The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-10-11

BY EDWARD JENKINS.


the mad Northeast vino, ARE hurrying across
the smooth face of heaven, and feel all the
chill and depression of the dying hour of day
palling upon my sou.-I bring to memory
this n.g 1t thirty years ago. A night so like
10 this one-as wild, as cold, as joy-killing,
with just such grey-couded, harsh-breath' d
sunset, the sun unseen, its heat unfeit, and
all Nature shudder ng because the Angel OF
the North had wrapped it in his deadly en-
brace.
The shadow of the night hath ever since
been around me: | have dwelt in it, walked
in it, worked iu it, and out of it have been
evolved, for good or evil, all the issues of my
life.
Thirty years ago, this November day, !,
Paul Templer, son OF a Yorkshire farmer,
living far up near the Durham border, in
wards mile or Two from the great eternal
rocks that breast the waves of the Northern
sea, had wandered to some familiar caverns,
deep under the jutting cliffs, where loved to
sit and bear the sea believing through the
res )unding vaults, or he2rken to the curlews
scr am, or watch the scurrying gales, as they
wnired past thick and misty-whe through
II above it all rolled tie c1aseess noises OF
the distant waves murfnuring in their deep
est tones and cappng their hands to God.
queer bookIsh fellow was /. not over
loved of my father, who strengthened his
hands and loins 10 win his bread, and little
cared for my idle finSe s and incoming brains
about his house. But he had to yield to the
necessity of my lazihess. l was deforIned In
the shoulders, and my pale face marked me
out as a weakling, from four brawny, Hercu-
lean youths who were the pride OF our home
s-ead. How much they four loved aud pitied
me. How gentle they were 70 their ''gentlp
man brother, as they used to call me-giveu
to books aud lnnnging, while they worked
hard and Sweatiully, tending and forcing the
N tfnf II coil
viji0ns sky.
by mother vas dead--died in bearing me-
Noblest of these noble brothers was the
eldest. L see him now-Harold-wi with his
great rudy face, ard broad Torch ad. and the
curly auburn hair, aud The brown eyes, deep
and ustrols. and the welI-knit, massive form.
see too tntt fair girl he brought ftom De-
Won, whittier he went to serve his farm APP
premiership, faXen haired, blue-eyed, coral
tipped beauty that she was, and So tender
ana fragile, our big folk for awhile looked at
hcr w'In gentle awe, knowing not what to do
VITA her or how to treat .ler. As if some
rare Dresden Vase had fallen into t ne hands
OF nrutisn minds, who recognized only its
beauty, not It's use, and cherished it iearfulIy,
With telling something between worship
and wonder.
Fondy did l love Eva with a pure brother
~ love-ahd more fondly still l loved Eve
line, the double image of her father and
mother, the pet of all our hearts.
And It is of this night thirty years ago, the
bright, lair figures stand OUT to my eyes as
real as at the time, against the background
OF gray and black and stormy eve. o bright,
1air ngues, long since translated and trans
inquired, where my eyes can no more behold
your beauty!
The morning bad risen as glurn and cold as
the evening afterwards went out. Fast drove
the steei-shaded clouds, harsh was the voice
ana angry the breath of the wind. A sort OF
Gay we loved much, when l could get down
on the shore behind some rock, and shelter
myself from the chilling blasts. Eve intend
eu TO go to N, a town twelve miles off,
down in little vale, that carried small
stream to the sea. where few houses and
nshermen's butts sheltered a community
quaint and quiet living mostly on the trade
done with the surrounding thiny populated
district.
Part of the way was over hill, nearly
-FOUR miles from our house, and along its top,
where it was scraped away in huge Titanic
break straight down to the sea. Great rocks
Jutted oIt here and there, and many cave
and hssnre pitted its black face; below, was
a payement OF tremendous fragments strewn
and piled with the strengthful abandon of
Nature, among which the high tide surged
and boiled and Kissed. Over this hill, down
again, to valley and then along the shore
round the next headland went the road to
N.
They had promised Eva the light two
wheeled cart; and Eveline, who was to have
new dress, the main object of the journey,
was to accompany her. A farmers wife
thinks little of such an excursion, and,
though the giants humorously warned Eva,
at breakfast, of the roughness of the day,
they never thought of dissuacing her from
the drive. l offered to go with her as far as
the cliff. about four miles, taking with me
my dinner and some books, and to wait her
return in the early afternoon. So Harold
brought round the cart, with the patient old
mare, and lifted in Eva and Eyeline. and last
OF all, i'll the wautonness of strength, me-
amidst jokes and laughter and away we
went.
wandered about above and below, and by
and by sat down secure in favorlte cave.
reached oy path from the top, which only a
lignt body and cunning hands aud feet could
safely use. My eyes, weary with reading,
had been resting sleepy on the weird, troub-
LED scene beyond; my ear had been lulled by
the thunder of the waves on those glistening
rocks. l knew not the hour, but [ was 50
intimate with Nature, [ telt sure that Eva
sneuld long since have been with me on her
way nome.
Twice had gone out and struggled up 10
the highest point of the cliff. whence ought
to have seen her cart climbing the hill After
noon ohe weather had grown colder, angrier.
AMI more gloomy. Grand indeed were the
waves, with their tossing names of snowy
foam under that black sky
As descended the second time disap-
pointed to my cave, l Jaw, with alarm, the
north and east growing more desperately
dark-the clouds quckened their speed to a
rlo.oas rate-an1 the drizze blew cold and
hard upon my face.
Coon, Evar' l said, 'coom along soon,
Eva anG Egeline. Storm and nj hit are be-
mind ye Crom on safe aid speedily, my
da,lingsp'
BY aud BY the storm drove mp fell and flu
fious. . bow the mons or Sea dashed out
aho roafec amain fhe scuur drifts OF rain
ua>aei Fast my caves moutI and flung their
cold drops hack nto my face as l shrank TO
the farther end.
Nay said I. peering out anxiouslv,
God save thee, Eva. Mayst thou not leave
the shelter Of the cosy haven till this be
over
grew uneasy. There was danger now,
SO vicious was the gale, IN climbing even the
teT feet botween me and the top; but after
waiting vanly long time for a iu and find
ing that air grew darker and darker ana
the s:oi m more fierce. brayed my heart for
an'ther effjrt and went up again.
Whf-whirl- 7hat a gust! It nearly
blew me off my feet. / stood as manfully as
could, and tried to make out the line of
road. could not see hundred yards. The
mist, rain and falling darkness yelled every
feature OF the landscape from my sight. lis
tened trembling.
=, God help thel" 1 cred; "Oh! where art
thou, Eva" o little Eveline, evangel,
where are now thy little face and feet, the
sunshine and the music of our home?'
:, AT this moment l heard shrill cry coming
through the storm. 1t was sea NEW surely? |
IL seemed not far from me. and IT. was sbarn |
and so inhuman. 'ip |
inere 1t vas asainl And now another
,an.sT' sweeping by my ears on the loud
volced WIND. breasted the storm dowr The
hill. shading my eyes with NV hand from t the
DIinolng orlIt, and pressing on desperately
b hm sIr yaTds,v was Of Two
more snbdued, but this time onita co 9' ~
me. Yet could see nothing in the road If
war certainly the cry of a child. io"0 ~
GOOD heavens! Am bewicbed, t. =
my ear. Eva! Evelinep' The little - cr ~
again. looked about me- l was standinSS
at well-known point of the road Hos
there iuttad I'M Two great riDnoolas