The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1873-04-02
A MIDDLr-AGED LOyE.srORY.

nodding and waving back, till tho
steamer swept down the river out Of
their sight.
IkncwI should have their prayers
that the great sea might be gentle
with me; knew they would watch
the weather, and look for the telegram
of the arrival of our ship; yet l 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 seasick, so sat all
the day long in a 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 the fair hori-
zon. I saw the shining uautiluscs
float by, and now and then whale. or
shoal of porpoises, or o sail, speed
ing white 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 nobody was
much likely to mild q middlc-aged
woman in hood and waterproof.
The first thing l saw was Young
girl with dark eyes, and brown
hair that rippled itself into tanglc
ofrough curls whenever she took off
her not. She was not 80 very pretty,
nor so very brilliant; but there was
piquant charm about her that attract
ed half the passengers before
the first day was over. BY the end
of the 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 tho kindly thought that led
her to bring little rclishes from the
table to tempt my sickly appetite, and
to soothc my forehead with bay-water
and gentle touches of her shapely
brown hands, where great emerald
glittered, encirclcd 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 l might "pet her." as she
said.
This was how it happened that my
quiet, out-of-thc-way corner came to
be the centre of the life and gayety
and romance of the whole ship
board.
II seemed 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 myself very often; for she seemed
too fragile bubble of humanity 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 a
flock of Mother Carey's chickens skim
rcstlessly over the restless water,
thinking these thoughts about Rosa,
and having her soft presence alone to
myself for a few moments. Not many,
however; soon, up came q New Zea-
lander; of course there was New
Zellander, or an Australian, ON our
b at.
You are very lowly, Miss Ar
mour," said he. Let me bring you
chair
"Thank you; prefer TO sit here OH
my rug, and have Miss Wells pet
me-" replied Rosa turning up her eyes
languidly. "The deck is my favorite
seat, if ! can only have al excuse to
sit on it,"
"But you need something over
| IOht NCW
going away, and coming back directly
with his own heavy gray wrap. Then
he seated himself on low camp-stool
beside her, folding the wrap over the
two. Il 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 lazily-mount-
Ing waves.
Rough !" cried Miss Armour. al
am sure the ocean is as smooth rs a
mill-pond p
80! but not as compared to the
Pacific-peaoeful it was rightly
named, We have never such gales
OH that as sweep the Atlantic, but
only the gentlest westerly breezes." !"
The New Healandcr shivered as he
spoke, and drew his wrap closer over
his knpps g. We have fha uosf ol,o,,,,,