The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1875-12-23
rHELANp or rlNsEL.
A story for Christmas or Amy,

Neither far distant from here, nor
many years ago, there stood on the cliffs
by the sea a white cottage, which was
all overgrown with honeysuckle and
wild roses. On a warm summers day,
when the little waves splashed with
soft murmur on the snowy white beach.
at the foot of the cliff, and no one could
tell where the deep blue sky and the dark
blue water came to an end. folks loved
to come and visit the old captain and
his pretty daughter, who lived alone in
Sea Gull Cottage. Sea Gull Cottage
had pretty shade trees all around it,
there was a garden In which grew
vegetables, currants and strawberries
and beautiful roses. yiolets and mignon--
cite. But the captains favorite place
was on the wooden bench in front of the
door just under the old pine. With the
rich-soented wall flowers around him,
the captain would sit through the long
summer afternoons, smoking his pipe,
reading some old newspaper, watching
the passing vessels through lhis teie-
scope, or, perhaps, leaning on the gate
Of his garden wall, have chat with
some old comrade. But there was one
Occupation for which the old captain
would leave all others, and that was
watching his daughter Mary. Mary was
only sixteen years old; butthen, as her
mother had died when she was very,
very young, Mary was much more sensi-
BILE than girls generally are at her age.
and since Betsy the old servant had
died, Mary had taken entire charge oil
the little white cottage, the lovely
garden, and of her old papa also. Every
body in the neigAborlng bamlet knew
Mary. She was the fairest OF the fair.
Her hair was like the golden sand on
nk l,Sa ilyn hn nrIr l.,A
| sea, her lips as fresh and ripe as the red
strawberries in her own garden. Her
step was 80 quick and fairy-like, her
voice so sweet and melodious, and her
touch SO gentle. that the sailors said she
iresembled the soft south wind.
| or course all the youths In the village
knew her, and when there was q dance
on the green lawn in front OF the school
house on warm midsummer evenings,
Mary had great many partners ana a
great many more who wished to be. One
night in August, when the moon shone
so brightly that 1t was almost as light as
day, and tho wayelets OF the ocean
| seemed tipped with silver, Mary, who
had been staying later than usual down
| in the village, and had refused an es-
cort home, because she preferred neither
one young man to the other and she did
not wish to hurt anybody's feelings,
came tripping along the path which led
over the cliffs to Sea Gull Cottage. AS
she approached rock, which was a ia
yorite resort of hers and where she
loved to sit with her book or her needle
| work, watching the broad ocean, she
could not resist the temptation of sit
| ting down to rest herself and enjoy the
| balmy evening breeze, and admire the
beautiful new moon which sh0ne down
Ism md An RI n,lr
world.
She bad not been here long, when, from
behind neighboring promontory, there
shot out barge, which rapidly neared
| the rock Oh which she was seated. 1t
was nothing unusual for the boats to
come In at this hour of the night, and
yet there was something 80 strange
about this particular one, tnat Mary was
overcome with surprise. The sides OF
| the barge glistened IN the moOnshine as
| if they were FURNISHED gold. Six men,
| who seemed taller than any Mary mad
ever seen before, and who appeared all
| sparkling with rubies and diamonds,
were pulling oars, which shane like
bright lights. with marvellous rapidly
| through the water.
| Butwha fascinated Mary most was a
young man who stood in the stern OF the
boat. Mary could distinguish that he
had beautiful hair, as black as night,
which. waved In the wind, and a hand
some black moustache. In his hand he
carried cap with long white, plume,
with which he bowed to her again and
again. His dress was all GOLD and jew
els, and SO magnificent that it quite daz,
lied Mary. In ler confusion she would
have risen and run away, had she not
seemed chained to the spot by some in.
/ visible power. But the boat came nearer
and nearer, and Mary found herself ris-
ing to greet the beautiful youth, who
| soon sprang upon the while beach and
clasped her IN his arms.
"Mary," said the youth, 81 am Prince
Romance, and L have come to claim you,
as l claim all lovely maidens at your
age. love you dearly and you will
soon love me, il you do not love me al
ready. Come and Live. with me in the
palace of nay father, The King Tinsel."
| Mary WAS SO overcome with sudden ad-
miralion that she could not u, ter q sound,
much less a word. SO tue noble Prince
clasped her again in his arms, and baY-
ing carried her to the boat and placed
her on some rich, soft yelyet cushions,
he bade the Oarsmen row back quickly
10 the palace. Soon Mary saw rising out
OF the water an island, on which grew
the most beautiful trees OF every climate
there was the palm tree, the cedar o.
Lebanon, the great Struggling oak, the
sycamore, the gaunt pine, the weeping
willow and the graceful c0cpanut.
i She could distinguish the brightest
flowers growing amongst the Mxuriani
i grass, whilst birds Of gay plumage flitted
hilher and thither ip The moonlight, AMI
the dulcet tones OF the nightingale were
i waited to her from some Silly grove
But soon Mary's wonder and admiration
was to be excited to a much further de
gree. The boat reached the island, and
with the help OF the handsome Prince
4 Mary sprany lightly on to a bank OF ricl
\ moss aud ferns, SO beautiful that il
| seemed a sad shame TO crush them under
| foot. Near the bank sat a youth TO whom
his pale face and large, blue, yearninl
eyes, from which the Tears were stream
4 ing, aud detected attitude, gave an ap
pearance of The deepest sorrow. MARY
was touched BY heevident sadness O
the youth and she could not help inquir
ing about him of Prince Romalce. ~
/ "Oh," replied he, "that is my 1oye-sicl
i figure, he always sits there by tn;
II waters edge, Just as you see him now =