Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1874-04-16

~ {gr1o{ lFsehes,' Ipdsed,
- konuneo y&hat, I bad, fop1ntte1
A sharp paae.- fos which ehided my.
self severely. had followed this annoupec-
ment. HadI not myself .counselled him
to do this /? Had I not told him to : be
happy with another and leave,me 10 my
carcsY Aud should blame him because
be had not isolated himself as had done
No, my heart had acquitted me at the
time. and did not care now to count up
my sacrifices. broke up my household,
rutLlessly turned myself out Of house and
home. although could not bring myself
to disturb single thing that belonged
there. l turned my key upon all that
the house held Of solemn or sacred mem
ories, and, 10 the dim dawning Of gray
November morning. l entered the carriage
that was TO take me-somcwhere-i.
seemed as if thought and cared no,
where.
stopped a moment a. DR.. Wardwelrs
gate to bid him and his wife good bye
This much owed them for all their kind
ly good feeling to one who had perhaps
seemed uugrateful.
They came out and urged me to retrace
my steps. or. if mus: go away, at least
to let some friend go with me to cheer the
sick or solitary hours might experience
No. l said. l would have no ones life
sacrificed or made sad BY me. Alone I
would be. alone I wanted to be. Per-
| haps could thus better work the cure OF
my over-strained energies and melancholy :
| life.
i God bless you then. dear Jane" they
both said. so aficctionately. that almos,
began TO doubt the wisdom of leaving
friends whose like l might never know
again. But stce!ed my heart. and say.
ing that they should hear from me il ever
found rest, went away.
4 few brief hours l passed in consult
ing The people in whose bands still lay
the funds my father had entrusted to thcu.
aud in obtaining my passport /; for had
k3eeidsd 10 iry foreign travel as an anti.
- e che bitterness Of my life. / con.
fess to the waking up of new seusation
when / found myself on the ocean. !
found that the little band Of persons thus
cut of from tho world we're really more
to each other for the time being than the
whole world beside. The Same life was
happening to Us all alike. 1t was differ.
ent to life on shore. 1t was impossible
to live out divided exis.cnccs here, where
al! mus. share in the same hopes. fears
and interests. / was n wonder to myself
iBasmueh as could actually sympaihize
where, but q short time ago. l could fee
only perfect Indifference.
Tie sea is a mighty leveller To those
whom it bears together ON its bosom, i
wears The same aspect. At home, QUE
sees the hills. another the valleys at the
same hour. Oae will be dwelling iu Z
shaded room-another in one where sun.
light enters. Onc sees crowded streets,
another only quiet 6ells. -a
But at sea, if bu, a dolphin shows il.
painted sides. or q snow-whitc buttcrfi,
settles awhile upon the mast, then fut
ters over the waters blue, far out to sen
all on board must witness the same sight
and experience The same sensations. s,
that, at sea, We are all bound in a chair
that cannot be severed while, at home,
our next-door neishbor may remain ,
stranger, almost myth TO Us. for years
His life may never touch ours at an
point. The blue hills iha, claim our earn
est gaze. the golden glory Q: the wes:cr,
sunset may never arres; his notice; bu
let Us take voyage together. and see
the same objects. though perhaps in dif
feren. degrees of pleasure or interest, vii
not awaken the same thought in each.
There was one on board-a mere b.,
passenger, much younger than Uerbcr, wa
when he died, who soon became to M
very dear, from the many points of rcse;n
hlarce to my dead brother Our com
. pauionship. notwithstanding .hc diEerenc
in our ages. grew very close. Sometimes
it seemed actually as if Eerbcr,'s spiri,
, in dying. had transfased itself into thi
: boys frame. His ideas and manner .
expressing them were so much like m
brothers. that | sometimes forgot a!mo:
: that / was not talking with him.
Orly ;ha, he was gayer than Herbcr
and answered me with more brilliau
, ,.epartce than he had ever welded, I mig,
: have though, myself carried back to th
: old times when we two, in cur lionel
c house. were company enough for each OF
e er and felt no lack of eompaniouship,
G no oIe entered our doors for weeks.
$ know ROW how wrong it was TO linn
our lives thus. Human nature should srres
o itself widely. /, is not safe to contra
i our affections and concentrate them =
/, upon one object. There viii come
IS time when nature will avcnge herself {,
c all outragcs, wrongs. or restraints. th
we may pu,upOu her. | could begin
Q reason thus now. though should ha'
d spsrned such doctrine before | came ava
Il from my iesloate home.
4 Ons day. I asked Walter Ashley OF h
e future. Not from idle curiosity, be, fro
!, real iu,eres, in him. did ask these que
Il iioos and be answered Nth fsaakne4
that showed his pleasure at nay inqui>
;. tiveness.
It He vas going cat to London. to Il