The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1872-11-14
HOW TWENTY PRECIOUS YEARS
WERE WASTED.

WERE WASTED.
They had come, n little group Of
friendly faces to watch me Off, with
waving handkerchicts and kindly
good.bycs; and | stood on the stern
nodding and waving back, till the
steamer swept down the river out OF
their sight.
[ knew | should have their pray
ers that the great sea might be gen
tie with me; | knew they would
watch the weather and look for the
telegram of the arrival Of our ship;
vet [ knew | was taking nothing
from their lives and that they each
would go homo 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 | was
Just comfortably sea-sicll-so / sat
all the day long in reclining chair
on deck, watching the white caps on
the purple and green and blue
waves that mounted and fell, down
and up, up and down, away out to
tho far horizon. | saw the shining
nautiluses float by, and now and
then whale, or Il shoal Ofporpoise,
or 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 middIe-aged woman in hood
and waterproof.
The first thing | saw was q yourg
girl with dark eyes and brown hair,
that ripplcd Itself into ~ tanglc of
rough curls whenever she took of
her net. She wss not so very prct-
| ty, nor so very brilliant, but there
was piquant charm about her that
attracted half the passengers before
tho first day was over. By the end
of the second day everybody, from
the captain to the ships surgeon,
from the surgeon to the cabin-boy,
was eager to show her attention
and every one was met by the same
genial smile and lively rctort.
She won her way at once into my
heart by the kindly thought that
led her to bring little relishcs from
the table to tempt my sickIy appc
tite, and to soothe my forehead
with bay water and gentle touches
of her shapoly brown hands, where
a great emerald glittered cncircled
by diamonds. Very soou she got
into the habit of drawing her rug
beside my chair, and sitting on tho
deck leaning against me, so that
might "pet her." as she said.
This was how it happened tha
my quiet, out-of the way corner
came to be the centre of the life
and gayiety and romance of the
whole shipboard.
1t seemed this young girl, Ros;
Armour, was IN only child, and al
orphan, going to an uncle in Ger
many, her nearest kin.
"Dc4r heart | hope her uncle
will be wise as well as loving" sale
to myself often; for she seemed
too fragile bubble Of humanity tt
drift on through life alone.
The tips of her brown curls wer'
lighter than the rest and here anC
there were little bright touches al
over her hair, as though the sun wal
shining in spots on 1T. One morn
ing sat coiling these CLEANS of sun
shine around my fingers, and watch
ing flock of Mother Carey's chic!a,
ems skim restiessly over the restles
water, thinking these thoughts abou
Rosa, and having her soft presenc
alone to myself for few moments
Not many, however; soon, up came
. New Zealander; Of course there wa
New Zealander, or an Australian
on our boat.
"You are very lowly, Miss Al
l mour," said he. "Let me bring yo
chair"
"Thank you; l prefer to sit her
# on my rug, and have Miss Wells pc
r me" replied Rosa, turning up he
I eyes languidly. "The deck is m
: fayorite seat, if l can only have Il
0 excuse to sit on it.
$ "But you need something owe
! you," persisted the New Zealandel
S going away and coming back direct
5 ly with his own heavy gray wraI
Then he seated himself on a low
D camp. stool beside her, folding th
d wrap over the two. l never sa
;, so rough a sea as this all the wa
: from Honolulu to San Francisco,
), said he, looking out upon the gent
4 swell Of the lazy.mounting waves
! RoughI" cried Miss Armour ="