Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-03-27
MISCELLANEOUS.
LEFTY Mo0RE's STORY.
BY MARY KYLE DALLAH.

their stockings by the fireplace and gone to bed
-yes, one Christmas eve, when l was not nine
tsen vet. AZ sat dressing dolls by the fire, the
latch of tho kitchen door lifted and my sweet
heart. Harry Wood, came in. / expected him
that night, and he was late, and WAS very,vory
Glad to zee him. 1 was always very glad to see
him. for l held him very dear. He sat down be-
side me and took my hand in his, and kissed me
softly on my forehead.
His lips we're cool and fresh, and his eyes
.parkled, coming 30 newly out OF the frosty win
tar night air, but he did not smile AZ he usually
did ; he looked very, very grave.
.,iIard at work for Christmas, Lefty Z" he
asked "The children will be happy tomorrow,
If nobody else."
"You are not happy tonight, I'm afraid"
said
He put his head down on my shoulder and hid
his dear brown eyes there.
"Its weary waiting, Lefty" he said, "when l
want you for my very own 30 much. Ths Ii not
A land to get on in, Lefty. There's younger
and fresher one across the sea, where man OF
nv trade may make more than starvation wages,
and where indeed he need not stick to any trade,
for there's land enough for those that will till
1t. -
.You mean American" said.
~ mean America, he answered. "Letty, love
I'm going there, ahd when know that am able
to keep you from want, you'll come to me, won't
YOU Lefty y
There are words that go to the heart like
knife Those almost killed me. Surely would
have gone with him anywhere, but to part with
him for no one could tell how long to have the
horrible angry ocean that dreaded 30 between
us.-that was.more than could bear to think of.
Yet knew that he only spoke the truth. Yes,
If we were ever to be married, he must leave me
now.
put the dolls aside. could not work at
them now put my check against Harry hair
and l,ua uat tilaut for a lOnp. long Whila
1t was after the clock struck eleven that he be-
gan to tell me in what ship he intended to sail,
and what he would do when he reached Ameri-
ca He read me q letter from his cousin, who
had lived there several years, which certainly
lightened my heart little, for it assured him OF
ut least one friendly hand in that strange coun-
i Think of 1t, Lefty, DEAR" he said, growing
more hopeful. "Onr own little farm in some
sweet wild place, where we can live and grow
old together. No more fears of work failing, or
wages going down. It's worth the pain OF part
ing for while, is it not, dear2"
Yet, oh, it was hard to part Until / die
shall remember the moment when he left me.
How he held me to his heart, how he let me go.
aud came back again to kiss me just once more
how even then, when we had torn ourselves
apart his face wet as mine, he returned again
and casped me close, close, close, and kissed me
OH my cheek, and on my brow, and on my mouth
again. Yes, l shall always remember it,
In the gray dawn / sat before the shoulder
ing fire and finished the children's dolls. Then
/ went sorrowfully to bed. l knew that as the
christmas chimes were ringing he was trudging
his way through the bleak morning. with his
bundle on his shoulder, and knew that when the
wild December winds were at their tiercest, and
the sleet beat in the sailors face and stffened
his fngers-when life aboard ship was the cruel
st thing one could dream of-he would be on
tho ocean. He had told me ho must work his
passage out, for he had no money to pay for it.
knew what winter-voyage was, even to pas.
lIs,J,n aud ua1I. fpr and
how could keep merry Christmas and take
my comfort at tho Christmas fire?
went to church that morning, but even the
church looked gay with evergreen and holly
berries; and the hymns are all glad ones. l,
sitting in my pew alone for my sister was too
busy with her Christmas dinner to attend ser
vice, found in my little book, his gift, the
prayer for those upon the sea, and read it over,
and as read could see the white waves and the
gray sky, and the Lady Margaret tossing in their
midst
Often and often saw her In my dreams, walk
ing and sleeping, while waited for news from
her. Often and often felt again my Harrys
parting kisses on my lips. Was 1t really to be,
l asked myself, that our lips would ever meet
again and never could say to myself that it
would be 70. l had presentiment Of evil from
the first.
1t was horrible winter Storms came thick
and fast. We heard stories Of shipwreck and
disaster every day. At last there came a horri-
bic rumor of an accident to the Lddy Margaret
and while waited in an agony OF suspense for
further news, it came in horrible certainty.
The Lady Margaret had been wrecked on the
banks of Newfoundland on the bitterest day of
that winter. Many Of the passengers escaped,
and some Of the crew, but the greater part of
the latter persisted, and among the names Of
those frozen to death was that Of Harry Wood
Frozen to death. ALI, great Heaven! Such
death for hi,n. Such death for me to know that
he had died, remembering as did the warm
clasp OF his hand, the warm kisses his lips had
T tbfh al t1or nyn and
over again. l agonized with him. almost died
with him. lay upon my bed for long weeks
after in such feverish deirium that was only
conscious that one of us had frozen to death,
and could not say which.
But God spared my reason and gave me back
my health. After a while took up my accus-
toned tasks again.
My trial had changed me very much, and l
had no hope left. had nothing TO hope for,
but in the end took the days AZ they were sent
and made the best of them. AS for love, new.
or thought of loving again. All that had passed
away from my existence.
My little nieces grew to be great girls and then
women. At last one Of them married an Amer.
ican, who took her home to his own country, and
who asked Aunt Lefty to go with them, if only
for visit.
went. had always had strange awful
longing to CROSS the sea, and be where he had
been when he was lost but our journey
was taken in fair weather, and we had no act
ual storm during the passage. When, we
reached the spot where his vessel had been
wrecked, there WAS great fog and we could see
nothing, but could fancy it all.
Somany years ago, and yet l leaned over the
vessels side, and said to the cruel ocean:
"You took my love from me- and you wrecked
him on these terrible rocks. l hate you-oh,
how hate you !"
And was young Lefty Moore in the first flash
OF her terrible woe again but only for while.
had been the middle-aged woman who tried to
make the best of everything 30 long that l had
settled down to that very soon and gong TO
New York, with all it's strange sights and sounds,
found myself 30 much amused and interested
that l almost forgot myself for many days.
Then there was the brides new house to fur
nish and 30 many little things to get and do, 30
very, very many, was in and out from morning
until night
At last one day my niece wanted a pair Of
Shoes and, being busy, sent me to buy them
for her. / looked for shoe-shop along the
avenue had entered and found one at last
1t WAS very small, but liked the looks OF the
shoes in the window but when l entered L al
most wished myself out again, for at the door
sat a terrible looking man, poor deformed
creature, whose appearance really made me Ill
At first. He had lost both legs, if he had eve
had any, and his face strange, SCARED
looking thing, one ear was gone and the TIP O
his nose think should have run away II
eould decently; but felt obliged to stay, and al
ter had bought the shoes, and spoken to th
poor soul, l really felt only pity for him. II
Hal A.. and