The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1873-09-10
MISCELLANY.
4 MIDDLE AGED LoYE STORY.


They had come, little group Of friendly
faces, to watch me off, with waving handker-
chiefs and kindly good-byes and stood on
the stern, nodding and waving back, till the
steamer swept down the river out Of Their
sight. s aFs4ss 8 aasasss
knew thatI should have their prayers that
the great sea might be gentle with me;
knew they would watch the weather, and lool
for the telegram of the arrival of our ship
yet knew was taking nothing from theil
lives and that they each would go home hard
ly missing me SO it was with no great wrench
of heart that l saw the pilot put off from us
and took the last look at my native shores.
During most of the passage was just com
fortably sea-sick, so sat all day long in q re-
clining chair ON deck, watching the white caps
on the purple and green blue waves that
mounted and fell down and up, up and down.
away out to the fair horizon. ] saw the shining
nautiluses float by, and now and then whale
or a shoal of porpoises, or a sail, speeding
white and full across the water.
saw also a good many other things nearer
by; for didn't put my eyes in my pocket
along with my short-sighted glasses ; and no
body was much likely to mind middle-aged
woman in hood and waterproof.
The first thing saw was young girl, will
into tanglc of rough curls whenever she
took off her net She was not so very pretty
nor SO very brilliant, but there was a piquant
charm about her that attracted half the pass
engers before the first day was over. BY the
end of the second day, everybody, from the
captain, to the ship'ssurgeon, to the cabin-boy,
was eager to show her attention; and every
body 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 ap-
petite, and to soothe my forehead with bay
water and gentle touches of her shapely brown
hands, where great emerald glittered, en-
circled 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 ithappencd 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 this young girl, Rosa Armour,
was an only child and an orphan, going to an
uncle in Germany, her nearest kim.
'sDear heart hope her uncle viii be wise
as well as loving" said to myself very often !;
for she seemed too fragile bubble of humans
ty to drift on through life alone.
The tips of her brown curls 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 coiling these CLEANS Of sunshine
around my fingers, and watching flock Of
Mother Carey's chickens skim carelessly over
the restless water, thinking these thoughts
about Rosa, and having hersoft presence alone
to myself for few moments. Not many,
however; soon, up came New Zealander, or
an Australian, ON our boat.
You are very lowly, Miss Armour" said
he, "Let me bring you chair"
"Thank you; perfer to sit here on my
rug, and have Miss Wells pet me-" replied
Rosa, turning up her eyes languidly. The
deck is my favorite seat, if l can only have an
excuse to sit on it.
"But you need something over you," per
sisted the New Zealander, going away and
coming back directly with his own heavy wrap.
Then he seated himself on a low camp stool
beside her, folding the wrap over the two. 81
never saw so rough sea as this all the way
from Honolulu to San Francisco" said he,
looking out upon the gentle swell of the lazi-
ly-mounting waves.
"Rough!" cried Miss Armour. 81 am
sure the ocean is as smooth as mill pond -
'Oh but not as compared with the Pacific,
peaceful it was rightly named We have
never such gales on that as sweep the Atlantic,
but only the gentlest westerly breezes." The
New Zealander shivered as he spoke, and drew
his wrap closer over his knees. eve have
the most charming climate in New Zealand, y
he went on eve are never too hot, and never
too cold. In fact we never think of the wealth
err. And the soil is the most fertile in the
world.'' sm
"Pity it is such an 'out-of-the-way part OF
the earth that nobody can live there, said
Miss Armour.
"Beg your pardon, miss there are several