The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1872-10-18
Miscellaneous.
From Chambers Journal
A MIDDLE-AGED LOVE STORY,

Iney Dau come, little group OF
friendly faces, to watch me Off with
waving handkerchiefsa and kindly good
bys, and L stood on the stern, nodding
aud waving back, till the steamer swept
down the river out of sight.
L knew 1 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; yeti knew I 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
off from us, and took the last look at
my native shores.
During most of the passage l wasjust
comfortably sea sick, so sat all the day
long in 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. L saw the shin.
ing nautiluses float by, now and then a
whale, or shoal of porpoises, or sail,
speeding white and full across the wa
ter.
l saw also a good many other things
nearer by, for I didn't put my eyes in
my pocket along with my short sighted
glasses, and nobody was much likely to
mind middle aged woman in hood and
water. proof
The first thing saw was young.girl
with dark eyes and brown hair that
rippled itself into a tangle of rough
curls whenever she took Off her net.
She was not so 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 ofthe second day everybody,
from the captain to the ships surgeon,
and from the surgeon 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 relishes 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 great emerald glittered, encir-
cled by diamonds. Very soon she got
in the habit of drawing her rug beside
my chair, and sitting on the deck lean.
ing against me, so that / might "pet
her." as she said.
This was how it happened that my
quiet out-of. the-way corner came to be
the center of the life and gayety and
romance of the whole shipboard.
1t seemed that this young girl, Rosa
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 well as loving, "said | to mysel
very often, for she seemed too fragile {
bubble of humanity to drift on through
life alone.
The tips of the brown curls were
lighter than the rest; and here ant
there were little bright touches all owe
her hair, asthough the sun was shining
in spots on it. One morning l sat coil
ing these CLEANS of sunshine aroun(
my fingers, and watching a flock o
Mother Carey's chickens skim restlessl,
over the restless water, thinking thes
thoughts about Rosa, and having he
soft presence alone to myself for a fey
moments. Not many, however; sool
came up a New Zealander; of cours
there was New Zealander or an Aus
tralian on our boat.
"You are very lowly, Miss Armour,
said he. "Let me bring you chair"
"Thank you; l prefer to sit here o
my rug and have Miss Wells pet me,
replied Rosa, turning up her eyes lar
guidly. "The deck is my favorite seat
if / can only have an excuse to sit o
it."
"But you need something over you,
J persisted the New Zealander, goin
away, and coming back directly wit
his own heavy gray wrap. Then /
seated himself on low camp sto,
beside her, folding the wrap over II
two. ~ never saw so rough sea
this all the way from Honolulu to 81
Francisco" said he, looking out upC
the gentle swell of the lazily' 'mountir
waves.
"Rough! u cried Miss Armour.
X am sure the ocean is as smooth as mi
: pond !"
"Oh hut not as compared to the L
> cl6c-peac eful; it was rightly name
/. We have never such gales on that
, sweep the Atlantic, but only the &C