Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-07-19
THE HOUSEHOLD.
A Middle Aged Love Story.

faCaH. to WhtCn me on Win MhNlub
chisfs and kindly good byes; and stood on the
stern nodding and waving back. till the steamer
swept down the river out OF their sight.
knew that should have their prayers, that
the great sea might be gentle with me knew
thew would watch the weather, and look for the
telegraim OF the arrival of our ship yet knew
vas taking nothiug from their lives, aud they
would go home hardly missing me SO 1t was
with no great wrench of heart that saw the
nilot put of from u.s. and took the last look at
pnTing the most Of the passage was just
comfortably Hea-eick 80 / sat all day long in a
reclining chair on deck, watching the white caps
on the purple green and blue waves that moun-
ted and fell down and up, up and down, away
out to the far horizon. saw the shining nau-
tuees float by, and now and then whale, or
shoal of porpoises. or sail, speeding wide and
full across tho water.
by; for didn't put my eyes in my pocket along
with nv short-sighted glasseA; and nobody was
much likely to mind q middle aged woman In
hood and waterproof.
The first thing saw was young girl with
dark eyes and brown hair that ripped itself into
tangie OF rough curls whenever she took oil
h,r net. She was not 30 pretty, nor 30 very
brilliant; but there was a piquapt charm about
her that attracted half the passengers before
the first day was over. BY the end OF tho second
day everybody, from the captain TO the snip
surgeon, ard from the surgeon to the cabin boy,
was eager to show her attention and everybody
was met by tho same genial smile anu llVely re-
tort.
She won her way al once into my heart by the
kindly thought that led her to bring little rel
ishes from the table to tempt my sickly appetite,
and to sooth my forehead with bay rum ana Beh-
tie touches of her shapely brown hands, where u
proat emereld plittered encircled by diamonds
Very soon she got into the habit OF drawing her
rug beside my chair. and sitting on the deck
leaning against me, 30 that might pot her, as
she said. -.
of-the way corner came to be the centre OF the
life and gayety and romance OF the whole snip
board. - -
It seemed this young girl, Rosa Armour, was
all only child and an orphan, going to an uncle
in Germany, her nearest OF KIM
'.Dear heart! hope her uncle will be wise as
well as loving" said 1 to myself very often for
she seemed too fragile bubble OF humanity 70
drift on through life alone.
The tips OF her brown curls were llShter 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 coll
ing these CLEANS ofsunshlne around my hheets,
and watching flock OF Mother Carey chlckens
skim recklessly over the restless waters. think
ing these thoughts about Rosa, and having her
soft presence alon. to myself for afeN moments,
Not many however. Soon up came New 1ea- Ih
land ". OF course there was new H'Ai@uuot
or a Australian On our boat.
You are very lowly Miss Armour said he.
f" Let me bring you chair.
Thank you prefer to sit here on my rug
and have Miss Wells pet me, replied Rosa, turn
ing up ner face languidly. The deck is my
favorite scat, if l can only have an excuse to sit
Oh It," ,.,
''But you need something over you, persisted
the New Zealander, going away and coming back
directly with his own heavy grey wrap. Then he
seated himself 'on a low camp stool beside hef'
the wrap over the two. mover saw so rongh
sea as this all the way from Honolulu to San
Francisco" said he, looking out upon the genue
- Iazit ty maintain
"Rough !" cried Miss Armour II IN sure the
ocean IL as smooth as a mill pond
ION! but not as compared to the Pacific
peaceful it was rightly named We have never
such gales on that an sweep the Atlantic, Dut
only the gentest westerly breezes.
The New Zealander shivered az no spoke, and
tirow his wrap closer over his knees :.
" We have the most charming climate IN
New Zealand he went on ; " we are never
too hot and never too cold. In fact we nevei
think Of the weather-and the soil is the most
fertile III the world
PITY it is in such an out-of-the-way part OF
tho earth that nobody can live there, SAID Mis'
Armour.
=. Beg your pardon, Miss, there are severa
English towns Of 700 inhabitants each an!
We never think OF ourselves Al being out-ot
the-way but rather feel sorry for those who llV,
70 far off," returned the other bending his tai
figure earnestly forward.
Rosa leaned her pretty head toward him in
couhding attitude Of interest, and laughed. "Oh
20 You are the people. and wisdom IL going
die with you, said she. " But what do you d'
ont there in the heart of the universe =
g" We dig gold for one thing, and raise shee
for auother-milhona and millions OF them
From thirty to forty vessels are constantly ply
ing to England with the tallow and preHse
wool. m
What do you do with the mutton ~ aske
Rosa, looking idly at the light in her ring an
then AZ idly at the light OF the speakers eyes
- We use what we can, WAS the reply " an
I m To bury the Hes
not usually but sometimes an order Will com
to ono farmer for thousand sheep, II 20
please, and all he can do is to clip OIL the WOO
get ont the fat, and bury the carcasses.
1" What pity the meat can't be sent to IN
hungry posr at home Why don't romebo |
condense it they do the beef in Ioxas 2
said in my practical way. -
In good time dare say somebody will hu
we can't do everything at once replied the N
Zealander, looking with sudden Interest at IN
game OF shuille-bOard being played beside us
Just then came along the ships surgeon
blonde youth in uniform, with his hair parted
the middle
Miss Armour" said he I" the gun is to
fred of at the bow, will you come and see
done p
Miss Armour started up at once. turning Il
same half-contiding glance and ready smile upt
him she had teen giving ua.
II am going to leave my rug with you
shall come back. said she, bending over III
shoulder upon me as she took the surgeons ar
The New Zealander looked after her and trit
to console hiinsef by drawing his wrap in anott
er fold across his knee he did not succeed, al
finally got up and went away. Of course IL w
not worth his while to make himself agreeaD
to a middle-aged woman in hood and waterproof
So | sat and looked at the likeness OF lal
among the sunset clouds, and tried to declf
whether had better take the oat-meal cruel {
biscuit tea for my supper wondering the whl
half unconsciously, about the old chord IN u
memory that was always being struck by CO
tain musical ring in the New zealanders voic
After an hour or so the gun was fired a.
presently Miss Armour came back. with the dl
order of sea winds in her hair, and its freshne
in her pretty pink cheeks.
1--WE come as l said" she murmured, dro
ping at my feet again, and smiling up, as thou
she had got where she best loved to be ust su
a emile as she would have given to the stoke
down in the engine room, or the ships cat II
it was lovely TO look upon while it lasted; a
we mddle-aged people have learned to wal
ourselves in any chance ray of sunlight wltho
stopping to consider whether it is likely to
perpetual
This time the bit of sunshine did not ct
long for there came up an artist with his sket
book and when Miss Armour had sufficient
admired his graphic pencilings Of the capti
and quarter-master, and the sea-slck occups
of an upper berth it was time to lower the X
and so he bore her on, to find out by her o
eyes whether we were actually going at the II
Of thirteen knots, or only twelve and a-half.
That was how the days went. The passt
gers read and paced the deck, played games a
,yuaaaad t+ddlaa and were ALWAYS hungry