Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1874-09-25
Past All DisllOnOr.

Past All Dish0nOr,
| A combination Of circumstances led me
| to become q frequent passenger in the
| summer Oh IS, on a steamboat leaving
| the Wharyes of New York, whose destina-
ton was Boston. On one of these occa-
SONS, just before the boat started, a pretty
girl, of perhaps Il or Is years, stepped
| aboard. inquired for the steward, and Sc
cured state-room, saying she was going
! through to Boston. Her manner was easy
and Self-posSessed yet & certain audacious
! sauclneSs in her splendid brown eyes, the
jaunty way in which she wore her Turkish
| hat her Independent air, and a nameless
suggestion OF mischief which appeared to
| Turk III every movement, arrested the OBJ
| server attention, and seemed to indicate
that she was proficient beyond her years in
the worlds knowledge. that her tutelage,
| to say the least, had partaken more of len
fence than Of prudence. Her dress was
rich, and eXquisitely becoming, but with
no attempt at conspicuous ornament. Her
hair was Of the same rich brown color as
I her eyes, and fell down to her waist, rest
| ing as lovely on her fair young shoulders
as if each separate hair were endowed with
| electric life
| AS we swept out into the Sound, she
| came on deck, where most Of the gentle
| men and several ladies were congregated,
and directed Il fIlsillade of small conversa-
| ton at the captain addressing him in
| tone of reckless levity, and with famili-
| arity which startled the ladies and amused
| the gentlemen; and otherwise conducted
/ herself in q manner which left no doubt
| as to her social status. In less than ten
minutes, every lady on board was her
| aVoWed enemy, and not at all afraid to let
| it be known but she Chartered on in her
rolllcking way, regardless of smiles or
| frowns-apparently the irredeemable devo-
tee Of thoughtlessness and folly.
We We're all on deck, shortly after tea
admiring the sunset, which flooded the
sea and sky with a transforming splendor.
1t was gay company; not q sad face
could be found amongst us all. The too
intense heat of the day had subsidized, and
a soft breeze had sprung up; to breathe
the air was, in itself, an aspiration. Our
irrepressible and t0o-confding young lady
passenger was there, and her childish
| laugh rang out above the rest. She had
selected the good-natured captain and one
| or two Of his officers as the special objects
of her tlippant, though by no means vi
cious, raillery and they permitted it,,
partly from an acquired habit Of affability
toward all passengers, and partly because
they were amused by her irresistible vivac-
ity. The lady passengers, of course, shun-
ned and kept aloof from her as from nox-
ious poison, as if her very contact would
breed pestilence. The gentlemen did like
wise, to great extent; more, 1 believe,
from tender regard for feminine opinion
than from any considerable instinct of
horror.
Suddenly the smile died on her lips, and
her face became inegpressibly sad and
earnest, as she gazed fan out across the
water. Her attitude and expression, as
she stood thus, formed picture which
will never fade in my memory she looked
50 innocent, so childlike, and so intensely
sorrowful. In a moment she turned to the
captain, with something Of her old man
, ner. Reaching up her delicate white
hands, she took hold Of his abundant Whis-
kers, on each side OF his face, as the rea-
der has seen d petted daughter caress he1
father, and, looking up into his face, asked
with great SOlemnitV:
Ibid you ever want to die, captain 2"
''Well, no, my child" he replied, some
what surprised at her changed manner. II
i, can t say that ever had great desire to
: die"
''And if you had such a desire, what
would you do ?"
ooh! in that CASE said he, loosing her
would be the most available method
should Jump overheard and drown my
SELF
, Scarcely had he finished speaking, when
she Whirled, put one hand on the railing,
, and leaped into the Sound. The whole
movement was 50 instantaneous that it
was impossible for any one to anticipate OF
prevent 1t.
! A cry of horror went up from those who
saw the movement. Some stood transfiXed
-. and unable to move, while others hurried
about in confused excitement. The cap
| tain had the boats lowered and manned al
most instantly. A moment after her dis
: appearance she came to the surface. There
! was nothing scared in her expression, and
she made no struggle to save herself. l
saw her face distinctly as she came up, and
/ fancied | could detect In it the same sor-
rowful look it had worn a few moments
before, though even that expression could
not wholly deprive it Of q certain jaunty
grace which became it well. 1t was only a
= momentary glimpse which we had of her,
for she disappeared just as the first boat
touched the water. | think [ never saw
1 sadder men than those rough sailors when
they pulled the heavy yawl alongside and
replied to a hundred simultaneous inter
rogatories: ''Wefound no trace Of her at
ALL And these gentle ladies, who shrank
with such aversion from her half an hour
S before, had many a tender utterance for her
now, and could not voice their pity when
they knew THAT, while she laughed the
loudest, the homeless child's heart was
breaking Chicago Tribune.