a Quartering wind, giving
the ship an awkward motion over an
obliquely rolling sea. Cold, sick, thorough
ly uncomfortable, with no refuge but the
narrow and dimly-lghted state room,
was reduced in the first twenty-four hours
to condition of ignominous helplessness,
hardly willing to live, and not yet fully
wishing or intending to die.
In this unhappy frame of mind the close
OF the second weary day found me, when
my husband opened our state-room door to
say that Mr.. Ella, of -, Oregon, was on
board, and proposed to come and talk to
me, in the hope of amusing me and making
me forget my wretchedness Submitting
rather than agreeing to the proposal, chairs
were brought and placed just inside the
doorway, where the light of the saloon
'""np" si.vu0 arn"arG the cOuntenancc Of
my self-constituted physician. lie was a
young man, and looked younger than his
years: slightly built though possessing a
supple, well-knit frame, with hands of an
elegant shape, fine texture and great ex-
preston. You saw at a glance that he
had poets head, and poets sensitive
ness of face, but it was only after obsarya-
ton that you saw how much the face was
capable of which it did not convey. for
faces are apt to indicate not SO much in
dlyIdual culture as the culture of those
with whom we are habitually associated.
MIR. Elias face clearly indicated to me the
intellectual poverty, the want of aesthetic
cultivation in his accustomed circle of so
clety, at the same time it suggested posi-
bic phases of great beauty, should it.ever
become possible for certain emotions to be
habitually called to the surface by svnpa-
thy. Eyidentlya vein of drollerv in his na-
tnre had better been appreciated. and ofteper
exhibited ia .dmirins a-die"ces, tnan any
OF the finer qualities of thought or sent
ment of which you instinctiyelv knew him
to be capable; and yet the face protested
against IT, too, by a gentle irony with a
hint OF seif-scorn in it, as if its owner. in
his own estimation, wrote himself a bufFoon
for his condescension. Altogether it was
good face, but one to make you wish it
were better, since by not being so it was
untrue to itself | remember thinking all
this looking out with sluggish interest from
my berth, while the two gentlemen did a
little preliminary talking. Mr.. Elias voice,
observed, ike his face, was suscentib,e
Of great change and infinite modnIations
Deep chest-tones were followed bv finely
attenuated sounds; droning nasal tones. bv
quick and clear ones. The quality of the
voice was soft and musical; the enuncis-
tion, slow, often emphatic. His manner
was illustrative, egotistic, and keenlv
watchful of effect.
lou never heard the story Of nv adyen-
ture IN the mountains?' Ella began. turn
ing to me with the air of man who had
made up his mind to tell his story.
No; please tell it.
"ell'-running his tarerin- fingers
through his hair, and pulling it over his
forehead-'I started out in life with
theory, and IT was this: that no young man
should ask woman to marry him until he
had prepared home for her. Correct
wasn't it? | was about 10 wears ola
when | took up some land in the Rogue
River Valley, and worked away at it with
this object
Had you really a wife selected at that
age?'
NO, but it was the fashion in early
'imes IN that country to marry early, and |
was getting ready according to nv theory
don't you see? l was pretty successful.
tee; had considerable stock, built me q
mousse made flower garden for nv wife
even put up the pegs or nails she was 10
hang her dresses on. intended that fall
Se' oh my morse, ride through the Wall.-
met ALLEY and find me my girl
Al the notion of counting in that of.
hand general style, both my husband and
l laughed doubtingly. Ella laughed. too.
but as if the recollection pleased him.
You think that is strange, do YOU ?
Iwasn't so very strange in those DAYS. be-
cause girls were scarce, don't you see.
There wasn't girl within forty miles Of
me; and just the thought of one, now. as /