Smyrna times., 1875-12-15

"Here's father!' cried the girl, spring.
ing forward. "Oh, father, this good lady
has saved my lifer'
Lady! The widow Minton wanted to
kiss the beautiful rosy lips that pronounced
the words.
"Well, my DEAR" said the old gentle
man, good-humoredly pinching the plump
cheek, she has done it very thoroughly.
You certainly don't look very near death
just now"
Whereat the story, with due enlargement
and variation, was told him with a pretty
pout.
The father smiled, but also he furtively
wiped away tear
"Well, madam" said he, courteously,
accept my cordial thanks for looking
after my little madcap Belle. She's my
only child, you see, and as full of pranl,s as
any Dozen"
Belle playfully put her hand over his
mouth. g won't have my character
traduced where they've been so good to
me" she cried. "And oh, father, isn't this
beautiful place-such view of the water!
mean to come down hear every dav and
do my sketching."
I'm afraid" said the sire, shaking lis
head, " that this good lady will have cause
to wish she had thrown you overheard"
"Oh no, father; she likes me, and like
her. And I've fallen in love with Tom
long ago, you know"
Tom blushed painfully. Something
strange and new stirred in his mind. Com
plments did not sweeten his thoughts rs
they did his mothers, for Tom had never
seen better days, and felt as if he was being
made Jest Of
\ week passed, during which the young
girl strolled almost daily to the cabin.
When she was there Tom seldom entered
the house. lie had grown Shy and sulkv:
he sat on the shore darllly brooding. or
went off silently to his fishing.
One morning Belle and her father do
parted. Belle kissed the witherad check
OF her friend, and that was ALL For when
mention had been made of helping her
substantially, the widow had drawn herself
sharpely up, all the lady shining in her
eye.
:" may have seen my best DAYS" she
said, but haven't come down to that
yet. And if needed any reward. I've had
1t now, she added, as She felt the soft
blood mantling in the check that Belle had
kissed
Long after the two had left, Tom went
about with cloud on his face, and in his
ears were ringing those mocking words.
" I'm in love with Tom" 4 disgust for
his fishing life and for himself and for all
their miserable surroundings of poverty
filled the lads heart with an unwonted
bitterness
" Mother" said he one day, as he sat
darkly brooding over the hearth, "you
said you were born lady; why didn't you
make gentleman of me? p
3" hadn't any money left when YOU
c"me,' said the widow, briefly.
"Then it's money that makes people
gentlemen and ladies? ?"
" don't know" said the widow. puzzled
" they somehow mostly have it."
One day Tom came and told her he was
going to sea. There had been man down |
looking for hands, and he had taken Tom |
gladly, for Tom was handy fellow at
almost any kind of sea craft. and would |
soon make good seaman.
"And you must just bide here patiently |
till ! come back, mother; for if there's |
better days any where, shall bring 'em
with me, be sure"
After that the ses looked bluer and |
colder than ever, and the solitary woman
lived sort of hermits life No cheery
voice of gossiping neighbor lightened the
'dreary cabin, no children prattled about
hers and only Belle, the bright, blithe-
hearted lassie, seemed to remember to
cheer her with letter now and then.
Belle was away now visiting some distant
friends, but in her kindly heart she kept a
corner, it seemed, for the poor old woman
who had saved her life.
Three years-four-passed away, and
daily of a summer afternoon YOU might
have seen the widow sitting in her door
way, eager and hollow.eyed, looking out
for some possible ship that might be Toms.
Tom was not good correspondent, but
occasionally up at the little post-office a
wandering epistle waited her trembling
hand. She was growing very old and feeble
now; but Tom was getting up in the world,
Tom was first mate of his ship, Tom was a
success, Tom was a gentleman, and oh.
above all things, Tom was coming homel
Not every one watches in vain, though
we may not always be looking in the right
direction. 1t was so with the widow.
As she sat one day, with straining eye
gazing on far-of sun-lit sails, and seeing
how some Of them hovered nearer, and
some, alasl took wing farther and farther
away, the doorway darkened suddenly;
there came rushing upon her, as if dropped
from the clouds, a plump, dark-eyed, rosy.