The Republican journal., 1874-07-30
Paula.

pf:tnula1nef. BN ana by l nearu SlelGn
bells, and the black horse came plun@ing
through the snow, and stood shaking of
4 shower of il on the doorstep.
Here's something for You. Sarah, said
my husband, rs he walked in, bringing 4
parcel wrapped in mans cloak.
''W hy, Barnet. what is ii p ! asked.
Your grandfather said nothing lie was
Il man Of few words always. llc walked
straight to the table, took off the cloak
and there stood up Il rosy. two-ycar old
boy, staring with blue eyes wide open
Your grandfather took the baby in his
arms. and brought it across the room to
me, and said, Sarah, james Vincent :
wife died last night, will You take care OF
this child for week or so?'
''Will |? bless ii /; indeed will"
Well that 5 the way became TO rs. Chill
lmgWorh he'd been chriStcned after some
ancestral Vincent or other. but Of course
we couldn't call him Chill either. 50 we
called him Writ. after 4 man Vonr grand
father liked Years before.
That day Just at night. sam Hastings
boy came 10 tell Nour grandfather that
Dca. Nash was taken with q stroke. and
he was wanted there directly. A great
hand to care for sick folks your grandfather
always WAS. So he put on his oycrcoat
kissed me- good night. and left me there
alone with the baby
The hired man Slept in the house. and
| had Il little girl twelve wears cid for help
tor. though Ne were we'll TO do in the
world. there We're fewer servants in those
days than there are now. took the child
to my bed and left the light burning Such
Il night rs that was. The wind roared
round the corners OF the house and piled
the snow in great drifts. and every time it
stillcd could hear, loud like thunder. the
waves break on the beach. four miles off.
Something allied me that couldn't sleep,
and fancied could hear the gun boom
from some distressed ship out at sea. Fo,
all the Sandmouth men followed the sea-
and 4 storm there was different thing
from what it is to quiet inland folks. Then.
too, this baby's iather.-the little thing
lying there warm with sleep, his great
loose curls tossed about on the pillow
this babys father was a sailor. and who
knew where he might he that night God
knew, indeed, and James Vincent was
nearer port than any OF Us thought
AT last Il quiet stole over me, and | fell
asleep, with Mariorie's child upon my arm.
But the first thing ] saw in the morning
when | put back the curtain was a Sled
passing. and on it body. stiff and frozen
in sailors clothes. There had been guns,
indeed, and 4 ship had gone to pieces oft
drowned Everybody said ''what Il pity. =
and may be it was, but somehow couldn't
look at it 50. Aud all that do, the child
playing on the rug beside me, and stitch
ing away on my dainty sewing, and the
snow lying all around outside as white
and pure as the heaven it came from, all
that day couldn't help thinking Of the
surprise, the happy meeting up there,
when Marjorie, with her baby in her arms.
should look up into her husbands face
the husband who had come into port that
stormy night ''And so he bringeth them
to their desired haven Old Capt Clark
says that is the best verse in the Bible,
and suppose it is to him. Well, I'm
afraid Eve made long story, but when
the week was passed and another place
found for the child. somehow couldn't
let him 90.
50 tall as our boy grew to be, six feet
in his stockings, and as straight as 4 mast.
Many time as watched him walk Oft
down the yard would find myself saying,
Servants upon horses" and princes
walking rs servants upon the earth He
was eighteen when he went out first mate
OF the schooner Cape Ann He had been
out before, for he was always crazy for the
sea. He was gone two years, and it was
June day when he came back. We heard
the Cape Ann had made port, and had
but lust time to think of the good news
when Writ burst into the sitting-room
Here | am, little mother.' and he
caught me in his arms; he always had
such hearty ways this boy of mine ''And
mother, here's somebody else" and he led
or So "A Girl, Writ, where did YOU pick
her up?' | asked, astonished.
so, they grow where Eve been, he said
merrilv. and, indeed, | thought he was
right as looked down at the dark, foreign
faced child, who stood fast by Writ felt
itall over me in a momentt that she brought
no good to the house, but was ashamed
right away, and so | bent and kissed her.
That's my own loving mamma" cred
Writ, 81 knew you couldn't resist her.
1t was more than hall for his sake after
all That night sitting upon the piazza
the air heavy with orchard blooms, and
the smell of the sea, after the children
were all tucked into bed, the stranger
among the rest, Writ told me how in the
bay of Biscay. one stormy night, they had
heard signals OF distress from vessel in
the ot1ing, and in the morning they had
found only this child in her night clothes.
asleep on her floating mattress. "She
talked some foreign gibberish," he said
Spanish perhaps, but we could have no
idea who she was. or where she came tron.
The women on board rugged her up the
best way they could, and here she is
"What do YOU mean to do with her9"
asked, wondering what such a young man
as he could do for such a child.
"Mother,' said Writ, and he stopped
walking up and down the piazza 1t was
a way he had from pacing up and down
the ships deck, suppose, and now he was
practising to get his land legs on. Mother.
mean to keep her myself"
Very wellr | said, for never could
oppose anything in reason among my chill
dren.
Il don'tknow but it's strange he went
on, "but the fact is, got fond Of her
working for her on shipboard.n
tOulu tul'lcISlitll'i tIlttl. folks get iona
OF things they work for, if it's nothing
more than lamb brought up by hand, or
a poor kitten. SO | said,
"Just as you please, Writ, and she can
have the portico chamber, and she can 60
to school with Alice and Fanny
''And whatever expense there is about
il I'll be bound for,n said Writ
Never mind that"
Yes, but think its best 10 have things
straight to begin with
Then he tell to talking about his cruise,
and it was better than play any time to
hear Writ tell of the foreign parts where
he'd been He would tell of the mosques
and minarets, the muezzins, and the veil
ed women with their wonderful black eyes,
and Writ would make his own big blue
ones CLINT at the thought of them. Black
ewes a always drewh him like magnet. OPP
posites always draw; you may mark that
the world over. | thought of all this in a
minute when Paula, that was her name,
when she stood before me that June day.
And | think that my heart went down a
LITTLE Int | fOreot it afterwards she was