The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1872-09-19
= arpolr-aerp LOVE- STORY


hsBdkag5Aleis aud kindly good-byosi and
/ stood % lle stern uoddiug and waving
back, tI iho steamer swept down the
. the river out Of their sight.
( knew ! should hsye their prayers that
+ tie great sea might better be gentle with
me- know they would watch the wealth
CT, aud look for iho telegram Of the ar-
rival Of our ship, yet knew was taking
nothing from their lives, aud that they
each would 80 home hardly missing me
so It was with no great wrench Of heart
that saw the pilot put OF from US, and
took the last look at my native shores.
I During most Of the passage | was just
comfortably seasiek, so / sat all the day
long IN q reclining chair on deck, watch
ing the white caps on the purple and
green aud blue waves that mounted and
fell, down and up, up and down, away
out 10 the far horizon. saw the shining
nautiluses Aoat by, and now and then 3
whale, or a shoal Of porpoises, or a sail,
speeding white and full across the wat
cr.
I saw also a good many other things
nearer by; for didn't put my eyes in
my pocket along with my short-sighted
glasses. aud nobody was much likely 10
mind a mlddIc-aged woman in hood and
waterproof.
The first thing saw was a young girl
with dark eyes, aud brown hair that rip
pied itself into tangle Of rough curls
whenever she took off her net. She was
not so very pretty, nor so very brillianti
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
gcou to the cabin-boy, was eager to show
her attention; 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 reishes from the table to
tempt my sickly appetite, and to soothe
my forehead with bay-water and gentle
touches Of her shapely brown hands,
where a great emerald glittered, encirclcd
by diamonds. Very soon she got into
the habit Of drawing her rug beside 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 quiz
ct, out-ofthe-way corner came to be the
center of the life and gaycty and romance
of the whole shipboard.
1t seemed this young girl, Rosa Ar
mour, was an only child, and an orphan
going to an uncle in Germany, her near
est of kin.
Doar hearth 1 hoPo her uncle win be
wise as well as loving, said | to myself
very often; for she seemed too fragile a
bubble of humanity to drift on through
life alone.
The tips Of her brown curls were light
er 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 coiling
these CLEANS of sunshine around my fin
gers, and watching flock of Mother Car
J ey's chickens skim restlessly over the
restless water, thinking these thoughts
about Rosa, and having her soft presence
alone to myself for a few moments.
Not many, however; soon, up came a
New Zealander; of course there was a
. New Zealander, or an Australian, on our
boat.
1 You are very lowly, Miss Armour, said
- he. Let me bring you chair.
Thank you; 1prefer to sit here on my
rug, and have Miss Wells pet me, replied
Rosa, turning up her eyes languidly,
The deck is my iayorte scat, if can on.
Nv have an excuse to sit on ii.
But you need something over You, per.
sisted the New Zcalandor, going away
and coming back directly with his own
heavy gray wrap. Then he seated him
self on low camp stool beside her,
folding the wrap over the two. Inever
saw so rough a sea as this all the way from
. Honolulu to San Francisco, said be, look
3 ing out upon the gentle swell ofthe laziy
30 mounting waves.
Roughl cried Miss Armour. lam surC
the ocean is as smooth as a mill pond!
Obi but not as compared to the Pacific
peaceful; 1t was rightly named. W.
have never such gales on that as SWEEP
"a the Atlantic, but only the gentlest west
erly brcezes. The New Zealander shiyer
I cd as he spoke, and drew bis wrap closeI
over bis knees. We have the most char
ming climate in New Zealand, he wen
on: we are never too hot, and never toe
cold. In fact, we never think Of tht
weather And the soil Is the most ferbl,
G. in the world.
y Pity It is in such an out-of-the-way par
Of the earth that nobody can live there
=. said Miss Armour.
Beg your pardon, miss: there arc scv
eral English towns Of thirty thousan,
inhabitants each; and we never think o
ourselves as being out-ofthe-way, bu
rather feel sorry for those who live so "a
Oh, returned the other, bending bis tai
figure earnestly forward.
Rosa leaned her pretty bead toward
him 10 d c0nGdiug attitude Of interest
aud laughed: Oh, so you are the people
and wisdom is going to die with you
said She. Bot what do You do out ther
IN fle hnArt OF the nmlYerseI